Moss Bros announces four new store openings

British menswear retailer Moss Bros has announced plans to open four new stores in the next three months, bringing its total store count to 106.

The new locations include a 2,059 square foot flagship store on Jermyn Street in London, which will open on July 28, as well as another 1,390 square foot London store in Canary Wharf, which opened on July 18.

Additionally, a 2,593 square foot store in Eastbourne‘s Beacon Centre opened on July 23, while a 2,787 square foot store on Brighton’s North Street will open on September 22.

In total, the new stores will create nearly 9,000 square feet of new retail space and 23 new jobs.

The company said it is investing in “a heightened customer experience”, which includes “dedicated style suites” and fitting room appointments.

The stores will carry Moss Bros’ ready-to-wear offering, hire selection, custom-made options, as well as its new casualwear offering launched with a AW21 collection fronted by First Dates’ Fred Sirieix.

Pandemic recovery

“We are delighted to be opening new stores and creating jobs,” Moss Bros CEO Brian Brick said in a statement. “For us and our customers the route to market must be a combination of stores and online that reflect the ways that people want to shop with us today.”

He added that Moss Bros is making “good progress” finding sites for the additional ten store openings it announced in April.

Like many formalwear retailers, Moss Bros was hit hard by the pandemic as social gatherings and large events such as weddings and the Royal Ascot were cancelled en masse.

But it has shown signs of recovery in its most recent trading update following the ending of lockdown restrictions.

In the year to January 2022, the retailer made a turnover of 93.1 million pounds, up 141 percent from a year earlier, but still 27 percent below pre-pandemic levels from two years ago.

In that same period, it made an EBITDA of 17 million pounds compared to a loss of 11.7 million pounds a year earlier, and compared to an EBITDA of 5.2 million pounds two years ago.