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Newcastle’s Aptus Shopfitting wins £2m contract with footwear giant Schuh

Newcastle-based Aptus Shopfitting has won a deal worth at least £2m with national footwear giant Schuh.

The commercial fit-out and refurbishment company, formed in 2007, is working on the UK-wide launch of the retailer’s new concept stores.

Schuh is in the process of rolling out a new ‘till-less’ store design - that taps into digital technologies and mobile device usage – across its portfolio of locations.

Aptus has been named an official supplier to the chain and is currently working on delivering new stores in both central London and Wales, with several more UK sites expected to follow over the coming year.

The Tyneside firm estimates that working with Schuh will generate at least £2m of turnover in the next 12 months.

The contract is the latest in a string of new deals for Aptus, having won work from a number of major brands in recent months including the delivery of a JD Sports flagship store at the new Westfield Shopping Centre in Bradford.

Other recent contracts include commissions for fit-outs of a Pizza Express restaurant in Manchester and a new Lush in London. Retailers Sports Direct and Majestic Wines, as well as Northumbria University, have also been added to Aptus’s customer base in the second half of 2015. The firm has also enjoyed several wins in the office sector this year, including the transformation of software firm Bede Gaming’s new HQ at Newcastle Great Park.

Commercial director and co-founder Chris Price said: “We’ve seen a real pickup in retail activity this year, as the economy has strengthened and consumer spending has risen. We are well placed to take advantage and are already on track for the busiest year in our company’s history, with turnover likely to be 75% up on last year.

“We’re also seeing more confidence in the business community and, as companies invest in more staff, they are also more willing to spend on creating better workspaces.”

Aptus employs around 20 permanent staff and is based at Hoults Yard, in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle.

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