Member Article

National retailer outlines growth plans for 2021

One of the UK’s fastest growing retailers has unveiled plans to double the number of stores it has to 50 in 2021 as it continues to buck the trend in the flooring sector.

Flooring Superstore will end the year having opened 25 stores in England, Scotland, and Wales in just three years.

The northern-based retailer is now planning to open the same number of stores in just 12 months during 2021, investing millions of pounds and creating over 100 new jobs in the process.

Its aggressive growth strategy follows the most profitable period in its history. An accumulation of people turning to DIY/home improvement during the Covid-19 pandemic and buying flooring from its online business during the national lock-down, to Flooring Superstore re-opening its bricks and mortar stores in June.

Taking a reactive approach to spot the switch in buying behaviours and offering their customer an unrivalled level of customer service both off and online, has been a winning formula for them.

In 2021, Flooring Superstore will be targeting new store openings in major towns and cities which are easily accessible for a larger population. It already has stores in large conurbations such as London, Edinburgh, Bristol, and Birmingham.

Chief Retail Officer, Chris Barber said: “We now have stores stretching from Edinburgh down to the south coast of England. We are aiming to increase this further in 2021 so we have full coverage across the whole of the UK.

“The South East and Greater London are among our key target areas, but there are also several other large urban and retail centres on our radar.

“Opening 25 stores throughout 2021 will help further cement our position as a market leader in the retail flooring sector.”

Flooring Superstore’s story began in 2012 when it began trading online. Adding physical stores from 2017 onwards has improved its offer.

Chris explains: “We were already really well positioned online and now have become the only flooring retailer with a bricks and mortar presence as well as an exceptionally strong e-commerce platform.

“As our competitors closed down their businesses due to the lock-down restrictions, we directed customers to our online platforms and continued with our expansion plans.

“This omni-channel strategy has worked really well; bringing online prices to the high street and having multiple channels available for customers to engage with us and ultimately purchase.”

As well as opening new stores, Flooring Superstore is also leading the way when it comes to innovation and technology.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .