The age old battle between the Brits and their distant American cousins rears its head again. This time it’s not cookies versus biscuits, it’s retail design.
American retailer Forever 21 is planning to launch in the UK market, reportedly on London’s Oxford Street. Falling real estate prices are encouraging some retailers to open up in markets that were already on the radar but maybe just slightly out of reach. According to Marino Donati in an article for Draper’s Online, Forever 21 has already been taking advantage of greater availability of retail space in the US. UK is a logical next step where fast fashion is popular.
The retailer has it’s work cut out, attempting to compete with well established UK shops in the same price point and demographic such as Topshop, H&M and Zara. However, the most interesting point in the article came from Edward Whitefield of Management Horizon.
“Whitefield says the US Retailer [Forever 21] will have to improve its in-store experience to compete in the UK. ‘The Forever 21 product is better than its store design, which it will have to think about, as we [the UK] have some smart shop designs which add value for the shopper.’”
Well, I never.
