Gap is making a comeback to the UK high street by launching three new standalone stores. The brand’s flagship store will open in Covent Garden on November 6, with additional branches in Westfield London on December 4 and Wembley Park London Designer Outlet on December 12.
According to Drapers, a fashion industry publication, each store will carry a variety of Gap clothing and collections. Gap first entered the UK market in 1987 and recently closed its last UK store in September 2021.
Currently, Gap operates four shop-in-shop concepts within Next stores, located in Oxford Street, London, Braehead, Glasgow, and Trafford and Arndale shopping centers in Manchester. The company also has over 40 concessions in Next stores across England and Ireland, with Next owning 51% and Gap holding 49% ownership in the venture. Despite store closures, Gap has maintained its online presence.
In a statement released in 2021 when announcing store closures, Gap cited market dynamics in the UK and Ireland as the reason for the decision. The company expressed its commitment to supporting its team through the transition process.
In other retail news, M&S has disclosed the opening date for its new flagship store in Bristol. The supermarket will unveil its branch in Cabot Circus in Bristol city center on November 13, offering M&S food, clothing, home, and beauty products across three floors.
The foodhall will feature an in-store bakery, fresh market selections from M&S Select Farms, and a wide array of sandwiches, salads, and wraps. The M&S coffee shop will accommodate 200 seats and serve freshly prepared breakfast items, toasties, wraps, sandwiches, as well as barista-made coffee and iced beverages.
The Bristol Cabot Circus store is part of M&S’s plan to open sixteen new stores across the UK this financial year, including Bath Southgate, as part of a substantial £300 million investment.