Dune London steps up international expansion

Dune London is stepping up its international expansion with the British footwear brand reporting that more than a quarter of its sales are now generated outside of its home market.

The business now boasts 131 international franchise stores and 48 European stores and concessions and is seeking to add more.

Its recent US collaboration online with Nordstrom and Dillard’s in the US is said to have "started above expectations with a real appetite for Dune London’s occasion wear styles and high leg boots". The business said that it represented an "encouraging start in the US highlights the opportunity for the brand and heralds a major investment over the coming years". 

Its major franchise market is the Middle East, where the brand has been trading for 15 years. It now has 65 stores in the region and there are plans for a further 10 stores in the coming year, with a particular emphasis on Saudi Arabia. The first Dune London accessories only store opens in the next two months in Riyadh. With bags sales particularly strong in Saudi, Dune London sees a "real opportunity" in rolling out more accessory only stores.

More new stores are planned this year in India and Pakistan where Dune London currently has 13 and three stores respectively and four more stores are planned in Nigeria. The brand opened its first franchise store in Lagos, Nigeria last year and reports that it has exceeded its budget by more than 50%.

In the coming year Dune London’s franchise partner Apparel will be opening its first store in Egypt and new concessions and stores are planned for Australia, as well as stores in North Africa and South America. 

Online, give international versions of its website are said to be performing well with a further two planned for this year.

Main image: a Dune London store in the Vendome Mall Doha, Qatar.