Footasylum opens “most technologically advanced store yet” at Lakeside

Footasylum has opened a 10,000 sq ft store at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex that’s over three times the size of its previous 3,000 sq ft unit, with “an improved look and feel”, as part of its upsizing and new store opening strategy.

The store represents a “first-of-its-kind concept development” and there has been a significant investment in the store’s digital capabilities in order to create “a seamless mobile-first customer journey”.

After a successful trial in smaller stores earlier this year, click-and-collect lockers have also been installed in the new-look store.

As well as carrying footwear and men’s apparel, an additional space has been allocated to the retailer’s women’s apparel offer, “in response to a notable increase in demand”.

Barry Bown, Executive Chairman and CEO of Footasylum, said: “We are on a mission to develop bigger and better stores in order to bring an even more immersive shopping experience to our loyal and growing customer base. Our new Lakeside store certainly delivers on that and, as our most technologically advanced store yet, it will seamlessly connect our online and in-store offerings.

“This opening is just the latest development in our ongoing expansion programme, which will soon see our flagship Oxford Street store open to the public. Demand for fashion streetwear is strong, and our expansion plans will help ensure that our extensive product offering has an even greater prominence across the UK.”

Footasylum will also be opening its flagship store at 73-89 Oxford Street in London later this month. The new 20,000 sq ft store will trade across two floors, with additional customer service and click-and-collect lockers located in the store’s basement.

The company is also upsizing a number of its existing sites, including those in Westfield Stratford City (which has been completed), Birmingham Bullring and Leeds White Rose. There is also 6,000 sq.ft store opening in the Atria Watford shopping centre in October 2023.

The plans follow the opening of a new Footasylum store in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, in December 2022, which was the company’s first new opening since April 2021 and its first under the ownership of AURELIUS Group, which acquired Footasylum in August 2022.