French kidswear and toy retailer ÏD Kids to make its UK debut

French kidswear and toy retailer ÏD Kids is to make its UK debut at the the Southside Shopping Centre in Wandsworth, South London, next month after retail entrepreneur Philip Bier secured the UK franchise.

Bier made his fortune with the highly successful lifestyle, gift and stationery retailer Tiger in which he sold his stake last year. According to The Guardian, he has now set up a new entity called Bier Brothers, along with brother Jacob, which he intends to use to bring new retail brands to the UK, starting with ÏD Kids.

ÏD Kids owns eight brands including kidswear label Okaïdi and Oxybul along with a range of educational toys. It operates 1,200 shops globally and price-point-wise sits just above high street brands, such as Zara, but below designer brands.

Bier is unfazed about the troubles currently being endured by British kidswear and kids products retailer Mothercare (which is considering store closures) and the recent collapse of Toys R Us, telling the newspaper that ÏD Kids was well suited to more affluent, family centred areas such as Wandsworth.

“The demographic is right in Wandsworth and there is an incredible concentration of buggies,” he told The Guardian. “The French children’s apparel market is incredibly competitive because they don’t wear a school uniform. The intention is to make it a national chain of probably 50 shops.”

Image:  ÏD Kids website