In Pictures: Edinburgh is UK store 10 for Sunspel
Raul Verdicchi, CEO of Sunspel, was on hand to welcome visitors to the official opening of the British brand’s 10th UK store at 44 George Street, Edinburgh last week.
The handsome Georgian property makes an elegant showcase for Sunspel’s refined menswear and womenswear ranges, which are dominated by its trademark fine knitwear.
The first store in Scotland sits well on Edinburgh’s leading shopping street, which is enjoying a retail renaissance. Neighbours on George Street include Joseph Cheaney, Timberland, Anthropologie, AllSaints, Gant, Whistles, Joules, Jigsaw and White Stuff.
Sunspel, which was founded in 1860, has eight shops in central London and an outlet at Cheshire Oaks (plus a small shop at its factory in Long Eaton, near Nottingham). It also has four stores in the USA, which is its largest market for online sales.
Verdicchi, who spent 12 years with Ermenegildo Zegna, the Italian luxury goods group, was appointed CEO in August 2023 by Sunspel owner Nick Brooke, who remains as executive chairman. He has avoided over-distributing the product and raising prices, two mistakes often made by premium brands.
The classic Riviera Polo Shirt, as worn by James Bond, retails at £138. The classic T-shirt, made in Long Eaton, costs £95. Other lines are made primarily in Portugal, plus some by William Lockie in Scotland.
Paul Verdicchi, Sunspel
“We are very happy where we are,” Verdicchi told theindustry.fashion. “As well as our own shops, we still believe in wholesaling, working with the right partners. We have only 300 wholesale customers across the entire world. It might be that we do not open any more stores in the UK. We certainly do not foresee having many more, but we may relocate some of the London units. Abroad is different and we have imminent store openings in Paris and Tokyo.”
As guests toasted the Edinburgh shop with gin and whisky from The Isle of Harris Distillery, Verdicchi confirmed it had been trading well since it opened on 7 August.
