Footasylum opens new 10,000 sq ft store in Essex

Streetwear and sportswear retailer, Footasylum, has opened its new 10,000 sq ft store in Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex, and will be led by its footwear and men’s apparel offering. 

According to the retailer, the store represents a “first-of-its-kind concept” development and has an improved look and feel. 

This comes after 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 Lakeside store. 

In response to a notable increase in demand, additional space has also been allocated to womenswear apparel stock, which now features prominently within the store.

Footasylum previously occupied a smaller space at Lakeside that only spread across less than 3,000 sq ft. In upsizing to the larger premises, Footasylum has employed an additional 30 team members across a mixture of full and part-time contracts, taking its total headcount at Lakeside to 70.

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.” 

He added: “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.”