While economies worldwide are still
on the rebound after the decline of 2008, and the retail market is
still a tough environment, management at Kurt Geiger is looking to a
renewed focus on expansion and growth of their brand.
The chief executive of Kurt Geiger
credits the company’s increasing success to the introduction of its
Bond & Britton high heels and its Saffiano handbags. As American
and international celebrities have embraced the company’s new
products and stars like Beyoncé and Julia Roberts have worn them at
major Hollywood events, the reputation and popularity of Kurt Geiger
products has continued to soar. In particular, this year’s
introduction of the Saffiano handbag line has boosted the company’s
overall handbag sales by over 50%. British actress and model Rosie
Huntington-Whitley was spotted carrying Saffiano’s red bowling bag
in Hollywood, further increasing the brand’s cachet. And it isn’t
only female celebrities who are flocking to Kurt Geiger. Actors
Channing Tatum and Jon Hamm have both been photographed wearing items
from the Kurt Geiger men’s collection.
In April, the company was bought out
by its chief executive and has been experiencing an amazing year.
The new management has focused on expansion at home and abroad and on
trying to appeal to all shoppers. While the company’s original
lines were priced between £250 and £295 for a pair of shoes, its
new Shoeaholics website offers men’s boots and women’s heels and
flats for anywhere from £19 to £29 a pair. The goal is to make the
company affordable not just for Hollywood stars, but to all
fashion-savvy consumers.
This year,
Kurt Geiger has opened 28 stores worldwide. Twenty-nine of those
locations are within the UK, and one of the new locations is a
flagship store in Milan. The company’s other new shops are located
in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand. Kurt Geiger now boasts
59 stores worldwide, with an additional 198 retail locations inside
major department stores. The company also runs multi-brand shoe
departments inside Harrod’s, Selfridges and Liberty department
stores in the UK.
The proposed London flagship store
is set to open in early 2015 in the Oxford Street area. Prior to that
date, the company will also open another retail location in London’s
Bicester Village shopping center.
