Quiz reveals ambitious store opening plans

Recovering womenswear brand Quiz is the latest chain operator to say that it’s rebuilding its store portfolio after multiple closures in recent years.

It expects to open between five and 10 stores this year. That will include relocation and expansion of existing shops in key locations such as Liverpool One and Lakeside that have proved to be key attractions for shoppers in the bounce-back period.

New Quiz stores in Southampton and Plymouth have been confirmed and the company is looking at more malls, while also considering high streets if the price is right, according to Drapers.

It’s an encouraging development for the company that had looked to be on the ropes not so long ago. At the upper end of its estimates, the company would almost reverse the 11 closures that happened in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. It has around 70 stores across Britain and Ireland currently after last year’s openings in Bracknell, Brighton and Newbridge.

The news comes after Jigsaw and Monsoon — both of which faced issues pre-pandemic that were exacerbated by the Covid crisis — also announced major store opening programmes after closing large chunks of their estates previously.

Their moves — and that of Quiz — are further signs of just how strongly physical retail is bouncing back. This is despite footfall still lagging pre-pandemic levels, as those who do venture in-store tend to spend much more than they used to.