Peacocks, Bonmarche and Edinburgh Woollen Mill owner to open 100 stores within months
Peacocks has told social media users new stores would be opening "soon" in Watford, Stroud, Sandbach and Orkney
PA
The owner of Peacocks, Bonmarché and Edinburgh Woollen Mill is set to open 100 new UK high street stores over the next 18 months.
The openings are expected to create more than 500 jobs.
Purepay Retail Limited bought the three brands out of administration three years ago.
More than 300 stores were forced to shut at the time.
The parent company has since opened 50 new stores across the three brands.
Purepay Retail Limited said: "The business strategy will be a lifeline to communities which have lost high street retailers such as Wilko, M&Co and M&S over the past year.
Peacocks, Bonmarché and The Edinburgh Woollen Mill's owner is set to open 100 UK stores across the brands
PA
"The expansion plan is ever evolving and the search for local stores remains a priority for the business to ensure that local high streets remain a vibrant place that people want to visit."
In the year ahead, Peacocks is seeking locations within the M25, according to a report by Drapers.
This includes seeking sites in Brixton, Elephant and Castle, Tottenham, Uxbridge and Woolwich, according to a store requirement list shared with property agents earlier this year.
The brand is also looking for locations in Scarborough and Whitby as well as Christchurch and Hunstanton.
It is seeking stores spanning 3,500 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft.
Peacocks now has 350 stores in the UK, according to the brand's LinkedIn page.
This week, Peacocks told social media users new stores would be opening "soon" in Watford, Stroud, Sandbach and Orkney.
The brand recently opened stores in Oswestry and Ripon.
Bonmarché, which now has a 225-strong store estate, opened shops in Middlesbrough, St Helens, Bridport, Oban, Paisley, Thatcham, Newton Mearns, Chilton, Tring and Dalton Park in 2023, Drapers reports.
The brand is looking to target locations of 2,000 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft in cities such as Bradford, Lincoln, Milton Keynes, Inverness, Stirling, Cork and Dublin.
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The Edinburgh Woollen Mill currently operates 200 stores.
The brand has returned to a number of towns in recent years, including Glasgow and St Andrews, Newbury, Sidmouth, Keswick, Bury St Edmunds and Plymouth.
It's understood Edinburgh Woollen Mill is expanding into new towns such as Barnstaple, Worcester, Lichfield and Clitheroe, and is seeking stores in town centres and tourist hotspots with 1,800 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft in size.
Additionally, the brand is set to continue to grow its garden centre presence, such as in Tong Garden Centre.