Fortnum & Mason is to open its first new sites outside of London for the first time, with a boutique and a new food-to-go format at the Bicester Village shopping outlet in Oxfordshire.
The new store will open its doors on 1 October, the first of a new expansion plan to take Fortnum & Mason around the UK.
Styled on Fortnum’s Piccadilly flagship store, the new smaller “boutique” will offer a range of Fortnum’s food and drink, including its loose-leaf tea, biscuits and hampers. The space will also host cooking experiences presented by Fortnum’s red coat customer service staffers.
The boutique will be decorated with Fortnum’s traditional eau de nil blue branding and walnut service desks throughout.
Fortnum’s has also partnered with local suppliers to launch an exclusive Fortnum’s x Bicester Village gift box, featuring shortbread, tea and Banbury-sourced honey.
In a major move, signifying Fortnum’s efforts to move beyond its traditional roots as a seller of luxury gifts, Bicester Village will also debut a new takeaway format.
Located just outside the new retail store, Fortnum’s first-ever ‘on the go kiosk’ will offer a range of luxury warm crumpets, created in collaboration with chef Tom Moore, creator of the brand Moore’ish Crumpets.
Toppings will include Lobster & Caviar Cocktail, Ivy Farm Butter, and Fortnum’s Strawberry & Champagne Preserve. Dialling up the retail theatre, a new duck mascot will seek to attract passersby into the store.
“We’re delighted to be opening our first UK store and hospitality offering outside London in Bicester Village,” said Fortnum & Mason CEO Tom Athron.
“Our beautiful new location will allow visitors to the village to explore a curated edit of Fortnum’s extraordinary food and drink, and provide a great pit-stop for those looking to buy Fortnum’s favourites to enjoy, or to pass on as gifts for friends and loved ones,” Athron said.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with the Bicester Village team on this next chapter of our brand’s story, and we look forward to seeing how we can bring the best of what Fortnum’s has to offer to their diverse customer base,” he added.
Read more: Fortnum & Mason’s Tom Athron wants the grocer to remain relevant – but not through cutting prices
The two new stores are the first to be confirmed by Fortnum’s as part of a plan unveiled by Athron in June, to expand the 318-year-old brand “up the spine” of the UK.
Bicester Village will be Fortnum’s second standalone store, alongside Piccadilly. It also has three smaller outlets at St Pancras station, The Royal Exchange and Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as an outlet in Hong Kong, its only overseas site.
Fortnum’s will join a number of high-end food and drink brands at Bicester Village, alongside Ottolenghi, Cecconi’s and Lindt among others. The outlet predominantly hosts designer and luxury brands and is popular with overseas tourists. It’s also home to one of Pret a Manger’s busiest UK sites.
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