Member Article

Protest delighted with first UK store

Dutch brand Protest, is making a splash just three months after opening its first UK standalone store at the Royal Quays Outlet Centre in North Shields.

Protest, a top quality boardwear specialist, is hugely popular across the continent, with stores in five countries and has proved to be an immediate hit with the North East’s surfing community.

Andrew Thompson, store manager, said: “Our wholesale offices are based in the region, so Newcastle was the natural choice for us to open our first independent UK store.

“We chose Royal Quays because of its unique blend of famous brands and bespoke smaller retailers which make for a great shopper experience, as well as the hands-on approach the scheme’s management team put in place for operators.

“So far, it has been an ideal location and we have had fantastic support from the centre who have helped to raise our profile since we launched.”

Royal Quays’ centre manager, Judith Ramshaw, said: “As Newcastle’s only outlet centre, we pride ourselves on our ability to attract new names to the scheme to offer the best possible user experience.

“Our reputation for store support and the flexibility of our property offering has enabled us to attract specialist retailers such as Protest, who provide us with even greater choice for our customers.”

As well as selling boardwear, Protest is home to a range of surf and snowboarding clothing for children and adults.

Royal Quays has 50 stores which employ around 500 staff, making it an important employment hub for the North Tyneside area.

It is home to a number of top brands offering up to 60% off RRP such as Marks & Spencer Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Gap Outlet, Collectables Outlet, Clarks, Next and Mountain Warehouse, along with a vast range of local, independent retailers specialising in areas such as sport, fashion, jewellery, music and electrical items.

As well as attracting famous brands, since it was opened in 1996, Royal Quays has achieved great success in assisting local retailers looking to get to the next stage of their development.

Packages include competitive and flexible rent agreements that can be linked to store performance as well as expert advice from the on-site management team on marketing, shop design, presentation and sales.

For more information, please visit www.royalquaysoutlet.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Royal Quays Outlet Centre .