Member Article

Bluewater signs debut South-East store for Carvela

Landsec has announced the signing of a standalone store for Carvela, the women’s footwear and accessories specialist retailer, at Bluewater, one of Europe’s leading retail and leisure destinations.

Taking a 1,196 sq ft unit, adjacent to Apple on Upper Guildhall, Carvela’s Bluewater boutique will be the brand’s seventh bricks and mortar store in the UK, and its first in the South East. Featuring its unique ranges of shoes, bags, and accessories, Carvela will be launching the store later this summer under their ‘fashion for a fearless generation’ focus.

Rob Hardie, Portfolio Director at Landsec, co-owner and asset manager of Bluewater, commented: “Following the success of Carvela’s capsule collection in Bluewater’s Kurt Geiger store, we have worked with the brand to create a bespoke standalone boutique that will help Carvela realise its full potential. Bluewater is a celebration of the best in retail, with Carvela adding to the offer alongside recent debut concepts from ZARA and Vanilla, and the ground-breaking leisure destination, Hangloose Adventure.”

With an all-female design team Carvela is pioneering new construction techniques for footwear that combine comfort and style, while enabling an extension of shoe sizes and widths that does not compromise quality. The brand has also recently launched its own bespoke online platform, and has partnered with The Prince’s Trust Women Supporting Women, a group committed to helping young women build their own futures through employment, self-employment, education, or training.

Sarah Pugh, Head of Carvela Buying & Merchandise, added: “Signing for a dedicated store at Bluewater is another great step forward for Carvela. Bluewater is a destination with huge draw for our customers, and one where we have performed brilliantly in the past. Comfort, innovation, and inclusivity are the principles that run through our business and every aspect of product design, and with this launch of a flagship bricks and mortar store and new online platform, we hope to embolden and empower our customers through their fashion choices.”

This news follows the signing of Vanilla at Bluewater, bringing trend-led labels Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla together, and representing a debut standalone store for the fashion concept.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Elizabeth Ellis .