Scribbler opened its largest store ever yesterday – in Rathbone Place, in London’s Fitzrovia, 20 paces from Oxford Street.
While Scribbler has built its business on high footfall small format stores in high streets and travel hotspots, its latest branch – in a 650 sq foot unit is larger than its usual choice.
As Jennie Procter, co-founder of the edgy card retail group revealed the extra space “allows us to ‘spread’ out our offer and stock a much larger range of own brand.”
While Scribbler’s Rathbone Place store will benefit from being very close to Oxford Street the retailer is also bracing itself for an influx of customers when Facebook’s new huge London HQ opens in the same street at the end of next month, accommodating 2,500 employees.
John Procter, who co-founded Scribbler with his wife Jennie gave a thought-provoking speech last Wednesday at The Ladder Club Day 2 Seminar in which he shared his views of how the “ridiculous” rents that landlords are now demanding has forced Scribbler to look to increase its margins by upping the percentage of own brand products.