Hush is to open its first three full-price stores this autumn as the British womenswear brand expands its predominantly digital business into physical retail.
The stores will open in Bluewater on 9 October, Guildford on 16 October and Marlow on 5 November, marking Hush’s first standalone full-price locations.
The openings form part of the brand’s next phase of growth and are intended to complement its online business, giving customers the opportunity to try on collections, experience fabrics and access styling advice in-store.
Hush CEO Sarah Miles told The Times that the move reflected customers wanting “a deeper and more physical relationship with the brand”, adding that the stores are designed to complement rather than replace its digital business.
The three locations have been selected to test different retail environments. Bluewater will give Hush access to customers across the South East, while Guildford offers a premium high-street location where the brand already has an established customer base. Marlow will provide a presence in an affluent market town with an independent retail environment.
The expansion follows Hush’s appointment of Sally-Anne Newson as Chief Customer Officer in June. Newson joined from Reiss and has responsibility for brand, creative and digital, bringing the functions together as the business targets further UK and international growth.
Hush was founded in London in 2003 by Australian entrepreneur Mandy Watkins and her husband Rupert Youngman. The brand initially focused on sleepwear and loungewear before expanding into womenswear including knitwear, denim, tailoring and outerwear.
The business received investment from retail investor True in 2020, which took an approximately 50% stake. Its latest accounts showed turnover falling 14% to £45m, while pre-tax losses narrowed to £4.14m. Hush said at the time that it had prioritised full-price sales over volume through discounting, with its latest trading showing growth in full-price sales and customer numbers.
The physical expansion comes as Hush also looks towards international growth. The brand is already stocked by US department stores including Nordstrom and Macy’s and has identified the US, Ireland and Middle East as markets where it is seeing interest.
For now, the three UK stores will provide a test of how Hush’s digital customer base responds to a physical retail experience, with Miles telling The Times that the company is already looking at potential future locations.