AN ICONIC British brand will make a return to high streets after tumbling into administration and shutting 150 stores.
Laura Ashley has plans to open a brand new store in Lakeside shopping centre in Essex.
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The 10,000 sq ft store is due to open on September 26, according to Retail Week.
Shoppers will be able to shop a range of homeware and womenswear, sleepwear and children’s clothes.
It will mark the first time in over five years that customers will be able to shop its iconic floral designs in a standalone store.
The fashion brand, which counted the late Princess Diana as a fan, was founded in 1953 and its trends became a favourite in the ’70s, with homewares following in the ’80s.
But it became one of many retail casualties of the pandemic, with the brand crashing in administration in 2020.
As a result the chain was forced to close all of its branches in the UK.
The beloved chain was later saved by retail investors Gordon Brothers, which help launch the brand in Next stores in 2021.
It also has deals with sofa group DFS and John Lewis.
But in January of this year, the US firm offloaded the chain to Marquee Brands, the owner of Ben Sherman.
At the time, Heath Golden, chief of Marquee Brand said the firm was “primed and ready” to leverage Laura Ashley’s seven-decade legacy.
Adding it wanted to “unlock its future potential as a full lifestyle brand innovating new products and categories, offering unique collaborations and engaging multi-generational audiences in key markets worldwide”.
Its new standalone site will be operated in partnership with Next.
Retail revival
Laura Ashley joins a host of other retailers making a return to the high street.
Topshop has been ramping up its presence in stores after Asos sold a 75% stake to the brand to Bestseller.
The iconic British brand has opened a concession in Liberty London and will open in 32 John Lewis stores come next year.
Ted Baker is also plotting a return in early 2026,
It is understood the brand is planning to return to London, with more details to be confirmed closer to the time.
It’s not clear yet how many shops there will be or whether there will be any outside the capital.
The news comes more than a year after the much-loved brand dramatically collapsed and shuttered all its stores in August 2024.
Shirtmaker T.M. Lewin announced last month it would be opening more stores in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
The brand had fallen into administration and shut all of its 66 branches in 2020.
Last year, fashion and homeware chain Cath Kidston made a surprise return by opening a store in Westfield White City, London.
The retailer had crashed into administration and shut all of its stores in 2023.
What does going into administration mean?
WHEN a company enters into administration, all control is passed to an appointed administrator.
The administrator has to leverage the company’s assets and business to repay creditors any outstanding debts.
Once a company enters administration, a “moratorium” is put in place which means no legal action can be taken against it.
Administrators write to your creditors and Companies House to say they’ve been appointed.
They try to stop the company from being liquidated (closing down), and if it can’t it pays as much of a company’s debts from its remaining assets.
The administrator has eight weeks to write a statement explaining what they plan to do to move the business forward.
This must be sent to creditors, employees and Companies House and invite them to approve or amend the plans at a meeting.
A Notice of Intention is used to inform concerning parties that a company intends to enter administration.
It is a physical document which is submitted to court, usually by directors aiming to prevent a company from being liquidated.
Like with a standard administration process, a Notice of Intention stops creditors from taking out any legal action over a company while they try and rectify the business.
