Ralph Lauren to Open its First UK Rugby Store in Covent Garden

As part of the transformation of Covent Garden into a luxury and high-end shopping destination, Ralph Lauren, like other global brands, will open a store in the tourist popular area.

Following its debut in Tokyo, the luxury, US, lifestyle label will open a 5,703 sq ft Rugby store at 43 King Street in fall next year.

Bringing together a casual campus style and downtown prep with a fresh edge, the Rugby Ralph Lauren boutique will be the first monobrand Rugby Ralph Lauren store in the UK.

The signing follows a new letting to Burberry, which will open a store on King Street in 2011 as well as this year’s openings of the world’s largest Apple store and Kurt Geiger’s European flagship, both on James Street.

Developer of the area Capco has been striving to transform the area into a more up market shopping destination. It said it has “revitalized Covent Garden into a modern, vibrant, retail, and dining district that attracts world-class retailers as well as providing a destination that Londoners can be proud of”.

Capco chief executive Ian Hawksworth said: “We are delighted that Ralph Lauren has chosen Covent Garden as the location for its first ‘Rugby’ store in the UK.

Covent Garden attracts over 46 million visitors a year and this new letting is further proof of our commitment to re-energize the estate as a leading retail and leisure destination within the West End.”

The plan to open in the UK follows the launch of the first online store where shoppers outside the US have been able to purchase Ralph Lauren products online.

The edited online merchandise assortment includes products from women’s sub-brands Ralph Lauren Collection, Black Label, Blue Label, RLX Ralph Lauren and Pink Pony. Menswear includes Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, and RLX Ralph Lauren. Childrenswear is available from layette to boys’ and girls’ sizes, while the Home collection provides a selection of merchandise from the brand’s luxury homeware range.

The website follows the editorial style popular among leading fashion e-tailers in the UK such as ASOS and MyWardrobe.com. Key components include a Style Guide spotlighting new trends and offering tips on how to create signature Ralph looks as well as the quarterly luxury lifestyle e-zine, RL Magazine.

www.ralphlauren.co.uk

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