Watch it by Kinnersley Kent

Branded watch retailer Watch It has this week opened its second UK retail site, in London’s Covent Garden Piazza.

Designed by retail specialist Kinnersley Kent, the store marks the first full shop opened by the group, which housed its first outlet in a kiosk. Kinnersley Kent developed the chain’s identity as well as the store interior.

The retail initiative was launched by property surveying group Harper Dennis Hobbs, which is aiming the proposed chain at mass market customers. A further nine UK stores are planned to open by 2000, in busy, high profile locations.

Despite rival chains Watch 2 Watch (DW 29 May) and Face for Watches (DW 5 June) opening in London last summer, and existing stores from watch brands such as Swatch, Kinnersley Kent partner Glenn Kinnersley believes the standalone watch retail concept remains an under developed one.

“Just look at how the watch brands market themselves, which is why we developed the carrier bag with a transparent strip at the bottom, so everyone can see which brand has been bought as well as the shop it came from,” he says.