US shoe giant steps up presence in the UK

US shoe retailing giant Nine West Group is revamping the concession interiors of its subsidiary operation The Shoe Studio and sister brand Bertie, as part of a drive into the UK shoe market.

The US-style interiors of Nine West’s forthcoming stand-alone stores are also being adapted to suit the UK market.

The new designs are being created by Axis Design Europe in London with the client’s in-house team. Axis worked on interiors for the Pied á Terre chain following its acquisition by Nine West.

The revamped concessions for Shoe Studio and Bertie will first appear in the new House of Fraser store, opening in Glasgow next February. They will be rolled out to around 70 new outlets Nine West plans for next year.

Shoe Studio and Nine West have around 200 concession stores in total in the UK.

There are two Nine West stand-alone stores in the UK with a third branch in London’s Covent Garden due to open in February.

“We have adapted the interiors for the English market. We have made some significant changes to the store’s lighting,” says Axis partner Jeremy Hardy.

The group will roll out the new design to the 24 Nine West shops it plans for the UK next year.

Nine West has revenue of 1bn and brands including Calvin Klein, Bandolino and Calico.