Occasionwear retailer Coast has opened its London flagship on Oxford Street, with 30% of its clothing exclusive to the store as well as 60% of the accessories offer.

“Occasionwear” retailer Coast unveiled its new flagship this morning. At 6,000 sq ft, the store is four times larger than any other branch in the portfolio and the interior, created by furniture and restaurant designer Lee Broom, is concerned with providing a fresh direction for the retailer with a higher overall interior specification.

Major in-store features include an illuminated marble staircase, to add glamour and to encourage shoppers down to the basement, which is where most of the selling space is located, and a large video screen that is integrated into the perimeter wall on the ground floor. Extensive use is also made of mannequins throughout the store.

Margaret McDonald, Coast MD, said: “We have amazing conversion rates. If somebody comes into our shop, they have made a special journey to do so and therefore the chances are good that they will make a purchase.” She said that with this in mind, the proportion of fitting room space to selling space has been increased, in order to allow a semi-wraparound mirror to be incorporated into each cubicle. “This is a really girlie thing. Women have to be able to see how their bums look in a dress,” said McDonald.

Coast plans to open a second large footprint store later this year, according to parent company Aurora Fashions’ chief executive Mike Shearwood. Speaking at the store’s launch party last night, Aurora’s chairman, Derek Lovelock, said that the direction of travel for the brand in the UK would be “fewer, but bigger”.

Previously the Oxford Street Coast was a Clinton Cards branch.

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