• Targeting 75 stores within three years
• Will create 1,000 jobs
• Introducing exclusive new international brands to UK shoppers

April 16, 2018: Homewares and kitchen retailer HOUSE has opened its first two stores in the UK, with four more locations to open before the end of June.

“I am proud and delighted that we have successfully opened our first two stores on schedule,” said HOUSE Executive Chairman and CEO Steven Lew.

The first HOUSE UK store opened at Westgate Oxford today, coinciding with the launch of the HouseUK.com online store. Through its physical and online stores, HOUSE UK is initially offering more than 4,000 products including cookware, bakeware, glassware, kitchen gadgets, small electrical appliances, knives, table linens and accessories.

Two more stores, at The Lexicon in Bracknell and at Meadowhall in Sheffield, will open in the next two weeks while stores at Chapelfield in Norwich and Cribbs Causeway in Bristol will follow shortly after.

“We announced our plans for HOUSE to expand into the UK market last year, and we plan
to continue our rollout swiftly. We have two more stores opening this month, and two more
by the end of June,” said Mr Lew. “We received a tremendous reaction at today’s store
opening. Customers were so excited to share in the experience. I was extremely enthused
watching people interacting and shopping in the store.

“We are passionate about cooking, dining and entertaining, and our ambition is to be the
‘go-to’ destination for people who share our passion. Our expansion will be very much
opportunity-led, and our strategy is to create a sustainable operation that prioritises being
best-in-class, over being the biggest. Being the biggest is a flow on from having the best allround
offering.

“Physical stores are not dead. They are only dead if the retailer cannot adapt its model, and landlords and business partners are not willing to work together in their mutual best interests. The approach must be collaborative, holistic and realistic.”

Developed meticulously with assistance from property consultants MMX Retail, HOUSE’s plan is to open 75 UK stores and provide employment for up to 1,000 people within three years.

“It was great to get the first physical store opened today and watch the reaction from the customers, and also listen to their feedback. We also had some of the UK’s leading landlords and their advisers in store today, and their response to HOUSE UK was tremendous. We are now looking to progress negotiations for another batch of store openings for later in the summer,” said Nick Symons, Partner at MMX Retail.

Established in Australia in 1978, HOUSE is a member of the Global Retail Brands family which also includes the Robins Kitchen chain of stores. Together, they form Australia’s largest privately-owned and fastest-growing homewares and kitchenware group with more than 170 stores across all Australian states and territories. Global Retail Brands also operates online e-commerce websites for HOUSE, Robins Kitchen, Pet House and Your Home Depot.