Superdry & Co opens Paris flagship as Julian Dunkerton invests in physical retail

With its new EU flagship at Westfield Forum des Halles, Superdry & Co is moving from reset to growth. Founder and CEO Julian Dunkerton on the brand's preppy roots, its growing family of brands and plans for around 20 new stores.

Superdry & Co has opened its new EU flagship store at Westfield Forum des Halles in Paris, one of the busiest shopping destinations in the French capital. The brand has relocated from its previous spot in the centre to a larger, higher profile space, and the opening marks a new phase for the company. "We've done the hard work, and now we're building," says Julian Dunkerton, founder and CEO of Superdry & Co. FashionUnited spoke with him about the new store, the return to the brand's preppy roots and why he is investing in physical retail.

A personal and strategic choice for Paris

For Dunkerton, Paris was the logical place for the flagship. "Paris is the fashion capital of Europe. It's international, it's one of the key cities in the world, and this part of Paris is the heart of shopping," he says.

The choice is personal as well. France was one of the first countries to embrace Superdry, 20 years ago. Dunkerton is a quarter French and has family there. "I feel very close to France emotionally," he says. With the UK and Europe as the focus for expansion, he calls the relationship between the brand and the French consumer a key one.

A lighter, brighter store

The new store offers a lighter, brighter and more elevated experience than its predecessor. "This is a complete change from the old Superdry to Superdry & Co," says Dunkerton. "Superdry as it was had quite a dark, austere kind of shop fit, and it was very much designed twenty years ago. This has given us the opportunity to showcase how much we've changed and how we've become Superdry & Co."

The flagship also shows how far the brand's womenswear has come. Historically, womenswear accounted for only 35 percent of Superdry's business. In the Paris store, it has made up 62 percent of sales since opening. "It's a huge shift," says Dunkerton. When customers walk in, he wants them to be surprised by how much the brand has moved on. "Superdry likes to use real things, so there's a sense of authenticity with Superdry, which I hope they feel."

A vintage take on preppy

At the heart of the store are the Superdry & Co womenswear and menswear collections, where refined silhouettes, quality fabrics and signature branding give classic preppy pieces a premium finish. Preppy is familiar territory for the brand. "Superdry was born into a preppy aesthetic; that's how we conquered the world the first time around," says Dunkerton.

What sets Superdry & Co apart, according to Dunkerton, is its vintage angle. "We're not a clean preppy aesthetic; we're very much a vintage preppy aesthetic. It is a space that is just ours, I feel." The timing is right, he adds, as preppy fashion is back on trend and teenagers are buying into it.

Brands that complement each other

Alongside the core collections, the store carries streetwear label Bench and a vintage concession, giving customers three distinct edits. For the vintage offer, Dunkerton focuses on one brand at a time. In Paris, that means a lot of vintage Ralph Lauren and Carhartt. "It's a great complement to Bench, which is urban streetwear, and to Superdry, which is preppy. Each covers a very specific area, and they complement each other. It tells the consumer that we're doing something different to everyone else."

The &Co platform is built on the same idea. "Historically, we used to try and stretch the Superdry brand too far. Now we're saying: Superdry is preppy, and everything else has to live through another brand," says Dunkerton. Through &Co, the group takes over brands that complement the Superdry story and speak to a particular consumer. "The world has lost a lot of brands, and for me, it's a chance to take them over and bring them back to life." Besides Bench, the group has signed Stan Ray, Kappa and Road. Three more major brands are set to launch before May.

Investing in physical retail

Superdry & Co is opening new stores at a time when many retailers are pulling back from physical retail. Dunkerton points to the results. "Our like-for-likes are getting better and better. What we're finding is that the young consumer is loving coming back into stores, and we are catering for that young consumer again." The brand has moved its core consumer back to a younger generation that likes to shop in stores.

That makes Superdry & Co interesting for property owners too. At MAPIC, the retail property show in Cannes, the brand saw demand from shopping centres and landlords. "We are providing a customer that isn't catered for by other shops. So we're now an important part of the jigsaw in a retail environment to bring that young consumer in."

The response to the rebrand is positive as well, according to Dunkerton. "We're performing incredibly well, totally in line with and above expectations."

20 new stores in the next 12 months

Paris is part of a wider strategy to bring Superdry & Co to key international cities. After closing older stores during its reset, the brand is now returning with new stores in its new format. In the next 12 months, Superdry & Co plans to open around 20 stores across the UK and mainland Europe. Amsterdam, Utrecht, Munich and Berlin are among the cities under consideration, and the team is set to view two sites in Berlin. "That is my absolute focus: lots of stores," says Dunkerton.

A brand that retails

For shoppers who have not yet discovered Superdry & Co, Dunkerton has a clear message. "Now is the time to come and forget any preconceptions of Superdry. Come in and experience the new Superdry, because you will be pleasantly surprised." Quality for the price is central to that promise. "We are truly a brand, not a retailer: we are a brand that retails. We're very proud of our product, so in any of our full price stores, you'll never see a sale."

Dunkerton wants the product to last. "I truly care about the product. I want a shirt to last 30 years." He points to resale platforms as proof. "Historic Superdry is fetching a massive premium now, because it lasts and it's a great product."

That focus on quality is also why physical retail matters to him. Online works well for something you already know, he says, but a product can look great in an image and still disappoint once the parcel is opened. "That is the beauty of physical retail: you can engage and touch. You can never tell until you've touched a fabric. So I think it's absolutely vital."

"It's a joy again"

For Dunkerton, the new store reflects a brand that has found its footing again. "It's the creativity of knowing who you're selling to and why you exist. I think we lost that ten years ago, and we've absolutely got it back. We know exactly who we are, why we're doing it and who we're selling to. That means the whole creative process is a joy, whether you're creating a store they want to go into or a product they want to buy. It's a joy again. I'm loving doing my job again."