UK kidswear brand, ROARSOME, will debut its first retail store at 110 Northcote Road, London in September 2023. The launch of the brand’s first permanent store follows several successful pop-up retail experiences over the years, including this summer’s ROARSOME Roadie surf van pop-up at Battersea Power Station.
Located between Wandsworth Common and Clapham Common in the heart of an area known as ‘Nappy Valley,’ the store is set to be a must-visit destination for young families. Alongside being a showroom for its award-winning collection of outdoor, character-themed children’s apparel, footwear and accessories, co-founders Ed Lewis-Pratt and Will Chapman will offer personal shopping experiences for parents looking for expert guidance on kitting out their children for family holidays and outdoor adventures.
Commenting is ROARSOME co-founder, Ed Lewis-Pratt. “Will and I are born and bred Londoners who grew up not far from Northcote Road. When we started the business, we always dreamt about opening a store on this road. It’s a location that is popular with families for its boutique stores, cafes and brilliant dining locations, so we knew we had to create something that really captured the community’s imagination – something more than just a clothing shop.”
The 700 sq. ft retail space includes an immersive play area and tuck shop.
As part of a strategy to become a community hub for young families, The ROARSOME Store will house The Tuck Shop. This in-house store offering will provide special treats alongside coffee and babyccinos. Complementing this will be outdoor seating on the street together with a 500 sq. ft courtyard at the back of the store scheduled to open in spring 2024. The Tuck Shop will also sell exclusive ROARSOME branded mugs, water bottles and backpacks.
As well as selling clothing, sweets and coffee, the store will feature an immersive, nature-themed play space that celebrates the great outdoors. Much like a theatre set, the room will provide a stylised 3D environment that doubles up as a mini photo studio. “We get so many customers asking if their kids can be part of our epic photo shoots and now they can be,” adds ROARSOME co-founder, Will Chapman.
The store will run on renewable electricity courtesy of supplier BES Utilities.
Other highlights include a click-and-collect service that will allow customers to shop online before collecting on their chosen day. It will also be the only place customers will be able shop the entire collection in person, with products organised by collection, character, colour and size to simplify the shopping experience.
The ROARSOME Store build and design has been masterminded by its co-founders alongside creative children’s clothing specialist Victoria Tang. Tang recently joined the ROARSOME team from kids’ marketplace Kidly as Master of Crafts and Head of Product. “We’ve partnered with an incredible team to bring our vision to life, while also ensuring that the store embodies our values as a business,” continues Chapman.
“We’ve used Re:Felt wall panels made from recycled plastic bottles, reclaimed pallet wood from Shred & Butta, and water-based, trace VOC paint from Farrow & Ball. We’re also excited to be collaborating with the brilliant Colours of Arley to create our own custom-designed recycled textiles that customers will be able to order themselves. Opening the very first ROARSOME store is a huge milestone for us, and we can’t wait to open the doors and welcome everyone.”
The ROARSOME Store is located at 110 Northcote Road, London SW11 6QP and opens mid-September. Click here for more information.
