Pulp, the successful iconic retail brand which began in Nottingham, has continued its ambitious move for growth, acquiring four new stores across the UK.
Nottingham agent heb, which has been working with the independent retailer since 2008, has acquired four new shops for Pulp in Chester, Edinburgh, Wakefield and Cambridge. Pulp is on the lookout for further sites in the UK and expects to take further units later this year.
The new stores bring the Pulp chain to 13 – eight of which have been acquired for the retailer by heb.
Pulp, whose first store was launched in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre, has rapidly grown to become a major force in the younger, independent fashion market. The company stocks brands such as Ironfist, David and Goliath and Criminal Damage and targets the 15 to 29 age group.
Rob Detheridge, head of heb’s London office, said: “At a time when many retailers are experiencing difficulty in the high street, Pulp is a brand which is seeing considerable growth and expansion.
“I am delighted we have secured four more excellent trading locations for Pulp. There is now awareness among landlords that Pulp is an emerging force in retail and as the chain becomes a more established and confident retailer, the business has been able to commit to larger spaces in prime pitches.”
“heb’s relationship with Pulp has developed over the last three years and we look forward to working with them. We are actively looking at additional locations across the country and expect to announce further store openings shortly.”
Andrew Martin, a founding director of Pulp said: “The reason for our success is that we have refined our offer – and that we have refined the products we sell. We are a fairly new business but we have a better understanding of our customer and what they want. People are starting to recognise our brand. For example, in Wakefield, people recognised us from being in Manchester. We are also targeting a demographic which has money to spend. We have the best alternative clothing on the high street and we are now well known for that.
“Trade has improved over the past 12 months and we continue to grow in terms of size and turnover. These new stores will be a vital part of that growth over the coming months. Heb has always played a vital role in assisting us to find the right locations and we look forward to the long working relationship with them.”
Rob added: “Pulp is a retail success story. There is no doubt that trading conditions over the last 12 to 18 months have been particularly difficult for retailers. Stories like Pulp’s show that there is an increase in consumer confidence giving rise to further retail sales and further activity over the next year.
“Nottingham’s retail market, like any other town or city in the UK, has suffered as a result of the slowdown, however the diverse nature of the retail catchment population and the well managed retail environment within the city centre has contributed to the city coping better than many other locations.
“There is much to laud in terms of Nottingham’s retail ability, however there is also much work still to be done if Nottingham is to maintain its position ahead of the likes of other East Midlands centres such as Leicester or Derby. The saying ‘if it ain’t broke, you’re not looking hard enough’ would be well applied to the continuing success and future of Nottingham’s retail market.”
Heb has also acted for a number of other stores, including Sony, KFC and Caffe Nero.
Pulp is the trading name for the Pop Culture Company Ltd.
