R.M. Williams is setting its sights on the UK as the Australian footwear brand focuses on international expansion.
According to the 92-year-old company, it has opened a new store in Marlow in the Buckinghamshire area of England. This store marks the brand’s first location to open outside Australia since 2017.
Located at 46 High Street, the 1,700-sq.-ft. Marlow store features R.M. Williams’ new retail design concept, first introduced at the brand’s global flagship store on Sydney’s iconic George Street last December. In terms of product, the Marlow store includes new season boots, apparel and accessories, a Marine Blue Comfort Craftsman, exclusive to the Marlow store and the brand’s largest women’s offering in the UK.
A second new R.M. Williams store will open in Cambridge in December, which is in line with its strategy to target UK towns and cities with a high concentration of consumers who value quality, craft and timeless heritage, the company added.
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In addition to these two new stores, R.M. Williams has also extended its network of wholesale partners for fall/winter 2024 to premium London department stores including Selfridges, Harrods and Liberty. All three stores will carry the brand’s men’s boots collection with a focus on the brand’s Craftsman styles. The brand will also be featured as part of Harrods’ men’s trunk show running from now through Oct. 20.
This renewed focus on the UK comes at an exciting time for the shoe brand. “The UK is currently our fastest growing market globally,” Paul Grosmann, chief executive officer of R.M. Williams, told FN in an interview. “This UK focus is a major expansion for both the direct-to-consumer and wholesale strategy. When looking to accelerate our growth internationally, the UK is a market that reflects our brand’s values and is a community that treasures quality and tradition. We believe our brand belongs equally in the British countryside and capital cities.”
Grosmann added that this strategy marks a new chapter for the brand after being acquired by Tattarang in October 2020. “[Since the acquisition] we have made a significant investment in our home market by creating 350 new Australian jobs in manufacturing and retail,” the CEO said. “In terms of revenue, the business has grown 82 percent. We feel it is the right time to further expand internationally, starting with the UK, and we are looking at other international markets who will fully appreciate the finest Australian craftsmanship.”
R.M. Williams has had a presence in the UK for over two decades with the brand’s first international store opening in Knightsbridge in 1989. The brand currently operates two London stores – one on New Bond Street in the city’s posh Mayfair neighborhood, as well as one on Berwick Street in Soho. R.M. Williams also sells through 90 wholesale partners nationwide.
In support of its UK expansion strategy, the company has also recently bolstered its local team in the region with the recruitment of UK general manager Karl Wederell, who joins R.M. Williams from luxury apothecary brand Aesop.
The R.M. Williams Co. was founded in South Australia in 1932 by Reginald Murray Williams, who sold it in 1988. The company’s most recent owner, L Catterton sold 100 percent of the business to Tattarang, one of Australia’s largest private investment groups owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, in 2020 for an undisclosed sum. The transaction marked the first time the company has been back under Australian ownership since 2014.
