Shopping at Fortnum & Mason’s flagship Piccadilly outpost is a proper event. A temple of luxury shopping in London’s West End, Fortnum’s is adored for its exquisitely designed displays, opulent food halls and high-end restaurants – it’s just a department store, sure, but F&M is also a bona fide tourist attraction.
Here in the UK, you can currently only find Fortnum & Mason in London. Beyond its Piccadilly flagship the Royal grocer has outposts at St Pancras International station, the Royal Exchange and Heathrow Terminal Five. But that could all soon be about to change, as Fortnum & Mason apparently has plans to expand with new stores outside the capital.
Fortnum & Mason CEO Tom Athron told the Telegraph that the 318-year-old store is planning new openings ‘up the spine of the country’. Athron says Fortnum’s is eyeing up sites in a ‘beautiful location’ with ‘beautiful architecture’.
Athron says F&M is only looking for one or two more sites. He said: ‘This isn’t about ubiquity. But there are other locations across the country where we think that Fortnum could offer both retail and restaurants, where it would be relevant. And we’re looking at those now.’
And that isn’t all. Fortnum & Mason is also apparently looking for more opportunities for airport stores with Athron revealing the brand is keen to open shops and restaurants ‘in every terminal at Heathrow’.
Beyond that, however, there aren’t many further details as to where or when other parts of the UK could be getting a Fortnum & Mason. The brand recently launched a membership scheme called Friends of Fortnum’s, which offers exclusive gifts, tickets to dining events and free delivery. Earlier this year the retailer also announced that it no longer wanted to be seen as ‘Christmas focused’.
You can read more about Athron’s plans for Fortnums in the Telegraph here.
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