A familiar floral name is edging back into bricks and mortar, with a fresh pitch to win hearts before Christmas.
Laura Ashley, synonymous with English heritage prints and homely romance, is stepping back into standalone retail with a sizeable store in Essex. The move lands five years after its collapse in 2020 forced the closure of 150 shops, and signals a cautious but confident return to physical shopping.
A comeback five years in the making
The brand’s journey from national favourite to pandemic casualty has been stark. Founded in 1953 by Laura and Bernard Ashley, the label made its mark through vintage-inflected design, from headscarves seen on silver-screen icons to flowery frocks and elegant homeware. The 2020 administration shuttered every UK branch, cutting a familiar name from high streets overnight.
Since then, the name survived on shop-in-shop concessions and licensing for upholstery and furniture, keeping the prints alive while the storefronts disappeared. That twilight era now gives way to a fresh chapter: a new 10,000 sq ft site at Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock, Essex, planned to open on 26 September, operated in partnership with Next.
Five years after closing 150 stores, Laura Ashley is set to open a 10,000 sq ft site at Lakeside on 26 September.
The timing is symbolic. The comeback coincides with the centenary year of founder Laura Ashley’s birth, linking past loyalty with a push to attract new generations.
Who is steering the revival
The brand was kept afloat in 2020 by investors at Gordon Brothers, which helped reintroduce ranges in Next stores a year later. Distribution widened through sofa specialists and department stores, keeping product visibility high without the cost of a full estate.
In January, ownership moved to Marquee Brands, the US group behind Ben Sherman. Their plan revolves around building Laura Ashley into a full lifestyle offer again, using partnerships, collaborations and tighter control of product development. The Lakeside site, run alongside Next, is the most visible statement of that intent.
A renewed store experience, backed by Marquee Brands and operated with Next, aims to turn browsing into an event rather than a chore.
What shoppers will find inside
The new store focuses on experience as much as product. A dedicated Design Hub will provide one-to-one support for made-to-measure curtains and blinds, coordinated with wallpaper and fabric swatches from the archive and current ranges. Seasonal womenswear, sleepwear and childrenswear will return to rails, sitting alongside cushions, lighting and gifting for autumn and winter.
- Design Hub for tailored window treatments and fabric advice
- Wallpaper library spanning heritage and contemporary patterns
- Autumn/winter home accessories and soft furnishings
- Womenswear, sleepwear and childrenswear capsules
- Gifting ideas positioned for the festive build-up
Crucially, the space is large enough to host room sets and textured displays, allowing customers to see prints at scale rather than on a screen. That kind of staging plays to the brand’s strengths: colour, pattern and tactility.
Why Lakeside and why now
Lakeside delivers heavy footfall and a broad, family-led catchment within commuting distance of London. Positioning a single flagship-scale store there reduces risk while testing how far brand equity still travels. If successful, the model could be repeated in a small number of high-traffic locations rather than a return to a sprawling estate.
The calendar also helps. Opening into the colder months supports categories where Laura Ashley excels: layering, cosy textures and giftable homeware. With the Design Hub, the brand leans into projects that shoppers tend to plan in autumn such as curtain refreshes and feature-wall redecorations.
The state of play for British retail
Several legacy names now blend concessions, e-commerce and a handful of anchors instead of chasing nationwide coverage. Laura Ashley is following that template. Partnering with Next provides operational support, click-and-collect options and supply-chain capacity. Meanwhile, existing tie-ups with furniture specialists and department stores broaden choice without committing to long leases.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Brand founded by Laura and Bernard Ashley in London |
| 2020 | Administration leads to closure of 150 UK stores |
| 2021 | Ranges reappear via Next concessions; licensing widens |
| January (this year) | Ownership transfers to Marquee Brands |
| 26 September | Planned opening of a 10,000 sq ft store at Lakeside, Thurrock |
What this means for you
If your local high street lost a Laura Ashley in 2020, this return offers a tangible way to match fabrics, paint and paper in one visit. Bring window measurements, photos of your room in daylight and artificial light, and a swatch from any existing upholstery. That will speed up the made-to-measure process and help avoid shade mismatches at home.
Expect lead times on bespoke curtains and blinds, especially in peak season. Ask about lining options, pattern repeats and waste allowances before you commit. If you’re coordinating wallpaper and fabric, check dye-lot numbers and order a small surplus for future repairs.
How to plan a room refresh with fewer surprises
Work from the largest surface first. Choose the wallpaper or main fabric, then build out to cushions and throws. Order samples and view them at different times of day; patterned florals can read cooler or warmer depending on light. If you are undecided between two prints, test both with a simple pin-board mock-up and take photos on your phone for reference.
Budget by component rather than by room. Split spend across window treatments, walls, lighting and soft furnishings, then protect a small contingency for hardware, linings and tools. If you’re renting, consider reversible touches such as lined drapes, slipcovers and freestanding lamps to avoid losing deposits.
What to watch next
The Lakeside opening will act as a bellwether for future standalone sites. Performance will hinge on conversion in the Design Hub, attachment rates between fashion and home, and repeat visits driven by seasonal drops. A measured rollout, rather than rapid expansion, would align with current retail caution and protect the brand from past overreach.
For fans of archive florals and those new to the label, the message is straightforward: try the patterns in person, run your hand over the weave, and see how the palette behaves in real light. That tactile moment is what online scrolls cannot replace, and it’s the bet behind this return to bricks and mortar.
Honestly thrilled to see Laura Ashley back in bricks-and-mortar. A 10,000 sq ft playground for prints sounds dreamy, and the Design Hub is exactly what online couldn’t replicate. Can’t wait to bring swatches and finaly sort my curtains 🙂