Marchants cookshops re-open as Steamer Trading

The two former Marchants Cookware Emporium cookshops in Bury St Edmunds and Saffron Waldon have now been relaunched as part of the Steamer Trading chain.
The Essex shop was re-signed and re-merchandised in three days, but the Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, outlet closed for 10 days for a £50,000 makeover.

Steamer Trading managing director Ben Phillips told HousewaresLive.net: “At Bury we put in more lighting and refixtured a third of the shop. We wanted to give it a little bit of a different look.”

He went on: “We’ve extended the electrical offering and brought in Emma Bridgewater, LSA, Guzzini and Garden Trading and extended the Joseph Joseph.”

Paul Marchant, who was the managing director of Marchants, announced earlier this year that he would be selling his shops to Steamer.

All staff at both the shops have been retained.

Steamer Trading now has 21 shops, and plans to open a new Guildford branch in November to replace the existing outlet there. Phillips said there may also be a new opening in October, about which he could not reveal details.

But he said that the current economic climate was making it easier to find suitable new premises, “as I think this new shop will demonstrate. It will reflect the opportunities available out there.”

Steamer Trading plans to grow the estate to 30 shops, while Lakeland has just announced that it hopes to extend its current 40-shop chain to 80 over the next five years.

“It’s absolutely fine,” commented Phillips. “I can’t argue that it has any impact on us.”