Crep Collection and Vanilla open at Bluewater

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Sep 8, 2021

The major Bluewater mall in Kent is welcoming two new retail concepts. Mall co-owner and property giant Landsec has now added Crep Collection Club and Vanilla to its retail roster.

Trend-led sneaker specialist Crep Collection Club has opening its first standalone store, while accessible fashion concept brand Vanilla has also made its store debut “following the success of its established online and concession presence”.
 
Located on the Upper Guild Hall, the 1,042 sq ft, Crep Collection Club’s flagship store arrives after two years as an online-only operation and is central to the brand’s expansion plans. 

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It offers a premium selection of trainers, including hard-to-find releases for styles such as the Jordan 1, Air Force 1, and Air Max by Nike.
 
Meanwhile, Vanilla has opened on the Upper Thames Walk, adjacent to H&M, combining fashion labels Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla for the first time. Spanning 3,616 sq ft, the brand stocks a new shoe and accessory collection unique to the store.

The launches will come as much-needed additions to Bluewater, which had suffered a series of big-name retail losses during the pandemic, notably Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Gap, Oasis and Coast.  

The new names also join Kurt Geiger-owned women’s footwear and accessories retail brand Carvela, which opened a standalone store earlier this summer. Late last year, Zara also radically upsized its presence there with the 37,000 sq ft space, representing the UK debut for its global flagship concept.

And the shopping centre has also added a number of new experiences to attract customers, including England’s biggest zip-wire and an open-air cinema.

Rob Hardie, Portfolio director for co-owner and asset manager of Bluewater, Landsec, said the two launches “add points of differences for Bluewater’s retail offer. 

“Bluewater continues to attract emerging and independent brands alongside well-established international names. These openings join a number of other brands who recently selected Bluewater and reinforces our position as one of Europe’s leading retail and leisure destinations”.
 
Jamal Okubule, founder of Crep Collection Club, added: “To be able to have launched at Bluewater is incredible. With its line-up of retail brand names and its strong experiential offering, [it] was a standout choice for us when selecting a destination for our debut”.