The UK’s fastest growing bricks and mortar retailer, Wren Kitchens, is expanding its affordable, luxury kitchens business in the American market.
Founded in 2009, Wren Kitchens has 90 showrooms across the UK, and its first international expansion opened in Milford, Connecticut, earlier this year. At 31,465 s/f, the former Babies “R” Us site on Boston Post Road, is the largest kitchen showroom in America.
Newmark Knight Frank has been providing acquisition and transactional services to Wren and provided strategic data and regional analysis to identify prime areas that reflected the brand’s targeted client base.
NKF announced that the Wren brand has signed leased for two more showrooms; at 2631 Berlin Turnpike in Newington, CT and 2993 Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown, NY. Both locations are scheduled to open by the end of 2020 or in early 2021.
Wren Kitchens was represented by NKF’s cooperating brokers Adam Weinblatt and Marc Frankel in both transactions. Brain Schuster of Ripco represented the landlord in Levittown and Michael Shanahan of Fairfield Retail Partners represented the landlord in Newington.
“There is a need for retailers like Wren Kitchens here in the US, as their level of quality and workmanship is widely recognized as unparalleled,” said Frankel.
Weinblatt added, “Using our data analysis, we were able to identify areas where the brand would be the most successful and provide them with informed guidance on locations that made the most sense for them to grow their business stateside.”
Wren said earlier this year that it plans to open several more showrooms throughout the Northeast.The company has built a $1.5 billion business in the UK using 3D virtual reality to bring customers dream kitchens to life and a plethora of remodel options to create a tailored kitchen to suit every customer.
“We’re excited to bring our vertically integrated model to the United States, the largest home improvement market in the world,” said a Wren spokesman.
Wren currently employs over 5,500 people across the UK, and the expansion is expected to create “a significant number of jobs” in America in manufacturing, retail, delivery and logistics as well as various support roles such as customer services and HR.
Wren Kitchens will open its first US manufacturing facility totaling 252,000 s/f at the Hanover Industrial Estates in Northeast Pennsylvania.
