Pep&Co opens to queues of excited shoppers

Pep&Co opened its doors to queues of excited shoppers eager to catch the first glance inside the fashion retailer’s flagship store.

The brand is aiming to rival the likes of Tesco and Asda with its range of discount clothing and home accessories. The Hull shop is the fifth to be opened by the value fashion retailer as part of a UK-wide launch. The nationwide roll-out, which will see 50 new stores open within two months, is the fastest ever seen in the country.

Lucy Waudby, store manager at PEP&CO Hull said: “We had a fantastic launch on Tuesday, with a crowd of shoppers waiting to get inside the store as soon as the door opened.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved and we’ve already had some great feedback from shoppers.”

Alongside shoppers enjoying the new store, which is one of 50 outlets being rolled out over the summer, was Chanine Newell, who was voted the Face of Pep Mum and officially opened the store.

Ms Waudby said: “Our Face of PEP mum, Chanine Newell, was lovely and we had a great morning kitting her out in PEP&CO outfits before she officially opened the store.”

The high street has suffered a number of high profile casualties in recent years, and last week it was revealed Princes Quay was in negotiations with retail giant Arcadia over the future  of some of its stores in the centre, including Topshop and Dorothy Perkins.

However, Pep&Co has a formidable management team including Adrian Mountford, formerly commercial director of Matalan and Sainsbury’s Tu brand, and Cathy Haydon, who joined from M&S.

Lucy added: “Shopping habits have changed, and the high street retailers seeing year on year growth are the likes of Home Bargains and Poundland.

“While these shops occasionally sell things like children’s vests, socks and dressings gowns, they don’t offer clothing as such.

“Our USP is affordable fashion, in a convenient location, and I believe this store will do really well here.”