Other cities to see new directly-owned and franchised stores will include Washington DC and Boston in the US (marking the 50th American store in total after a spate of recent openings); Shanghai and Beijing in China as the firm builds on its direct debut in the country last year; plus Frankfurt in Germany, and Dubai, Doha, Tel Aviv, Johannesburg and Cairo.

The accelerated opening programme follows 16 stores that have debuted in the last half-year.

For instance, it has been expanding in France and Germany in recent months with a number of new locations opening. As of September this year, it will have a portfolio of 31 stores in France and 42 in Germany. 

The company is also continuing to roll out its rebranding strategy this year, refitting existing stores with its new Free Spirit design concept in Amsterdam, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona and Luxembourg City. 

And the acceleration of Scotch & Soda’s global retail network “will be combined with its omnichannel and unified commerce ambition”, to be completed this autumn. This follows the integration of RFID technology in partnership with Nedap for stock level optimisation, as well as the opening due in September of a new 27,500 sq m warehouse on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The new warehouse will include a roof fitted with solar panels and automatically irrigated vertical gardens. 

CEO Frederick Lukoff said: “The growth momentum we saw last year continues to strengthen, with more locations launching globally. We are looking forward to the opening of our flagship stores in Milan and London, in two of the world’s most attractive fashion retail destinations. It is a great opportunity to reach new customers worldwide, and to introduce them to our brand, inspired by the free spirit of Amsterdam.”