Womenswear specialist Sosandar said on Thursday that it has launched in-store with Arnotts, the oldest and largest department store in Ireland, as well as opening its first two monobrand stores as it moves from being a pureplay e-tailer to an omnichannel one.

The brand initially started selling online with Arnotts and will now be sold in the store in central Dublin, alongside other premium brands such Longchamp, AllSaints, Jigsaw and Barbour. 

The label “has seen strong demand from customers in Ireland since its inception and this well-established customer base will now be able to interact with the brand through an additional physical channel,” it explained.

The Arnotts store is on Henry Street, on the north side of central Dublin. Together with the Brown Thomas chain of department stores, it’s owned by Selfridges Group.

As for those owned stores, its first two are now open in Chelmsford and Marlow. 

The company said that “Chelmsford is a vibrant and affluent city within the London commuter belt with a population of nearly 200,000 people and was a natural choice for a Sosandar store. Marlow is a thriving riverside town, where Sosandar customers over-index. Marlow attracts footfall from both London and the Home Counties, with 32,000 visitors daily, making it a varied hive of activity and the perfect spot for the Sosandar brand”.

Co-CEOs Ali Hall and Julie Lavington said the Arnott’s move is a major opportunity and comes after its products “were well received online” with the retailer.

And we’re told the reception in the early days to the two Sosandar stores “has been nothing short of fantastic”.