The geek culture retailer is planning for exponential expansion.
Geek Retreat, a geek culture retailer selling an assortment of memorabilia and games, is planning to expand its U.K. footprint from 14 stores to over 100 in the next two years, with a focus on franchising the brand throughout major cities.
The opening of 100 new stores will create roughly 600 jobs in the U.K., with the next openings planned for Bournemouth, Northampton, and Liverpool. Northwich and Chelmsford were the most recent Geek Retreat locations to open, attracting the largest opening days for the brand to date.
“The U.K.’s gaming and hobby sector is a real success story and Geek Retreat is a home for the communities who are at the heart of this phenomenon,” said Peter Dobson, chief executive of Geek Retreat. “The wellbeing of our customers and staff has always been incredibly important to us – now more than ever everyone should expect a friendly, safe, and clean environment to meet and play. We have made sure all of our stores are welcoming and accessible to gamers whatever their interests, providing a place for our loyal customers to get out of the house and play safely post-lockdown.
“This is particularly important for our more vulnerable customers, like those on the autistic spectrum, or with mental health issues where being in an inclusive, welcoming, and social environment is very important. It is the strength of the relationships which our stores build with local communities that is a key driver of growth.”
Boardgames, card trading, and tabletop games currently make up an industry worth £8bn in the U.K., and this is expected to grow by 3.1 per cent annually over the next three years.
All Geek Retreat stores are committed to a COVID-19 secure environment, with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place.
