Another high-end London retailer has chosen Bath as the location for its first store outside the capital. Furniture specialist Sofa.com has opened in The Corridor following the success of its initial outlet in Chelsea.
It describes itself as an omnichannel retailer – it started in 2006 as a website before adding a ‘bricks-and-mortar’ offering through its first store. The 3,500 sq ft Bath outlet will be the first of a national roll-out of shops in selected locations.
This year alone Bath has been chosen as the location of choice for upmarket London-based retailers such as homes accessories and gift store Brissi, which has moved into the former Highgrove shop in Milsom Street, ultra-trendy fashion and homeware retailer Anthropologie, which is now occupying the former Habitat store in New Bond Street, and international spectacles and sunglasses brand Cutler and Gross, which opened its Bridge Street unit in the summer.
Sofa.com said the West of England was traditionally a stronghold for the company – the Bath store is expected to attract customers who want to experience the group’s products such as sofas, armchairs, sofabeds, beds, mattresses and scatter cushions, rather than just buy online. 
The showroom will have what Sofa.com calls “relaxing and fun in-store services”, including complimentary coffee, beer, Prosecco, and a kids’ corner, as well as events and workshops.
CEO Gareth Williams, pictured, said: “We’re very happy that Bath is the location for our first showroom outside London. The city is a popular shopping destination throughout the South West, where many of our existing and prospective customers are based – people who want great products at good prices, delivered to their homes without any hassle.
“The new showroom is an exciting step in our omnichannel growth strategy, and we look forward to announcing additional, selective store openings as we respond to customer demand.”
The shop was let by property agents Carter Jonas. Its Bath retail partner Mike McElhinney said: “This is a fantastic and innovative new fascia for the newly-refurbished Corridor and other attractive complementary retailers are already looking at The Corridor to be close to Sofa.com.
“It also builds on the flow of London retailers coming first to Bath.”
Sofa.com was founded by Rohan Blacker and the late Pat Reeves in 2006 when they paid $215,000 (£135,515 at today’s conversion rate) for the sofa.com domain name.
The pair met while studying law in London in the early 1990s and went on to found high-end hot food delivery firm Deliverance in 1997 and which was sold in 2004 for £5.5m to Active Private Equity.
Seeking a new business challenge, they considered furniture ripe to be sold online.
The company has control over its entire process from factory floor to sitting room, enabling customers to benefit from consistently high-quality products, customisation, flexible delivery times, short lead times and hassle-free delivery.
