Beaverbrooks has over 85 points of sale under three retail brands today: Beaverbrooks jewellers; Whittles in Preston, which it owns; and Loupe, its premium watches and jewellery marque, which was created after acquiring Rolex-anchored stores from Fraser Hart in Milton Keynes and Croydon, South London.
Loupe’s first showroom opened in Milton Keynes as an Official Rolex stockist in 2022 with a its own Loupe range of fine jewellery in addition to collections from the likes of Gucci and Mikimoto and Royal Asscher.
Leading Swiss watchmakers including Omega, Hublot, Breitling, TAG Heuer, Tudor and Zenith are also offered in Loupe.
Converting the Croydon showroom acquired from Fraser Hart has been a long-running project.
Beaverbrooks first acquired three Fraser Hart stores, all with Rolex, in Milton Keynes, Cardiff and Croydon in 2019.
Loupe was revealed as a fresh high end concept for Beaverbrooks when the Rolex-anchored stores re-opened, which happened in Milton Keynes in 2022.
The Croydon outpost for Loupe opened in the Centrale Shopping Centre last week (January 12).
It has a total of 4,300 square feet of retail space with almost one quarter (900 sq ft) dedicated to Rolex and an adjoining Rolex Authorised Service Centre where customers can see an on-site watchmaker working on their timepieces.
Omega, Breitling and Tudor are also represented.
There is a hospitality area with its own bar or, if a client wants more privacy, they can be taken to a secret room, known as The Drum, where they can have personal consultations and even get to choose their own music, which will be played on a media wall.
Anna Blackburn, managing director at Beaverbrooks says 2024 will be a big year for Loupe, both in store and via a new luxury e-commerce site, which reinforces the group’s growing partnership with the likes of Rolex, Omega, Breitling and Tudor.
“With the rising demand for personal, immersive retail experiences, Loupe brings a fresh approach to the luxury sector. Even the name itself – which signifies the magnifying glass used by jewellers and watchmakers – has been chosen to break conventions and be memorable. It represents the concept of looking through a portal into an exciting new world and magnifying craft and beauty, offering luxuriously delightful experiences for both new and existing clients,” Ms Blackburn says.
