Xupes, a British-based pre-owned luxury watch trader, has opened a pop-up concession in the flagship Amsterdam store of Bijenkorf, a prestige department store chain in The Netherlands.
The pop-up points to a new front opening for the pre-owned watch specialist, which is adding physical contact points to its largely online operation.
It opened a store to buy and sell watches in The Hague earlier this year.
The Bijenkorf deal may pave the way to future opportunities because, as Xupes points out, the Dutch company is owned by the Weston family, which also owns Britain’s Selfridges, Canada’s Holt Renfrew and Ireland’s Brown Thomas.
Xupes will be the first pre-owned retailer within the Amsterdam department store, with 58 square metres of space to showcase watches from brands including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.
It will have a Daytona wall displaying thirty hard to get hold of pre-owned and vintage Rolex Daytonas of different styles and ages.
“We are extremely excited to be launching our first pop-up in such a prominent and high-end department store such as de Bijenkorf,” says Xupes co-founder Joseph McKenzie.
“Buying pre-owned not only makes financial sense, but it also provides access to vintage and classic designs that aren’t available from retailers any more. Add in the sustainability factor and we think it’s a proposition that really resonates with a lot of people. We have a genuine love for the products we sell and understand the important roles they can play in people’s lives, whether that be marking a career milestone, a gift for a loved one, or becoming an heirloom to pass down the family. We want to help anyone who aspires to own one of these beautiful pieces of design and offer an enjoyable and trustworthy way of purchasing it, whether that be in one of our showrooms or via our website,” he adds.
Latest accounts for Xupes Ltd show turnover close to £9 million in the year to September 2018, up almost 50% over the prior year.
