Eyewear retailer sees further growth with HQ move
An eyewear retailer has expanded into new premises in Redditch after seeing sales more than double in the last year.
Belvoir & Co has already broken through the £1m sales barrier in the year to date and young entrepreneur Deklan Vines has his eyes fixed on a £10m target after moving to bigger premises in Little Forge Road.
Deklan worked with James Haynes at John Truslove, to secure a five-year lease on the 2,711 sq ft Unit 5.
“The unit was in need of work, but we took it as it was and have now expanded it to 4,000 sq ft over two floors to cater for our growth,” said Vines.
“We previously worked out of a 500 sq ft unit but we had outgrown that. I launched the business with my brother Bradley back in 2016, although he has stepped back to be a minority shareholder now.
“We went to school with the guys behind Gymshark, the athletic clothing brand. They used to show us around their warehouse and gave us lots of advice on growing a business.
“Things really took off after Covid hit in 2020. Everyone was stuck at home during a really hot summer; online shopping accelerated, and everyone wanted stylish sunglasses. In the last four years we have seen massive growth, partly due to building a big presence on social media which has seen the likes of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo wearing Belvoir & Co.
“Our biggest market is currently the USA, followed by the Middle East. The UK is in third place, so we are a major export business. We have sold around 18,000 pairs of sunglasses so far this year, just on retail, which is up 110% on last year.
“Three years ago our turnover was around £50,000. We’ve just broken through the £1m barrier in the year to date, and our plan is to hit £10m within the next three years.
“We needed a new warehouse, and this unit was ideal.”
Haynes said: “Deklan knew what he needed and we were able to help seal a deal with the landlords that worked for all parties.
“This is a thriving retail business that is set to just keep growing and deals like this underline the strength of the local economy and the commercial property market in this area.”
