57_59_Oliver Bonas.qxp_Grid 28/12/2025 15:59 Page 1
RETAILER IN FOCUS Below: The bright and breezy counter area in the Ealing store.
SALMON FiSHiNG It has been quite a year for the darling lifestyle store group Oliver Bonas, welcoming 21 new or upsized stores during 2025, meaning it is now only a smidge off 100 locations. With more stores in the offing and its greeting card sales very much on the rise, PG enjoyed a catch up with Kate Salmon, head of home and gift buying and Lucy Cornwall, junior buyer to fish for insights for the coming year. “We have had a strong year on cards. It has been great to see the reaction to the new ranges introduced,” revealed Kate Salmon, head of home and gift buying at Oliver Bonas. “It is lovely to see this organic growth as we become more of a destination for cards, offering a curated selection to appeal to our customers,” she added. Truth be told, Oliver Bonas’ success on cards mirrors its growing standing in the hearts of consumers, as the design-savvy public have responded to its arrestingly cheery selection of fashion, homewares, beauty & wellness, kitchen & dining and books. While very much an omnichannel player the expansion of its retail estate, which now stands at 95 stores, has brought the physical joy of the OB brand to more people.
Above: The new Marlow store was formerly a bank. Below: The footage given over to greeting cards has been expanded in some Oliver Bonas stores, such as in its Waterloo Station location.
and makes full use of its stunning curved frontage. The retail group has come a long way since founder Oliver (Olly) Tress opened the inaugural store as a small fashion accessories shop in South West London’s Fulham in 1993, winning a myriad of awards along the way, including the Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Gifts trophy in The Greats awards in May 2025 as well as several Retas awards over the years. Kate Salmon has been part of the OB journey for the last 13 years. As she sees it, “I fell into retail” after university. She joined Fenwick Newcastle’s graduate scheme, staying
As ever the new stores have their own character - each designed slightly differently – with great staff training meaning that passionate, enthusiastic staff enhance the experience for shoppers. For example, the new Marlow store, which is in a former bank, makes a feature of the ginormous safe, while the new store in Lincoln is in a Grade II-listed building Right: Kate Salmon with The Greats 2025 Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Gifts trophy. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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