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30
Aug
New retailer set to move into former iStore in Harrogate
How the shop currently looks.
Sosandar was founded in 2016 by fashion magazine veterans Julie Lavington and Ali Hall, which said they wanted to create clothes "for women like us, who wanted fashion to make them feel simultaeously sexy, feminine and chic".
It has expanded rapidly over the last eight years, selling both online and through established retailers including Marks & Spencer and Next.
Last year, it announced its intention to open bricks-and-mortar stores in 2024. The first two, in Chelmsford and Marlow, will launch in September, and a third, at Gateshead Metrocentre, is due to open in October.
This month, chief executive Ms Lavington told The Times that 50 new stores were planned to take advantage of the trend back towards high-street shopping. In a trading update issued with the company's full-year results, the founders said:
We are excited to announce the first locations for our Sosandar stores. These stores fit our criteria of being positioned in top tier locations, located in the right position in affluent, thriving locations where Sosandar customers over-index.
Throughout the process we have remained disciplined in our approach to ensuring 'right price, right location'. We look forward to the official opening of them over the next few months, and with others to come.
The iStore shut at the beginning of April, ostensibly for a rebrand, but never reopened. This week, store manager Ryan Jowsey posted an update in the window announcing "with a heavy heart" that it had closed permanently.
Howard Conrad is Harrogate's leading Apple specialist and repair centre. Proud to offer expert services for all your Apple devices, and recently expanding to now cover Windows computers!
We are proudly independent and have been present on the Harrogate high street for over ten years. With the recent closure of the iStore, we're here to ensure that Harrogate continues to receive unrivalled support thanks to our experienced team of technicians. Visit us today on Leeds Road for reliable, efficient service you can trust.
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