Fortnum & Mason plans to expand into the US due to growing demand for British classics like tea and jam.
Tom Athron said that Fortnum & Mason would be opening a warehouse in America so they could start selling their products directly to Americans.
Mr Athron said: “About one-third of overseas customers at Piccadilly come from the US.” We want to put our own stock in the field, much like we did in the EU.
Williams Sonoma in California, which is the owner of West Elm, Pottery Barn and other chains, imports Fortnum & Mason items to sell at its stores. However, plans to build a warehouse will allow the British retailer for the first-time to sell directly to Americans.
Mr Athron stated that the demand is highest in California and New York, “and then in some major cities like Houston in Texas, Chicago and Miami.”
Mr Athron stated that American consumers are especially fond of British staples like tea and jams. Fortnum & Mason has a royal warrant that allows it to provide tea and groceries to the King.
Mr Athron stated: “We want them to have access to Fortnum’s Piccadilly products at home, but we also send them signs so that when they arrive in the UK they will think: “Oh, I’m going to go and experience the Fortnum’s Piccadilly full experience.”
He said that Fortnum & Mason might even open stores in the US at some point in the future. “I am always open to the idea.”
The King’s Grocery has this week resumed deliveries into the EU after they were curtailed due to post-Brexit bureaucracy. Fortnum & Mason opened a new warehouse and launched a website dedicated to the EU in Belgium.
In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Mr Athron took over the role of chief operating officer at Waitrose. He launched a five-year strategy to improve the company’s appeal to shoppers.
The third floor of its Piccadilly store was completely redesigned, becoming a “creative center” for food, drink, and kitchenware. It also included an in-house gin distillery, and a new kitchenware shop.
The retailer opened a shop at the Hong Kong International Airport earlier this year and is planning to open a second branch at the Dubai International Airport in the next few months.