Clarks targets growth in Europe following ‘transition’ year
British footwear brand Clarks has opened a store at Santangelo Outlet Village in Italy, marking the latest step in the brand’s growth strategy across Europe.
The new store follows other recent Clarks openings in Italy and Spain, with the brand targeting between 15 and 20 new stores in Europe this year.
The expansion comes as Clarks builds on its return to profitability, supported by "stronger cost discipline", improved inventory management and a more competitive pricing strategy. In 2025, the business reported operating profit of £66.3 million and ended the year with no bank debt, creating a platform for reinvestment and growth.
This followed a tumultuous few years for the shoe brand. In 2019, it recorded a loss after tax of £20.9 million, and in 2020 received a £100 million investment by private equity group LionRock Capital, which bought a majority share.
However, its new owners embarked on a cost-cutting plan that led to 1,200 job losses last summer, calling 2024 "a year of transition". “Significant changes have been made to the operations to right size the overhead cost for the current business size, refocus the marketing approach, reposition the product assortment and set up the business for recovery and sustainable profitable growth in 2025,” it said at the time.
It is now strengthening its wholesale presence. For autumn/winter 2026, the business has signed 120 new multi-brand accounts in Europe and the UK, while wholesale orders in Italy are up 55% compared with autumn/winter 2025.
In Spain, Clarks has moved to direct management of the market, supported by a new Madrid-based team and showroom, following the opening of stores in Barcelona and Bilbao. The business sees significant opportunity in the country, with an ambition to double the business in two years.
Joe Ulloa, president of the UK & Europe at Clarks, said: “The opening of our new store at Santangelo Outlet Village is another important step in our plans to grow Clarks across Europe. Italy is one of our most important European markets, with a strong heritage for the brand and significant opportunity ahead.”
The brand is also developing its marketplace proposition, having launched on platforms including Secret Sales and eBay, while creating its own UK marketplace featuring 60 complementary brands. If successful, the model could be extended to Europe and the US in 2027.
