Laings to upsize at St David’s marking Welsh debut for Patek Philippe
The St David’s Partnership, owners of St David’s Cardiff, has announced the forthcoming expansion of Laings’ Cardiff showroom. Set to relaunch next month, the upsized 4,735 sq ft showroom will welcome esteemed brands Rolex and Patek Philippe, marking a Welsh debut for the latter.
The transformation of the family-run jewellers’ existing boutique at St David’s forms an integral part of Laings’ UK-wide expansion plan, with a £3 million investment into its presence in Cardiff. This follows the celebration of the brand’s 180th year of trading in 2020. The new Laings showroom, which has trebled in size, introduces the Patek Philippe and Rolex brands to St David’s for the first time.
Located on The Hayes, Laings’ St David’s showroom will offer an unrivalled selection of luxury watches and jewellery, including hand selected engagement rings, fine jewellery and luxury timepieces. Designed by the Espirit Group, the expanded showroom will also have dedicated diamond and jewellery areas, providing guests with the opportunity to view carefully curated collections in private.
The transformation of Laings Cardiff marks the beginning of a longer-term growth plan for the brand, a key aim of which is to attract talent into the industry – keeping the traditional crafts of jewellery and watchmaking alive. Laings’ national expansion will provide opportunities for both apprentices and existing watchmakers and goldsmiths, safeguarding these artisan skills for the future.
Speaking on behalf of the St David’s Partnership, Russell Loveland, Senior Portfolio Director for Landsec, commented: “The investment by brands such as Laings and subsequent introduction of global names such as Patek Philippe to the centre cements Cardiff as a key UK retail destination and builds upon the already strong line up at St David’s. Our approach to building collaborative relationships with our brand partners is clearly evidenced with this significant upsize. By working hand in hand, we’re helping our brands succeed, and in doing so ensuring St David’s goes from strength to strength.”
Joe Walsh, CEO of Laings, added: “Our showroom is located right at the heart of Cardiff and our expanded presence here means we can give the luxury brands we represent the stage on which to shine. We knew that we wanted St David’s to play an integral part in our extensive national investment programme, and the expansion of our Cardiff showroom has allowed us to create a new experience for our clients, centred around the exceptional service Laings is known for. We can’t wait to unveil our new showroom to our Welsh clientele next month.”
This news follows the recent opening of Swiss luxury technical watchmakers, Breitling, at St. David’s, as well as the openings of ZARA and global cosmetics leaders, Morphe, bolstering the destination’s line up of international retail names.
JLL and Cushman & Wakefield advised the St David’s Partnership, whilst Laings managed the expansion direct.