French lingerie retailer Soleil Sucré is planning to break into the UK market with its first store opening.

The retailer is scouting for sites in the UK and wants to pilot the brand with two stores by the end of the year.

It has appointed property agency Lunson Mitchenall to find suitable locations and has confirmed that Westfield London is one of the sites it is considering.

Soleil Sucré international manager Joumana Hosri said: “Westfield London is one of the options, but we’ll take it one step at a time. We want to go into the UK, but not at any cost.”

The retailer will be taking on established UK lingerie retailers such as Ann Summers and La Senza at the value end of the market. It already competes with La Senza in other European countries including Spain, where it claims to offer lower prices.

Soleil Sucré has about 100 stores in France and overseas, around half of which are operated on a franchise basis.

Initially, Soleil Sucré will own and operate all of UK stores and retain the option of franchising out once it has established the brand.

Hosri said: “In the UK lingerie market, franchises haven’t proved successful with other brands. We want to keep control of the first 10 to 15 stores.”

The retailer plans to begin its UK roll-out in shopping centres, but is said to be considering a move onto the high street, depending on the success of the trial phase.

It is also seeking to expand its presence in continental Europe and beyond, with store roll-outs on the cards in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Germany, as well as further afield in the Middle East and Morocco.

Soleil Sucré entered the Spanish market this year. It is set to have 10 stores there by the end of the year and a further 20 next year.

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