Forty-something fashion brand Planet has opened a new-format store at Walton-on-Thames in Surrey.

Designed by 20/20, the 9,290 sq ft (100 sq m) store is the first of “a handful” of trial stores that will welcome customers by early next year, according to Shena MacDonald, managing director of womenswear division at Planet parent Jacques Vert.

The Walton branch features heavy use of upscale materials, with black marble on the wall behind the cash-wrap area, a black Corian-topped counter and white terrazzo flooring. The front of the shop features a quadruple-height window, which slopes down to double height at the back of the store.

MacDonald said that the choice of materials and fabrics for the interior is intended to be a reflection of the brand’s “bridge” position between high street and designer collections. The fit-out is believed to have cost about£200,000 and has taken around six months to design and build.

MacDonald said: “We think that Planet is under-potentialised at the moment. At the moment, our stores [there are seven standalone units] tend to be in city centres, but we think there’s much more life for us in some of the more suburban towns.”