Office Holdings
Encyclopedia
Office Holdings is a company that operates the "Office" chain of shoe
shops in the UK and Ireland.
. The name came from the fact that the shop was constructed using second-hand office furniture. The first stand-alone Office store opened on Kings Road
in 1984; as of 2011, the company has 79 stand alone stores in the UK and 47 concessions.
In 1996, Office launched its Offspring brand, a fashion sports footwear
concept, which currently has 5 stores in the UK. Poste, an upmarket men's boutique
, was launched in 2000; it is styled after a typical gentleman's club. This was followed by Poste Mistress in 2001, a ladies' footwear boutique selling labels such as Vivien Westwood and Dries van Noten
.
The company is privately held, and was purchased by Tom Hunter of the West Coast Capital Group, whose portfolio includes High Street
shops Qube and USC and low-cost hotel chain Travelodge
. West Coast subsequently sold to Silverfleet Capital in 2010.
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
shops in the UK and Ireland.
History
The company's first store opened in 1981 under the name 'Office London' with a concession in Hyper Hyper on Kensington High StreetKensington High Street
Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, west London. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. The name came from the fact that the shop was constructed using second-hand office furniture. The first stand-alone Office store opened on Kings Road
Kings Road
King's Road or Kings Road, known popularly as The King's Road or The KR, is a major, well-known street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England...
in 1984; as of 2011, the company has 79 stand alone stores in the UK and 47 concessions.
In 1996, Office launched its Offspring brand, a fashion sports footwear
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
concept, which currently has 5 stores in the UK. Poste, an upmarket men's boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
, was launched in 2000; it is styled after a typical gentleman's club. This was followed by Poste Mistress in 2001, a ladies' footwear boutique selling labels such as Vivien Westwood and Dries van Noten
Dries van Noten
Dries Van Noten is a Belgian fashion designer and an eponymous fashion brand. In 2005, the New York Times described him "one of fashion's most cerebral designers"...
.
The company is privately held, and was purchased by Tom Hunter of the West Coast Capital Group, whose portfolio includes High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
shops Qube and USC and low-cost hotel chain Travelodge
Travelodge
Travelodge refers to several hotel chains around the world. Current operations include: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Australia...
. West Coast subsequently sold to Silverfleet Capital in 2010.