Superdrug & The Perfume Shop owner wants to open a new store every seven hours

The parent company of Superdrug, Savers and The Perfume Shop has announced plans to open 1300 new stores across its global portfolio – the equivalent to one store every seven hours.

It’s the third year in a row that AS Watson has announced ambitious growth plans and flies against the bleak climate plaguing bricks-and-mortar retail not just in the UK but also in other parts of the world.

AS Watson currently has over 14,300 stores in its 24 markets operating across 12 different retail fascias.

In addition, eight years after the launch of its digital transformation and its first customer strategy, the retail giant now has over 130 million members in their loyalty programme globally, and with a recorded revenue increase of six per cent in its core health and beauty business.

Last year, AS Watson announced its investment of $70 million (£52 million) in building big data capabilities to enhance its customers’ experiences as well as business efficiencies.

“Growth in terms of store numbers is just part of the picture, we are well aware that offering the best customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction is key to our continued success,” AS Watson group chief operating officer Malina Ngai said.

“The way that our customers shop is continually changing and we know how important it is to keep at the forefront of changing trends and innovation by the effective use of big data.”