Glasgow-born IOLLA eyewear brand is set to open a new flagship showroom in the heart of the West End.
Located at 711 Great Western Road, the new 790 sq ft space marks a significant milestone for the independent business and represents a continued investment in the city where IOLLA was founded 11 years ago.
The opening will create a new flagship home for Iolla in the city where it was founded, with the showroom shaped by more than a decade of customer feedback and designed to offer a relaxed and welcoming space to browse its collection of prescription glasses and sunglasses.
Founded in 2015, IOLLA has grown from its Glasgow roots to operate nine showrooms across six UK cities, with locations in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Manchester, Cambridge and London.
Stefan Hunter, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IOLLA, said: “We genuinely wouldn’t be where we are today without the West End. Finnieston gave IOLLA its start and the response we had there gave us the belief that we could take a Glasgow business into new cities across the UK.
“Eleven years of feedback has gone into this space. We know that our West End customers love somewhere that’s social enough to feel relaxed, but private enough that you can take your time choosing, with no one looking over your shoulder and no pressure to make a sale. We’ve designed the new showroom to feel less like a traditional shop and more like walking into a trusted home.
“The new location is surrounded by brilliant local businesses, and that’s exactly the company we want to keep. We’ve always been a community brand and, as we grow, we want to hold on to that. With so much tough news on the high street, we’re really proud to be growing and investing in physical retail, particularly here in the city where IOLLA started.”
The Great Western Road destination has been designed in collaboration with Scottish interior designer, educator and television presenter Anna Campbell-Jones, best known as the lead judge and presenter of BBC Scotland’s Scotland’s Home of the Year.
Anna Campbell-Jones commented: “Working with IOLLA on the design of the new showroom was an opportunity to create a space that feels welcoming, confident and unmistakably Glasgow. The brand has always done things differently, so it was important that the environment reflected that same spirit while remaining calm and comfortable for customers.
“Every detail was considered to create a showroom people genuinely want to spend time in, from the overall atmosphere through to the bespoke design elements.”
IOLLA has become known for its direct-to-consumer approach to eyewear, designing all of its frames in-house and working directly with manufacturing partners to offer high-quality prescription glasses and sunglasses at transparent prices.
The opening forms part of the company’s continued investment in bricks-and-mortar retail and reinforces Glasgow’s position at the heart of the business as it continues to grow across the UK.