A high-flying Dundee watches and accessories company has outlined plans to open its first retail outlet in its home town.
Breo was founded by former joiner and Craigie High School pupil Robert Morrison in 2008 and has enjoyed a stellar rise, with early orders for its brightly coloured watches coming from major high street and online retailers.
The business really took off after Breo’s low-cost range started to be stocked as a popular gift item on a number of airlines. The firm now employs 35 staff at its base at its new base at Kingfisher House at West Pitkerro Industrial Estate in Dundee and had a turnover of £6.1m in the last financial year a figure that is projected to rise to around £8m this year.
The company has now set out ambitious plans for the next five years and Mr Morrison said a high street presence was key to that strategy going forward.
Mr Morrison said the company was intending to test the water by setting up a Breo outlet in Dundee, and negotiations were ongoing with the Overgate with a view to having a unit trading by early summer.
”The high street has its problems right now but a brand has to have a bricks-and-mortar operation,” Mr Morrison said.
”We identified the Westfield Shopping Centre (in London) as a possible location but we are actually thinking about trialling the retail operation in Dundee.
”It is a big jump (into retail) and it is one we need to understand and we need to test systems. Retail is huge but it is dangerous territory at the moment with what is happening on the high street.
”We need to get our plans in place, and to grow it (Breo) globally we need to have a bricks and mortar operation.”
Breo was set up with just £6,000 of cash after Mr Morrison spotted an opportunity to market the distinctive ‘Roam’ watch and flew to China to strike an import deal with the manufacturer.
A ”wishlist” of the perfect retail outlets for the watches was drawn up and within months deals had been secured with play.com and high street giant John Lewis.
Major growth came when the airline industry took note and the watches, branded earphones and scarves are now sold to around 55 airlines around the world and the sector accounts for around 50% of Breo’s total business.
”BA are a benchmark for what other airlines buy in, and we quite quickly began to ramp up more and more airlines,” Mr Morrison said. ”That allowed us to really invest in the company and in new markets, and from there it grew and grew.
”We went from two staff to six staff and we now have 35 staff. I am only 32 years old, so running a company of this size I needed a management team with international experience.”
The firm now has offices in key locations in the Far East and Europe and is looking to leverage its position and triple turnover in five years.
Mr Morrison said: ”We have just given ourselves a target that we want to be a £25m company within five years.
”That is the roadmap we have set ourslves, and that consists of opening up new markets including retail and new categories we are thinking about potentially a kids’ brand as well.
”If you look at the bigger picture and at how far we have come then it is a huge succes story but we are just at the beginning of our future. It is not easy to build a brand and grow it globally.”