Leyland’s strategic expansion across the capital continued with the opening of its new South Kensington store on Wednesday 24th July.
The store, at 67-69 Old Brompton Road, has created eight new jobs and is said to offer increased convenience for the decorating specialist’s core customer base of tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts. The firm also marked the opening by donating £1,000 to Glass Door to help with its work supporting homeless people in Kensington and further afield.
The opening event featured “sizzling summer fun,” including seasonal giveaways and games. Prizes included five DEWALT 18V combi drills, 50 Spearhead Flat Wood Drill Sets and 30 ProDec Craftsman Trade Brushes. Leyland also challenged customers to hold two five litre paint tins at arm’s length for as long as possible to win £250 to spend in store. Nico Schwandt was the overall champion with a time of 1:19.
Martin Hastings, CEO of Leyland, said: “We are proud to cut the ribbon at our brand new South Kensington store. There was a real buzz throughout the day as customers and people passing by enjoyed the activities and special offers. The store has already been well received by both busy on-the-job tradespeople and people carrying out home improvements.
“We already have a store on Kensington High Street and this new addition strengthens our presence in the borough further. We are looking forward to serving the local community in South Kensington for many years to come and have plans for further growth across other areas of London as we continue our investment plans.”
The South Kensington store has all the products Leyland is renowned for, including a vast selection of paints from leading brands, on-site colour mixing, decorating essentials, tools, hardware and timber. It is also the first Leyland store to have a Zinsser paint mixing machine, allowing customers to mix Zinsser specialist paints in thousands of colours. There is no need to pre-order or wait for a delivery – the paints are mixed while the customer waits.
Thanking Leyland for its donation, Kieran Martin, Fundraising Manager at Glass Door, commented: “We are extremely thankful to Leyland for this generous donation. This donation will be used to help those most in need in London and our community.
“Our caseworkers work in day centres in Kensington and Earls Court to provide emotional and practical support to those experiencing homelessness. These funds will allow us to continue our work there and provide 105 people shelter and food in the coldest months of the year in our winter night shelters. We wish Leyland well in their new store.”
Images copyright MATT WRITTLE 2024
