Pearl Izumi factory outlet store to open at Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays

Cycle, running and triathlon clothing firm Pearl Izumi has chosen Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays as the site of its fifth factory outlet store in Europe – and it will open on 1 November.

The Japanese brand, founded six decades ago and owned since 2008 by Shimano, is distributed in the UK by Madison and already sponsors the Tour Series, and hopes the store will further raise awareness of it in the country.

The store, covering 1,470 square feet, will also support its network of retailers here by giving them the opportunity of returning end-of-season stock.

Pearl Izumi’s project manager for its factory stores, Lieven Muylaert, said the new location is “a great next step in the development of the brand recognition in Europe. Seeing the traffic during my visits at Gunwharf, we are confident that this is the right spot.

“Our store team will embrace every visitor as an opportunity to overwhelm them by the innovative & technical side of our products.”

Madison’s CEO Dominic Langan added: “Gunwharf Quays is heralded as the most progressive outlet mall in the UK and has a well-established sporting goods presence, making it the perfect location for our Pearl Izumi outlet store in the UK.

“Madison prides itself on delivering the highest level of customer support and this store opening underpins this ethos by supporting our Pearl Izumi specialist retailer network with effective and positive risk free stock handling.”