River Island crosses the Channel

British high street chain River Island is to open a European flagship store in Amsterdam in September. The two-story shop will offer the entire collection. The move represents an important step in expansion of the brand. River Island already has 210 stores in the UK and Ireland. It also has 25 franchise partnerships in six countries, including Turkey, Poland and the Middle East. "We are very excited about this new venture," said River Island managing director Richard Bradbury. "We have researched the market place and this project is a significant step forward for the River Island brand."