J.Crew opening in London

American retailer J.Crew has announced that it will open its first  store outside of North America on Regent Street, London.The 17,000 square foot store, which is currently under development and  was previously occupied by Burberry, is

located on the corner of  Regent Street and New Burlington Street and is set to open its doors  in late 2013.

The store will house separate women's and men's stores, each with  their own designated entrance, along with crewcuts, J.Crew's  destination for kids, and its ‘In Good Company’, a collection of brand  partnerships hand selected by the design team.

The women's store will feature a carefully edited selection including  J.Crew Collection, and a dedicated shoe and handbag salon, while the  Men's Shop will offer the full range of the renowned Ludlow suit,  shirting, shoes and everything in-between.

The new store marks a new phase in the US retailer’s international  expansion plans, which started with the launch of the brand’s global  online shop in March that serves more than 100 countries. Prior to the  global website, UK customers could only purchase J. Crew through  Net-a-Porter, a partnership that was launch in May 2010.

Commenting on choosing London, Millard Drexler, Chairman and Chief  Executive of J.Crew Group, Inc, said: "London was an easy decision -  it's a place where people understand and respect the integrity of  great style and great design. We share this appreciation and are  excited to introduce J.Crew to more customers throughout the UK."

The J.Crew Group currently operates 295 retail stores, which include  250 J.Crew stores, 8 crewcuts stores, and 45 Madewell stores; in  addition the company has online stores and a catalogue business for  its J.Crew and Madewell brands.