Expansion for city centre retailer made possible by Mason Thomas Law
The UK’s leading vintage clothing company, Glass Onion Vintage, has praised Mason Thomas Law for being ‘thorough, responsive and focused’ on getting the deal done following the expansion of the business on Sheffield city centre’s high street.
Previously located in a pop-up unit on Norfolk Street, Mason Thomas Law has negotiated a lease on a larger unit on Division Street for Glass Onion Vintage.
Inside the new Glass Onion Vintage store on Division Street in Sheffield
The new store in Sheffield is the first of a number which Glass Onion Vintage plans to open on high streets throughout the UK over the next three years adding to the business’ long-established online, wholesale and events sales channels.
Keen to capitalise on Sheffield’s returning student population, the new store was opened on 7 October. Mason Thomas Law ensured the contract for the new lease was completed in a short time frame.
Founder and Managing Director of Glass Onion Vintage, John Hickling, said: “It was vital for us to be able to optimise on sales with the new term starting and Christmas coming up. The Mason Thomas Law team were thorough, responsive and focused on getting the deal done enabling us to open on time.”
Cathy Thomas, Director and Solicitor of Mason Thomas Law added: “We were delighted to assist John with the lease for the new Division Street premises in Sheffield city centre. It was great to be able to play a small part in the growth of Glass Onion as well as helping increase the presence of a business on the high street. We’re looking forward to working with John and his team in the future as Glass Onion Vintage expands across the UK.”
The new store in Sheffield is the first of a number which Glass Onion Vintage plans to open on high streets throughout the UK over the next three years adding to the business’ long-established online, wholesale and events sales channels.
Established in Barnsley in 2006 by John and now employing 64 people, Glass Onion Vintage is at the forefront of the second-hand retail boom and is the antithesis of ‘fast fashion’ which is heavily criticised for causing extensive damage to the planet, exploiting workers and harming animals.
Glass Onion Vintage is a zero-waste fashion business, recycling, reworking and remaking everything that comes into its in-house factory.
Most recently Glass Onion Vintage won a British Fashion Council Changemaker prize which recognised recognising the company’s outstanding work within one of the three pillars of the BFC’s Institute of Positive Fashion: Environment, People or Craftsmanship and Community.
The company processes up to 20,000 kgs (44,000 lbs) of second-hand clothing every single week producing 12,000 garments a month from its sewing factory. Every piece of clothing produced and sold by Glass Onion Vintage was originally thrown away and destined for landfill.
The company is also one of 10,000 employers in the UK accredited by The Living Wage Foundation for its policy of paying workers above and beyond the government’s National Minimum Wage to cover the real cost of living.
Talking about future plans for the business, John said: “The pop-up unit in Sheffield which we opened in 2019 was an opportunity for us to test the water for expansion on the high street. The demand for a unique product like ours, is definitely there and I see our expansion on high streets in the UK as being very much part of the future for Glass Onion.”
If you’re looking to acquire a retail unit or other commercial premises, Mason Thomas Law’s specialist team can help. Speak to them today on 0114 294 5360 or get in touch with us here.