Clothes shop expands to 'suit you sir'

Slater was established in Glasgow in 1973

A menswear company, which has become a Glasgow institution, has announced plans for a massive expansion across the UK.

Slater Menswear will spend £60m to raise its number of stores from nine to 69.

The firm will create 1,000 over the next ten years by opening stores in towns including Preston, Chester, Cheltenham and Chelmsford.

The first phase of growth starts this year with leases signed on new stores in Liverpool and Canterbury.

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The Scottish company, which was established in 1973 by Ralphie Slater, currently has stores in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayr, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff.

Its flagship 40,000sq ft store in Howard Street, Glasgow, has been accredited by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest single menswear store in the world.

Managing director Paul Slater said: "We believe there still is a very large middle market out there, despite what the analysts might say.

"I think they have got it a little bit wrong when they talk about polarisation within market.

"A vast majority of people still want quality clothes at an affordable price, and that is where our strength lies."

He added: "We have just formalised our plans and have spoken to all our staff. It is a nice story to tell them, and shows staff that we are going places."

Slater Menswear puts its success down to a policy of locating stores off the main street, and so bringing down overheads.

It says it has been able to pass the savings onto customers by selling branded, quality garments at competitive prices.