Nearly a century after it was founded in Australia, R.M.Williams has announced a major expansion of its UK footprint at a London launch event ahead of its Jermyn Street flagship opening later this month.
The iconic Australian bootmaker is accelerating its UK retail expansion in response to growing demand from British consumers, following three consecutive years of double-digit growth in the market.
By mid-April the brand’s UK retail footprint will grow to eight stores with UK turnover expected to exceed £15 million in 2026.
The London flagship at 108 Jermyn Street, in one of the capital’s most established menswear districts, will stock 73 boot options – the largest R.M.Williams range anywhere in the world.
The store, due to open in late March, will serve as a destination for specialist fitting and craftsmanship education – introducing more UK customers to the brand’s quality and heritage.
R.M.Williams currently operates six stores in the UK. The London flagship follows new stores in Bath (November 2025) and Edinburgh (January 2026), with Guildford to open in early April – marking four new store openings within a 12-month period.
Global retail footprint
By April 2026 R.M.Williams’ retail portfolio will sit just shy of 70 retail outlets.
The new UK stores will complement R.M.Williams’ wider global estate, including 55 stores in Australia and six in New Zealand, as well as the brand’s mobile boot-repair service “The Hut” and travelling pop-up vehicle “The Drover”.
R.M.Williams’ digital business is recording its strongest performance to date, with global online sales up more than 30 per cent year-on-year and the United States emerging as the brand’s second largest digital market.
The UK expansion follows the brand’s return to Australian ownership in 2020, when Australian investment group Tattarang acquired the business, under the direction of Dr Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest AO and the Tattarang team. The business immediately refocused on craftsmanship, on-shore manufacturing and international growth.
Craftsmanship and production
All R.M.Williams boots continue to be crafted in Adelaide, South Australia, with each pair passing through 88 pairs of hands, with a one-piece leather upper and Goodyear-welt construction designed for durability and repair over the life of the product.
This commitment to longevity reflects the brand’s origins. Founder Reginald Murray “RM” Williams developed his early designs while working in the Australian outback, with materials needed to withstand extreme conditions and be repaired rather than replaced. That philosophy remains central to the brand’s approach today.
Investment and sustainability
In October 2025, R.M.Williams opened a second workshop in Adelaide, South Australia, increasing production capacity by approximately 90 per cent. The brand achieved B Corp certification in 2024 and introduced publicly bookable tours of its Adelaide workshops in mid-2025.
Quotes from Dr Andrew Forrest AO, owner of R.M.Williams and Tattarang:
“I tried to buy R.M.Williams for nearly 20 years and was very grateful when the opportunity arose. Now travelling all around the world, I hear R.M.Williams stories everywhere.
“Pride in Australia, pride in such a beautiful Australian handmade product, and admiration of their comfort and durability.
“You really get the feeling from everyone you meet that R.M.Williams stands for Australian mateship and our beautiful country.
“Our international expansion isn’t just about selling more boots; it’s about taking a piece of Australia to the world. Every new market we enter is another opportunity to share Australian values – fairness, resilience, and mateship.
“I don’t see myself as the owner of R.M.Williams but as a custodian of something that Australians are genuinely proud of.
“After nearly a century of success, I believe the best is still ahead of us.
Quotes from Ms Nicola Forrest AO, owner of R.M.Williams and Tattarang:
“R.M.Williams stands for the values I – and many other Australians – grew up with: hard work, resilience and pride in craftsmanship. Those values built this company and they remain the foundation of the brand today.
“As R.M.Williams grows internationally, it is important to me that we protect what makes it special – the quality of the product, the pride of the people who make it and the character that has defined the brand for nearly a century.
“Growth for R.M.Williams is about expanding deliberately, not changing who we are. Opening the new flagship on Jermyn Street, and continuing to expand across the UK, is about introducing the brand to new customers while staying true to the standards and values people expect from R.M.Williams.”
Quotes from Paul Grosmann, Chief Executive Officer, R.M.Williams:
“Building a long-standing connection with the UK is incredibly important for this next chapter. Our way of deepening our connection to the UK centres around the understanding of our story and building on our learnings.”
“Each new store allows us to share the craftsmanship, heritage and authenticity that define our brand with communities that value quality and tradition. We’re excited to continue growing in a market that feels like a natural home for R.M.Williams.”
