Office
Truworths International (acquired 2015) · United Kingdom
Office is a London-based fashion footwear retailer that opened its first store as Office London in 1981. It is owned by South African retailer Truworths, which bought Office Holdings in December 2015, and it also operates Offspring, Poste and Poste Mistress.
| Founded | 1981 (first store); company 1983 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Owner | Truworths (since December 2015) |
| Stores | 86 in the UK and Ireland (2025) |
| Sister banners | Offspring, Poste, Poste Mistress |
| Website | office.co.uk |
What is Office?
Office is a British footwear retailer and brand, headquartered in London. According to Wikipedia, its first store opened in 1981 as Office London, a concession inside a store on Kensington High Street. The company, Office Holdings, was incorporated on 25 October 1983, and the first standalone store opened on Kings Road in 1984.
History
The business was first bought by Tom Hunter of West Coast Capital, and Silverfleet Capital acquired it from West Coast in 2010. In December 2015 the South African clothing retailer Truworths acquired Office for 256 million pounds. Truworths is the owner confirmed in the source consulted; any later change was not verified.
Business model and distribution
Office is primarily a retailer of footwear, selling a mix of own-label and third-party brands. The same source reports 86 locations across the United Kingdom and Ireland as of 2025. In 2014 the company had 105 standalone stores and about 50 concessions, so the physical estate has contracted. The company website is office.co.uk, which also serves its online store.
The group operates several banners:
- Office: the main fashion footwear chain
- Offspring: a casual shoe and trainer retailer launched in 1996
- Poste: an upmarket men's boutique launched in 2000
- Poste Mistress: a women's boutique launched in 2001, stocking labels such as Vivienne Westwood and Dries van Noten
Positioning
Office sits in the mid-market of fashion footwear, targeting younger, trend-aware customers with sneakers, boots and seasonal styles, while its boutique banners reach higher price points.
Why it matters
Office is a long-established British footwear specialist whose history, from concession to private equity ownership to a South African retail group, illustrates how multi-banner shoe retail has consolidated and shrunk its store estate over the past decade.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Office shoes?
Office is owned by the South African retailer Truworths, which acquired Office Holdings in December 2015 for 256 million pounds.
Where is Office from?
Office is a British footwear retailer. Its first store opened in 1981 as Office London on Kensington High Street, and it is headquartered in London.
