Freshlands is rebranding its three existing stores ­ two Freshlands and one Wild Oats ­ with its new Fresh & Wild name. The refurbishment will be carried out with the help of £10.5m of private equity and will be completed by April. The Wild Oats Notting Hill store in London will also be extended to 4,000 sq ft to include more fresh produce, an organic juice bar, hot and cold food service counters, as well as an organic wine cellar. The cost of the store's overhaul will be £600,000. According to Fresh & Wild's CEO Bryan Meehan it was time for the chain to have a uniform branding and change of image that reflected its "culture and ambience". He said: "The Fresh & Wild branding is inviting, natural, friendly and fun and it represents the company's values. "It will be used in a variety of colours and formats to suit the personality of each store and site." Meehan has also announced the company's plans to open up to 20 stores over the next five years and said two sites had been secured in the London area: one in Soho and another at a site in Lavender Hill. The Soho store will form part of The Third Space health and beauty complex ­ which is currently being built ­ and the Lavender store will be the company's largest at 6,500 sq ft. "Lavender Hill will be our first store on a single level with clear space. This will enable us to further develop our fresh and organic displays within a vibrant marketplace atmosphere," added Meehan. And the company is not ruling out opening shops outside the London area. An e-commerce site and own label range are also planned and both will be a reality within 12 months, according to the company. {{NEWS }}

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