EXETER — Water Street will soon welcome a new clothing store, one with an owner who is no stranger to town.
Kyle Eldridge, who owns New England Mercantile and New England Mercantile Home , has partnered with English clothing brand Barbour for his third store.
Barbour by New England Mercantile is slated to open in August at 45 Water St.
“It’s the clothing,” he explained when asked why he’s opening a third storefront. “The (current) store is too tight, there’s not enough room to try stuff on and display it properly … we wanted more breathing space.”
The building, which formerly housed Travel and Nature , is being converted into a mixed-use space with two residential units on top and a retail space on the street level. Built in 1920, the 104-year-old building was purchased by David Cowie, who, along with his partner Jay Caswell, is also converting the adjacent old Ioka Theater into a mixed-use building.
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What makes Barbour clothing stand out?
Established in 1894, Barbour’s rich history and country lifestyle heritage, combined with its quality craftsmanship, have made it a symbol of quintessential British fashion, worn by celebrities to the Royal Family. Still, even after 130 years and six generations, the brand remains family-owned, said Eldridge, which was what enticed him.
“It isn’t some big corporate company … it’s very, very small,” he said. “A lot of the products I ordered, they only produced maybe 100. It's a very small quantity and slowly produced.”
Eldridge said he has been selling the brand, known for their iconic wax cotton jackets, at New England Mercantile.He said the new store will “pick up the misses in the (Exeter) market.”
“We see a lot of opportunities for Barbour,” said Eldridge. “For example, there’s no men’s (clothing store) around here, pretty much at all.”
Eldridge noted that most of Barbour’s clothing is renowned for its longevity, provided it receives proper care, such as rewaxing jackets every few years. He emphasized that investing in higher-priced, quality items is more sustainable than repeatedly buying lower-priced clothing from fast-fashion brands.
“Barbour is based in Milford, New Hampshire, in the U.S. market," he added. "They’re local. Their warehouse is an hour from here, and we get the huge benefit of if we don’t have something, we can generally get it within 24 hours, 48 hours at the latest.”
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Barbour by New England Mercantile coming soon
An Exeter native, Eldridge attended Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island to study business and entrepreneurship. However, it was his 15-year stint at Ralph Lauren, working in multiple departments, including shipment processing and visual merchandising, that piqued his interest in fashion.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Eldridge lost his job and opened his first store, New England Mercantile, at 113 Water St. in 2021. The store features clothing and accessories from primarily sustainability-focus brands as well as his own brand of hand-poured soy candles, Crafted New England.
Last year, Eldridge expanded with New England Mercantile Home at 154 Water St., featuring home goods such as décor and furniture.
He said the new store will be for Barbour clothing only, allowing for a better shopping experience.
Ahead of his big opening, tentatively planned for Aug. 10, Eldridge said he has already planned special events that align with the brand’s identity such as “Bourbon Night.”
Eldridge said he hopes Barbour by New England Mercantile will be “a good staple place” for everyone.
“Even if you’re going to an event or whatever – a pair of leather shoes, belt, chinos, a button-down, a sweater, anything,” he added.
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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Barbour: Iconic British clothing brand finds a new home in downtown Exeter
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