British lifestyle brand Toast is building momentum in the U.S., opening a new West Coast store in Los Angeles following its recent debut in San Francisco, as part of a retail expansion strategy led by e-commerce.
“Seventy percent of our business, even now, is done online,” said Rosie McKissock, head of brand at Toast.
With a digital-first strategy, Toast has relied on online sales data to identify where its customer base is most engaged. Those insights first revealed strong traction in New York before pointing to growing pockets of demand across California. Los Angeles emerged as the next step.
“We know for a fact there are hot spots of people that are really connected with the brand,” McKissock said of the L.A. market.
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Founded in 1997 by husband-and-wife duo Jessica and Jamie Seaton, former archaeologists living in West Wales, Toast was launched as a small mail-order operation focused on nightwear and loungewear. The pair were inspired by a more considered way of living and an aesthetic grounded in nature, craft and functional design, noted the brand.
A majority stake was sold to French Connection in 2000, before the business was acquired in 2018 by Danish fashion group Bestseller for 23.3 million pounds.
Today, Toast operates around 20 stores in the U.K. and has been building its U.S. presence, with locations in New York’s Brooklyn, NoLIta, the Upper East Side and the West Village, as well as Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Located in West Hollywood’s design district at 352 North Robertson Boulevard, the L.A. store reflects category performance, McKissock said. While womenswear remains the core of the business, homeware is performing particularly strongly in California, accounting for about 25 percent of the mix. Collections emphasize natural fabrics like linen, wool and cotton, with bestsellers including the “Gabi” trouser and the “Bryn” dress, alongside cashmere knitwear and textured corduroy pieces.
The appeal of the brand lies in its approach to everyday dressing, said McKissock: “It’s about the ease and the wearability and the versatility, honestly, of the products.”
To support its U.S. growth, the company has invested in operational infrastructure, including a third-party logistics partner in New Jersey that enables direct shipping and helps mitigate tariff pressures.
Looking ahead, Toast is planning additional U.S. openings, with markets including Silver Lake in L.A.
