DIY and housewares retailer Lords of Notting Hill is adding to its London portfolio with the acquisition of the La Cuisinere cookshop in Northcote Road, Battersea SW11.
La Cuisinere has been trading for 25 years, but owners Anne and Jeremy Blackie were within days of closing the store down and letting the premises to a charity shop when Lords stepped in to rescue the ailing business.

Lords says it believes it has the right product offering and that it will be able to enhance the experience for customers who have shopped at La Cuisinere for many years. The offer will include cookshop lines and other products for the home, and Lords' click-and-collect service will provide an extensive range beyond the in-store selection.

Shanker Patel, ceo of Lords of Notting Hill, commented: ""We're delighted to add Northcote Road to our expanding store portfolio. Our strategy is to revive the high street by acquiring existing hardware/houseware stores and making them relevant to today's consumers by changing product offerings and investing in modernising these stores. Lords are looking to expand further, with more acquisitions in the pipeline for 2014."

The family-owned Lords Group, which is building a strong reputation as an innovative housewares retailer with the recent launch of the Lords of Notting Hill brand, also.has a significant presence in the builder's merchant market.

Earlier this year Lords bought the hardware store Poores of Chorleywood from Lawsons builder's merchant.