UK & Ireland alterations business The Zip Yard opens new Leicester store
Added by Love Business East Midlands | 25 April 2025
UPDATED: 29 April 2025
The UK’s largest clothing alterations and repairs franchise, The Zip Yard, is set to open a brand-new store in Oadby, Leicester on Thursday 8th May, offering customers a high-quality, sustainable alternative to fast fashion and throwaway wardrobes.
Located at 34 The Parade, Oadby, LE2 5BF, the Leicester store will become The Zip Yard’s 51st UK and Ireland location, expanding the brand’s growing national footprint in its landmark 20th anniversary year.
Precision tailoring with a personal touch
The new store will be owned and operated by Zain Sattar, a seasoned business owner with experience in accounting, retail and fast-moving consumer goods. After running a Post Office and convenience store in the UK and leading FMCG operations in Africa, Zain is combining his business acumen and customer-first ethos to bring The Zip Yard’s trusted services to Leicester.
“I’ve always been passionate about running my own customer-focused businesses,” said Zain. “When I came across The Zip Yard, I immediately saw the opportunity. It’s a strong brand with a great reputation, and I could see a clear gap in the local market for professional, high-quality tailoring and repairs. People want to feel good in their clothes – and we’re here to make that happen.”
Creating jobs and offering high-quality services
The store will create up to five local jobs, with expert tailors and a friendly front-of-house team on hand to help customers with everything from simple alterations to complex garment transformations.
The Oadby store will offer a full range of services including:
• Everyday alterations (hems, zip replacements, resizing)
• Bridal and occasion wear tailoring
• Leather and suede repairs
• Garment restyling and upcycling
Zain added:
“We’re here to serve customers from across Leicester and beyond – helping them breathe new life into their wardrobe favourites, while supporting more sustainable fashion choices. I believe a perfectly fitted garment can completely change someone’s confidence, and we’re proud to be part of that transformation.”
Trusted tailoring with sustainability in mind
The Zip Yard has seen remarkable growth in recent years, completing more than 280,000 repairs and alterations in the past 12 months alone – helping to keep an estimated 150,000 garments out of landfill. The brand has opened five new stores in the last year and is planning to open another 5 to 8 over the next 12 to 18 months.
Among the most requested services across the franchise are trouser and jeans shortening, seam repairs, zip replacements, crotch repairs, and darning. Last year, Zip Yard teams also completed over 3,000 bridalwear and 7,000 formalwear alterations – reinforcing its reputation as a trusted destination for occasion dressing and everyday wear alike.
Neluka Dunning, owner of The Zip Yard franchise, commented:
“More people than ever are choosing to repair, reuse and restyle the clothes they love. Zain is exactly the kind of franchise owner we’re proud to support – customer-focused, business-savvy and deeply committed to quality. Oadby is a fantastic location, and we’re excited to see The Zip Yard Leicester flourish under his leadership.”
She continued:
“We’ve been growing steadily across the UK and Ireland, but we don’t open just anywhere – we wait for the right people and the right locations. There’s strong demand in Leicester, and Zain has all the drive and local insight to make this store a success.”
Zain has plans to collaborate with local fashion boutiques and businesses, and potentially offer delivery and collection services as the business grows. His long-term goal is to make The Zip Yard Leicester the go-to alterations specialist in the region – and to keep expanding services in line with customer needs.
The store will open its doors to the public in April 2025. More details about launch offers and opening day promotions will be shared soon.
To find out more or locate your nearest Zip Yard store, visit: https://thezipyard.co.uk
