A clothing shop which has launched a new town centre branch hopes to fill the void left behind by an iconic menswear store.

County Clothes has opened its eighth branch in Herne Bay in the former Roger’s Menswear unit in William Street, next to Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe.

The former retailer shut its doors earlier this year after a deal to sell the business fell through.

Owner Tony Symons began clearing out stock, which included suits, bow ties, cufflinks and suspenders, in January and retired following the closure.

But now, County Clothes, which sells similar items and brands to its predecessor, has taken over, opening last Friday (October 20).

Store manager Mark Pegg said: “We had been looking for another store and Herne Bay was on our radar so when we heard Tony was closing, we thought it would be a good move.

“It was a no-brainer for us as they stocked a lot of the brands we stock, so the products can be similar, but obviously, we have a slightly different spin on things.”

Mr Pegg and his team have spent the past few weeks getting the unit ready to open.

The shop floor has been stripped, and new lights and signs have gone up.

Despite the trouble high street shops face, Mr Pegg believes now is the right time for the business to expand.

“We think our model works well and we think it will work in Herne Bay,” he said.

“With the products and services we offer, we are confident it will be successful.

“We want to offer the best possible store experience and hopefully, we can continue doing that in Herne Bay.”

County Clothes opened its first store in Canterbury in 1976.

It quickly expanded into Tenterden and now has five stores in Kent including those in Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells. Others can be found in Surrey and Essex.

Roger’s Menswear was launched by businessman Roger Wisbey out of its original High Street base in 1967, before expanding into Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

The Herne Bay branch moved to William Street in 1999.

The great-grandfather ran the store until his retirement in 1999, at which point he handed over the reins to Mr Symons.