A new store dedicated to leisure clothing brand Vineyard Vines has exceeded expectations, owners A.S. Cooper & Sons said.

Somers Cooper, managing director of A.S. Cooper, said the store, which joins 100 across the US, is Vineyard Vines’s first overseas venture and it had struck a chord on the island, with residents as well as tourists.

He said: “We knew the general public liked the brand because we sold it for a number of years, but presenting it in a way that really showcases the brand has resonated with the public.”

The new venture, located in A.S. Cooper’s former children’s store on Front Street, opened in July and last month held its official opening, attended by Vineyard Vines founders, brothers Shep and Ian Murray.

Mr Cooper said: “When visitors come off the ferry boat and it’s right in front of them they make a beeline for it.”

Vineyard Vines, a US-based partner of next year’s America’s Cup competition, has also produced a variety of special Bermuda-themed items, like T shirts with the island’s latitude and longitude and maps of the island on them.

Mr Cooper said: “We were very conservative when we went through the planning process — we were hoping the numbers would be exceeded and that seems to be the case.

“We’re very pleased with the progress we have made and Vineyard Vines are pleased with it too. The founders were very pleased with the look and feel of the store — they’re very happy with the way it turned out.”

Shep and Ian Murray, in a joint statement, said: “Our vision of ‘every day should feel this good’ may have been born out of the US, but it’s a sentiment that resonates across the globe.

“The lifestyle in Bermuda has long been an inspiration of ours, and for it to mark the home of our first international location just felt right.”