The Globe and Mail reports from its Thursday edition that Groupe Dynamite chief Andrew Lutfy is pleased with the enthusiastic response from British shoppers to its Garage stores. The Globe's Susan Krashinsky Robertson writes that Mr. Lutfy says, "This is a great proxy for further global growth." He says the first two U.K. Garage locations -- which opened last weekend and marked the retailer's first bricks-and-mortar expansion beyond North America -- were the best store openings in Groupe Dynamite history. He says: "I'm not used to instant success. Usually, we suffer in all our endeavours; we're just tenacious and we grind through and achieve success eventually." Groupe Dynamite plans to open five more stores in Britain this year, while continuing to expand in the United States. The company expects to launch 24 to 26 new locations this year, even as it closes about 14 stores -- many of which are profitable but "not profitable enough," according to Mr. Lutfy. As shoppers increasingly take their fashion cues from social media and style becomes more globalized, Mr. Lutfy says he sees potential for continued growth. "There are a lot of other markets that are similar to the U.K. The world is a much smaller place today."