Debenhams store on way to Shrewsbury
Department giant Debenhams today confirmed it will open a new flagship store in the heart of Shrewsbury creating 100 jobs after posting an inflation-busting increase in profits.
The 95,000sq ft new store will be one of 17 new outlets opening across the country as part of a massive expansion by the company which will create 1,700 new jobs.
Debenhams, which already has a store in Telford, revealed the expansion plan after announcing a 4.2 per cent jump in profits to £158.3m in the last 12 months.
The move - which will add more than £150 million in sales - comes on top of a nationwide store revamp programme which has seen 18 shops modernised over the past year.
The new Shrewsbury store will be the centrepiece of the £150million redevelopment of the Riverside Shopping Centre and cover 95,000 sq ft.
It will be joined by 50 other stores in the complex, which will create a total of 700 jobs and is expected to open in autumn 2015.
The centre will join together the existing Riverside, Pride Hill and Charles Darwin malls and also include office space, 10 restaurants and cafes.
Debenhams is also ramping up its overseas expansion drive, with plans to boost its international franchise by another 20 over the next four years and increase online orders to a further 30 countries.
The group said the higher-than-inflation rise in profits for the year to September 1 was powered by a recent sales revival.
Exclusive ranges from a star line-up of fashion designers - including Henry Holland and Julien MacDonald - helped the group grow its share of the competitive womenswear market, with group-wide like-for-like sales up 1.6 per cent excluding VAT over the year.
Comments for: "Debenhams store on way to Shrewsbury"
Mat
So another store the same as Telford Town shopping centre! How about something different to offer such as a John Lewis branch?
PG
Come on...it's a start.
Better to have a known brand willing to open a store than the situation where many have been forced to close or relocate outside Shropshire.
Surely a glass half full attitude would be better.
Edward
A lot can happen between now and autumn 2015.
Colin Armfield
They could just move into one of the empty stores in the Darwin or Prides Hill centers.
There are so many empty stores it is so sad when visitors come into the town!
Who is making money on this project?
Alex
What will Shrewsbury be, one big overpriced department store, unbelievable really!
Is this why the co-op in Riverside is closing this year and Wilkinsons early next year andTKmaxx in the Darwin centre shutting too, The Darwin Centre is half empty, very embarrassing for Shrewsbury when Visitors come to the town and the Pride Hill centre which is very shabby and outdated.
What is it with the escalators in these Shrewsbury Shopping centres, always an engineer trying to fix them.
I thing we should concentrate on Shrewsbury Market making it better and keeping the money in the town instead of it going to the big corporations.
Two Tone
Shrewsbury will not become one big overpriced department store. Thats a very broad and somewhat inacurate comment. Co-op, Wilkinson and TKMax, for example, alone are not enough to entice the shoppers £ into an area.
As beautiful as Shrewsbury is, and as an adopted son of Shropshire I am extremely proud of the gem that Shrewsbury is, I would not travel from Telford to shop soley at the establishments you name or just the market.
I have such all here on my doorstep here in Telford, however throw in a 'decent' House of Fraiser, a Debs, a J Lewis or whoever & a coffee in one of the towns centres lovely old hotels and the shopping trip becomes a day out. Take a stroll around the Quarry too, lovely.
Bring in the big shops, the Debs, the John Lewis and alike to attract the shoppers £ and 'others' in the town centres will, in the main, benifit. Passing trade if you like.
As for Shrewsbury Market.......
I think the building to be quite ugly, definately of its time. However, it is a bit of Shrewsbury history and therefore it has its place, yet its place, like Co-op, like Wilkos & like TKmax is 2nd division behind the big high street marques. Alone, not enough to attract the visiting shopper.
WonderWoman
This is a good start for Shrewsbury, a major shop opening its doors and coming to a small town like us. It's far better than having all these shops that are closing down every few months and being replaced with naff ones. Bring on more substantial stores! As like the comments above, you dont tend to go to Shrewsbury for a spending spree, more places like Telford and Birmingham, so we also need to keep the history of Shrewsbury and not modernise is too much.
Matt
Tk maxx is shutting down since when now what's going to happen to Darwin shopping centre the only 2 main stores will be m&s and h&m. Damn