Flannels and Sports Direct sign for new flagship stores at Metrocentre
Frasers Group brands Flannels and Sports Direct are to open new flagship stores at Gateshead’s Metrocentre.
Both shops will be housed in a former Debenhams unit in the centre’s Red Mall.
While Flannels will open a 70,000 square foot store on the ground floor of the unit, Sports Direct will take 60,00 square fee of space on the first floor. Both shops will open next year.
The move marks a major upsize for Flannels at Metrocentre as it currently occupies a 5,000 square foot unit on the Upper Red Mall.
Meanwhile, Sports Direct operates a retail warehouse elsewhere in Gateshead, which will close when the retailer moves to Metrocentre.
The former Debenhams store is currently occupied by Next Home & Beauty which will consolidate into Next’s existing store in the Green Mall.
The negotiations for the Metrocentre Partnership were led by its asset manager, Sovereign Centros.
Graeme Jones, director at Sovereign Centros, said: “These lettings will create a new destination point for the centre’s Red Mall. The store sits on one of the main entrances to the centre and therefore important from a visual presentation perspective. The transaction completes a major element of our business plan leasing up surplus former department store space.”
The news follows the recent refurbishment of Metrocentre’s Town Square and the opening of Harrod’s H Beauty in the centre’s former House of Fraser store.
Jones added “Retailer interest in the Centre is strong. We are not only attracting new premium brands, but existing retailers are upsizing into new flagship stores. Both JD and H&M upsized earlier this year and are trading really well.”
