Decathlon to open first store in Liverpool city centre
Sporting goods retailer Decathlon is to open its first store in Liverpool city centre.
The company has agreed a 15-year lease on 30,000 square feet of ground and first floor space in a six-storey building on Church Street that was previously home to a Next store. Since Next vacated, Redevco has undertaken a £2.25 million transformation of the building which is being split to create three new units.
Decathlon will take up its tenancy later this month.
Luke Fillingham, regional property director of Decathlon, said: “Decathlon is very excited to open this flagship store and begin to serve the people of Liverpool. Church Street is a prime location at the very heart of Liverpool city centre and one of the busiest high streets in the UK.
“Liverpool has a great history of sporting culture and we are confident that our unique range of sports products and services will achieve our goal of making the benefits of sport more accessible to the people of Liverpool, and the north west.”
Meanwhile, self-storage operator StoreAway has signed a 15-year lease for 36,000 square feet for the remainder of the upper parts of the building.
Claire Yeadon, Redevco asset manager, added: “We are delighted to have secured these lettings and guaranteed a future for the building which is not entirely reliant on retail. Creative asset management is now key for these types of buildings. The future of our town and city centres is about providing mixed-use offers that meet the demands of the local catchment.”
Redevco has also converted 13,410 square feet of basement space with a dedicated ground floor entrance from Liverpool One’s School Lane. The space is currently under offer subject to planning for change of use to a leisure operator.
