Council welcomes latest Friars Walk signings
Posted on Tuesday 11th August 2015
Newport City Council's leader Councillor Bob Bright says a raft of new signings for Friars Walk is more good news for Newport.
Developer Queensberry Real Estate has announced that JD, Krispy Kreme, Occasions Cards, Pandora and the Candle Company have all been confirmed for Friars Walk, which opens on 12 November, amounting to another 12,000 sq ft of retail space.
Councillor Bob Bright, Leader of Newport City Council, said: "It is great to see a mixture of independents and big names now flocking to take space in Friars Walk. This is more good news for Newport and the city centre and the excitement as we get closer to the opening day in November is tangible."
Earlier this month, Friars Walk was named as one of Britain's top council-led regeneration schemes by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC).
Councillor Bright added: "Newport is undergoing a renaissance and is on the rise to become a dynamic, 21st century city where people will want to live, work and visit."
Councillor John Richards, Newport City Council's Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Investment, said: "Friars Walk is playing a key role in the revitalisation of the city centre but is part of a wider regeneration vision which includes the Vibrant and Viable Places programme which is helping to transform key buildings into new homes, businesses and spaces."
QRE have said JD Sports are taking a 6,000 sq ft unit. JD is the leading trainer and sports fashion retailer in the UK and sell many limited edition and exclusive designs from Adidas Originals and Nike.
Pandora are an international Danish jewellery manufacturer and retailer founded in 1982 by Per Enevoldsen. The company started as a family-run jewellery shop in Copenhagen before transforming to an international brand.
Kate Walsh, VP of Retail, said: "We are thrilled to announce the relocation of our new store which embodies a Scandinavian, feminine design and acts as the perfect setting for our beautiful hand-finished jewellery."
Mike Dowell, CEO of Krispy Kreme said: "Friars Walk is a great opportunity for us to bring the 'Fresh Every Day' taste of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts to our fans in and around Newport and South East Wales. We are counting down the days to opening which always causes a great deal of excitement."
Occasions Cards and the Candle Company will also take units in the scheme.
Occasions is a growing UK card retailer currently with stores in the following towns - Fareham, Locks Heath, Wootton Bassett, Hungerford, Wantage, Warminster, Melksham, Plymstock, Thornbury, Didcot, Salisbury, Newton Abbot, Devizes, Bridgwater, Broadstone and two outlet shops at Portchester and Gillingham.
The retailer is attempting to build off this base in smaller towns to grow into larger mainstream/prime retail environments and also has a store under offer at Westfield Bradford which also opens this November. Occasions will stock a range of cards and gifts and will also have a chocolate and confectionary concession.
Yankee Candle is a gift store specialising in own brand candles originally from the USA. They have managed to create a brand that now has a cult following in the UK due to its' wide range of products and seasonal changes. It will add something different to the mix in Friars Walk.
Paul Gray from the Candle Company added: "I'm very excited about opening the Candle Company in Friars Walk and am looking forward to the grand opening on 12th November. Friars Walk will transform Newport and will bring shoppers back into the city centre and we are delighted to part of this when it officially opens later this year."
Stuart Harris, QRE Commercial Director and Co-Founder, said: '"With just over three months until we open it is extremely positive news for the city to be able to announce the next tranche of new signings for Friars Walk. Watch this space for other new names to be announced over the course of the next month. We've now agreed terms on 80 per cent of the space in Friars Walk.
"These are great names to have coming to Friars Walk. It's an exciting time for the city and a busy time for us, we have around 400 people working on site and the build is moving ahead at pace with fit outs already underway for Debenhams and Cineworld with more commencing over the summer weeks."
Construction of the 390,000 sq ft retail and leisure scheme in the heart of Newport city centre is well advanced.
Queensberry Real Estate has designed Friars Walk so it integrates seamlessly into Newport's existing retail and leisure offer. Friars Walk will bring more than 390,000 sq ft of modern, well-configured retail and leisure space. It will include a full offer Debenhams Department Store, 35 retail units including Next, H&M, Top Shop, River Island and New Look, an eight screen Cineworld multiplex cinema, 11 restaurants, 350 parking spaces and a major new bus station interchange.
On completion the scheme will provide an estimated 1,200 jobs worth around £15 million in salaries a year to the local economy. This is in addition to the jobs created during the construction phase and the potential for local companies to be involved in the supply chain of the centre.