River Island is to open a 15,000 sq ft store at Hammerson and GIC Real Estate’s 800,000 sq ft WestQuay shopping centre in Southampton.
River Island will open the store in May 2008 which will double the size of its former store in the city.
River Island is the latest signing following New Look’s decision to expand its presence at the centre with a 28,000 sq ft store relocation.
New Look has taken the former Waitrose unit in the centre in an area in the mall which focuses on fashion brands such as Coast, Dune, Karen Millen and Zara.
Debut
Hotel Chocolat, Julian Graves, Pret A Manger, and SumoSalad will all make their Southampton debut this month.
Hotel Chocolat has signed up for a 1,400 sq ft unit in the scheme’s lower atrium while Julian Graves, the specialist natural food and ingredients retailer, opened a 1,000 sq ft unit at the Portland Terrace entrance to the scheme earlier this month.
Pret A Manger has signed up for a 5,000 sq ft store in the former Nike unit fronting the scheme on Above Bar.
Sumosalad, a health food retail chains, has opened a 700 sq ft unit.
Sheila King, Hammerson’s director of UK Retail Leasing, said: ‘The decisions by River Island and New Look to expand their stores by taking new flagship units in WestQuay demonstrates its continued importance as a key location for major retailers, and the region’s leading destination for fashion and lifestyle shopping.’
