New Friars Walk scheme signs up trio of retailers
The new Friars Walk development in Newport has signed up a raft of new retailers ahead of its opening on 12 November.
Queensberry Real Estate has secured 10,000 square feet of new lettings to Jack & Jones, The Body Shop and Tiger.
Danish variety store, Tiger, is taking 3,000 square feet of space while menswear brand, Jack & Jones, has signed for a 2,500 square foot store. Beauty brand, The Body Shop, will open a 1,400 square foot store.
The new signings will be part of a line-up that includes Next, H&M, Top Shop, New Look and River Island and is anchored by a 95,000 square foot Debenhams store.
In addition, Wagamama has confirmed it will be taking 3,100 square feet of leisure space next to Prezzo and GBK which means the restaurant section is now fully let.
Stuart Harris, commercial director and co-founder at Queensberry Real Estate, said: “We expect to be 85% let on opening, with six additional retail and leisure brands in the pipeline and negotiations currently taking place on the remaining space. Newport is making a huge leap up the retail rankings with other shops and restaurants also opening in other areas of the city as well as new hotels, houses, flats, and offices. There is a real buzz of excitement around the city at the moment and it’s a real privilege to be part of the city’s renaissance.”
Friars Walk serves is part of a programme of regeneration underway in Newport which has become one of the fastest growing cities in Wales. The scheme will make Newport a top 100 UK retail destination and provide an estimated 1,200 jobs within the shops and restaurants. The scheme includes 350 parking spaces and a major new bus station interchange.
Kate Methuen-Ley, director of Tiger Wales, said: “Friars Walk will be a really exciting and vibrant addition to Newport and Tiger is really proud to bring its everyday magic to the city. I started my retail career as a Saturday girl in a store in Newport in the ‘90’s, so it’s great to see this investment in the retail landscape of the city and the confidence it is generating with independent as well as national retailers.”
