A LARGE new sports store is coming to Horsham, occupying several empty premises in Swan Walk.
The centre’s management Aviva Investors is creating a new retail space for Sport Direct, knocking through the units formerly occupied by children’s clothes shop Adams, Mabu Leather and the Fabric Shop, as well as a proportion of what was The Card Factory.
“The new store will incorporate just over three existing stores in the mall leading to Wilkinson,” said Gill Buchanan, Centre Manager.
“We are delighted to be able to announce this to our customers. There are currently no other large format specialist sports stores in Horsham and we have worked hard to meet the interest and demand from our retailers to open up a store of this kind.”
Work to create the new store will commence at the end of February with the grand opening scheduled for late spring or early summer.
Aviva Investors believes the opening of Sports Direct ‘provides further evidence of Swan Walk’s ongoing commitment to create the right space for its retailers’.
In Autumn 2011, the shopping centre saw the arrival of the new Fat Face store following another ‘active management initiative’, and early this month popular local catering offer The Real Eating Company opened a stand-alone store in the cetral atruium with the swans, following the closure of BB’s Coffee and Muffins.
Mrs Buchanan said: “We are delighted with The Real Eating Company offer which opened in the centre last weekend.”
A spokesman for Aviva Investors added: “These lettings demonstrate how Horsham as a retail destination has remained fairly resilient despite the current economic climate.
“Sports Direct is a new retailer for the town centre and we are confident that it will bring benefits to customers and businesses alike.”