National fashion retailer Next is set to treble in size in Burton upon Trent when it relocates to the former BHS store.
Next will be moving to a new 25,000 sq ft store in Underhill Walk at Coopers Square Shopping Centre, relocating from an 8,500 sq ft unit in St Modwens Walk. The opportunity arose when BHS closed last July after the chain fell into administration.
The letting was agreed on behalf of landlord New Frontier Properties by Waypoint Asset Management, the asset manager for Coopers Square, and agents Cushman & Wakefield and Lunson Mitchenall.
A planning application has been submitted to change the façade and subdivide the 44,500 sq ft BHS store into two units. Next is expected to open by early autumn this year. Mike Riley, chief executive of New Frontier Properties, commented: “This latest deal with Next will not only triple the size of their store in Burton but will also be the catalyst for improvement works in this area of the shopping centre. We are in discussion with retailers for the remaining 19,500 sq ft in the former BHS unit and hope to announce another deal shortly.”
Alison Gurney, a director of Waypoint Asset Management, added: “The speed at which the deal with Next was concluded, soon after the BHS store closed, demonstrates Burton’s growing appeal to national retailers. Next’s significantly bigger store is a valuable addition to the town’s fashion offer and we look forward to revealing more new lettings in the coming months.”
The deal with Next closely follows the opening of Costa Coffee at Coopers Square, on the site of the former Baptist Chapel.
