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| | | | 09/11/2012 | Property Week, Rachel Hunter - Profit growth drives Debenhams out of town | | | | | Debenhams adds retail parks to its expansion plans | | | | | Property Week reports that Debenhams is in discussions to open another five out-of-town stores as part of the retailer's expansion plans on the back of strong financial figures. There are 17 stores in the pipeline over the next five years, and retail parks will play an important part alongside full-line department stores and smaller format branches.
Debenhams opened its first out-of-town format at Ravenside Retail Park near Chesterfield at the end of September. The store is smaller than a full-line department store at 62,000sq ft.
Stores will open at Coliseum shopping park in Cheshire Oaks and Fort Kinnaird shopping park near Edinburgh in Scotland in spring 2014.
The potential success of Debenhams out-of-town stores has led the company to consider opening standalone formats in out-of-town locations.
Rob Hadfield, property director at Debenhams, says: "The standalone concept is something we really feel confident about now. We are looking at up to 40,000-50,000sq ft with full first-floor cover, so 80,000-100,000sq ft in total, and are in early stages on two sites for that."
Debenhams also has several town centre stores in the pipeline, including an 89,000sq ft store at the Southside shopping centre in Wandsworth, which it exchanged on last week, and is also refurbishing many others.
Debenhams is working with Lunson Mitchenall to find new town centre locations, with a focus on London and the south-east. |
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