JD Sports to open upsized Colchester flagship

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 13, 2021

In the fallout from the online boom and the pandemic, the leading retail destinations are clearly winning out in attracting new tenants. And the large amount of empty space available also means those retailers looking to expand have plenty of choice available to them. JD Sports is one of those retailers.

The company continues to focus on new stores and the latest news is that CBRE Investment Management has signed it up to a new, upsized flagship store at “Colchester’s premier shopping destination", Lion Walk. It will open this month.

CBRE said Lion Walk’s retail offering “has continued to grow over the last two years under new management, with a range of major high street brands joining the scheme”. 

Despite the pandemic, the Centre is “currently at its highest ever occupancy and footfall, attracting 180,000 customers per week”.

Caitriona Hunter, Director at CBRE Investment Management, said: “JD Sports joining the scheme is a testament that Lion Walk continues to be a booming retail destination. We have worked collaboratively with [it] to be able to deliver this flagship store and provide a space that is engaging and new for our customers and fulfil the brands consumer demand.” 

And JD’s Group Property Director Nigel Keen added: “Despite the challenges of the last 18 months we have worked alongside CBRE on this opportunity for JD to upsize from our current store to Culver Walk. This new location allows us to offer an extended and relevant representation of our product range.”

The new store is near to branches of M&S, River Island and Boots, all of which generate strong footfall.