º£½ÇÊÓƵ

A jewellery retailer is opening a new store in Birmingham city centre.

Jewells will launch a 1,000 sq ft outlet in the Bullring shopping centre in June.

It is one of four lease deals it has signed with the Bullring's co-owner and operator Hammerson around the country.

They are the first physical stores to be opened by the London-based brand and each will house bespoke consultations, workshops and what it is calling "immersive experiences".

Chief brand officer Leah Uka said: "Launching our first-ever physical spaces in key destinations across the country has been an important process for us.

"We have ambitious expansion plans targeting 2,000 stores across 45 countries within five years.

"To make that possible, it was necessary for us to establish the Jewells brand in the kinds of high-footfall and high-quality retail destinations that Hammerson has to engage existing and new customers and create a wonderful retail experience for them."

Paul O'Brien, director of leasing and commercialisation at Hammerson, added: "The decision for Jewells to open four of its first stores across our portfolio demonstrates the quality of our destinations and the confidence that leading retailers have in what Hammerson delivers.

"It also shows the pace we can execute deals, the support we can give to new entrants as they enter our markets and a collaborative approach to delivering at scale.

"Jewells is backed by a proven operator and is an excellent fit for each of our locations, resonating with the young, fashion-forward audience our city destinations attract."