With the second lockdown coming to an end, Derby’s main shopping centre has announced eight new store openings this month.
Derby Centre – formally the Intu Derby shopping centre – is preparing to welcome a mixture of new stores and pop-ups, including the winners of its Hatch competition – which offered entrepreneurs the chance to win a rent-free shop just in time for Christmas.
The positive news comes amid one of the worst weeks for British retail in recent history, with Debenhams, Top Shop, Burton and Bonmarché all in severe difficulties with 26,500 jobs at risk.
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Young Ideas, which stocks designer women’s and menswear, is opening a new store on Level 2 next to Ernest Jones.
Elsewhere within the centre, five pop-ups, Calendar Club, Leaf Gifts, Sense Aroma and Thai Gifts will all return.
Meanwhile, Derby County has also opened a pop-up.
Both of this year’s Hatch competition winners have opened their stores.
Emerging jewellery designer-maker Eve Coffey is opening a new kiosk, selling bespoke hand-crafted resin jewellery and homewares.
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Clay-modellers JumpingCLAY is also open, offering fun and immersive workshop experiences, aimed at children and adults.
Adam Tamsett, general manager at the Derby Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Young Ideas and a number of brilliant pop-ups to the centre, further strengthening our offer for visitors over the festive period.
“We’re always working hard to refresh our brand line-up to create the best retail and leisure experiences for our visitors and the Derbyshire community.
“With a number of extra safety measures in place throughout the centre, such as enhanced cleaning and footfall monitoring, visitors can rest assured that Derby Centre is closely following Government guidelines to offer a safe place to shop this Christmas.”
As well as welcoming new stores, a new socially-distanced winter woodland experience is opening its doors at Derby Centre.
Despite Tier 3 restrictions, the centre has been given the green light to open Santa’s Winter Woodland on Level 2, next to Paperchase.
Mr Tamsett said: “Despite the challenges that we have faced this year, we still wanted to bring the Christmas spirit to the centre, which is why we have chosen to bring in a totally new experience, with Santa’s Winter Woodland.
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“We have taken every precaution to ensure that our new attraction meets the latest Covid-19 government guidelines and is safe to visit with loved ones this festive season.”
While restaurants remain closed, visitors that they can still get takeaways from outlets in the centre.
Free all-day parking is also in place throughout this month.