A new, larger Greggs bakery is set to open in Sutton Coldfield, taking over premises that have been vacant for several years. The popular brand, which already has two outlets in the town centre - one in the Gracechurch Centre and another in the Red Rose Centre - plans to establish a double-sized shop in the former locations of Thorntons and The Body Shop on the Parade.
Both brands vacated Sutton some years ago, with The Body Shop leaving at the start of 2018 and Thorntons departing a year later in March 2019. Now, these two units are expected to be merged into one large Greggs store.
An employee from one of the existing Greggs locations revealed that both will close and merge into the new supersized store. While the company confirmed the opening, it remained silent on the potential closures of the Castle Court location, adjacent to the old Argos (now Home De虂cor), and the outlet at the front of the Red Rose Centre, owned by Birmingham City Council.
The council is anticipated to redevelop the centre at some point. A planning application has been submitted to the city council's planning department to install a new shop front at the two former shops, merging them with a door on what was previously the Body Shop side.
This includes plans to demolish a party wall and the existing frontages, which have been inactive for over five years, reports .
Initial groundwork has been carried out at the location, however, the launch of the new Greggs outlet is not anticipated to occur within this year. A spokeswoman for Greggs remarked: "Greggs is due to open a new shop in Gracechurch Shopping Centre next year. While we are unable to share any details at the moment, we will share further information nearer the time."
The upcoming Greggs store will enhance the brand's visibility on the Parade side of the Gracechurch Centre and feature considerably more space for sit-in customers. Meanwhile, local business Silver Tree Bakery has experienced a surge in customer patronage at its Gracechurch pop-up, which commenced operations in August and extended its hours last month.
The Gracechurch Centre recently welcomed back Magical Story and newcomers including I Am Yogi and the Cherished Connection Hub, which offers support to youngsters.
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