// JD Sports to open second store at Westfield Stratford in unit left vacant by Topshop
// Topshop’s two-storey, 31,000sq ft shop opened in September 2011 & will close when the lease expires
// Once JD Sports moves in, it would bring its footprint to over 40,000sq ft at Westfield Stratford
JD Sports is set to more than quadriple its footprint at Westfield Stratford by opening a second store in the unit that would be left vacant by Topshop when it moves out.
Westfield announced that JD Sports signed a 10 year lease on a second store the Stratford shopping centre, taking over Topshop’s 31,000sq ft, two-storey shop.
Once JD Sports moves in, it would bring its footprint to over 40,000sq ft at Westfield Stratford.
READ MORE:
- Topshop in Westfield Stratford set to close
- JD Sports posts Christmas sales growth despite “retail challenges”
- Arcadia completes Topshop flagship’s £310m refinancing
The news comes after Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group retail empire announced that its Topshop and Topman store in Westfield Stratford was due to close down once its lease expires.
Arcadia stressed that the store closure was not part of the store closure scheme featured in its seven CVAs, which were launched in June.
Meanwhile, JD Sports’ expansion comes after its shares rose by a whopping 3200 per cent in the past decade, especially against a challenging backdrop for UK retail in more recent years.
“We are excited to deliver our new flagship store within Westfield Stratford City, one of our key shopping centre locations in UK,” JD Sports head of acquisitions Warren Thompson said.
“JD will bring the very latest sports fashion to our consumers in our very latest flagship store concept.”
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the parent company of the Westfield shopping centres, said 38 retailers have expanded their footprint at its two London locations by 173,000sq ft since 2018.
These retailers include H&M, Adidas, Zara and Abercrombie & Fitch.
“We are thrilled to announce the expansion of JD Sports at Westfield Stratford City as they take over the ex-Topshop unit to launch a second store at the centre,” Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield UK leasing director Keith Mabbett said.
“We have been working closely with JD Sports to identify the best space to meet their growing needs to create a flagship store.
“The expansion demonstrates the success of JD Sports with high demand for the brand and the increasing trend for retailers stores to create larger footprints at our centres.
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