Hammerson has announced that it has secured lifestyle clothing and accessories brand FatFace as part of the Orchard Centre expansion.
FatFace, the fast-growing retailer, has now opened a 2,050 sq ft store adjacent to the M&S Foodhall and will stock a range of womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear, and accessories as part of the brand’s debut in Didcot. Having started in 1988 as a business selling t-shirts and sweatshirts in the Alps, FatFace stocks a wide range of fashion and accessories, designed in-house at its headquarters in Havant, Hampshire.
This latest signing follows the news that designer shoe retailer Soletrader has taken space in the scheme, opening a 1,835 sq ft store. The brand, which opened its new Didcot branch last month, stocks labels including Paul Smith, Nike, adidas and Vans.
The expansion of the Orchard Centre has kick-started the future growth of Didcot town centre, as part of wider plans to transform Didcot into a Garden Town and deliver 20,000 new jobs and 15,000 new homes over the next 20 years.
Andrew Berger-North, UK Director of Retail Parks at Hammerson, said: “We are delighted to have secured FatFace as part of the Orchard Centre expansion. The brand is a great addition to our existing line-up and complements other fashion favourites including H&M, River Island, Next and TK Maxx. Didcot’s reputation as a retail and leisure destination continues to grow and with new signings such as this, its position in the region is only set to strengthen.”
Daren Humphrey, Head of Acquisitions & Estates, FatFace, said: “FatFace is delighted to be working with Hammerson on this project and we are excited to have opened in the Orchard Centre and bringing the Fatface brand to Didcot”.
Bill Service, member for Didcot Garden Town at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “Having another new store in town is great news and we welcome FatFace to Didcot. This not only creates new job opportunities but provides people with more retail choice in their local area rather than having to travel elsewhere.”
With more brands set to be announced, visit the Orchard Centre website, www.orchardcentre.co.uk , and social media pages, by searching ‘Orchard Centre Didcot’ on Facebook and @OrchardDidcot on Twitter, to keep up to date on the latest news.
ENDS