Boost for county as Wilko relocates to the Darwin Centre
Shropshire Council has today announced that high street retailer Wilko will be relocating from the Pride Hill Centre to the Darwin Centre, Shrewsbury in early 2022.
Wilko’s new store will be located on level three of the Darwin Centre, opposite The Collective and adjacent to the centre’s car park, providing a major retail boost to the town.
To prepare the Pride Hill Centre site for development, several national and independent brands have relocated from the former Pride Hill Centre to the Darwin Centre, including The Entertainer, Clarks and F Hinds earlier this year. Wilko is the final tenant to relocate, allowing the Pride Hill Centre site to be fully vacant and ready for future redevelopment.
Ed Potter, Shropshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for economic growth, regeneration and planning, said:-
Wilko is a much-loved national brand, and we are pleased they’ve decided to relocate to new premises in the Darwin Centre and will continue to supply the Shropshire community with the very best in household and garden essentials.
James Dorling, Head of Property of Wilko, added:-
We love serving our loyal customers in Shrewsbury and are looking forward to welcoming families to our shiny new store in the Darwin Centre next year. Wilko is the home of little wins, providing simple solutions that help families get their homes and gardens sorted.
The Darwin Centre is now Shrewsbury’s primary retail offer and performing exceptionally well. Footfall continues to rise every week and the centre is approaching 90% let, well above the pandemic UK average.
The major refurbishment of the middle level of the Darwin Centre, completed in October 2020, includes award-winning new toilets and a changing places facility.
A new specially created shopping gallery for independent traders called The Collective also opened in December 2020 and continues to flourish.
Ed Potter added:-
The relocation of Wilko consolidates and strengthens the Darwin Centre’s offer even further. The mix of national and independent brands, together with the completion of the refurbishment and new toilet facilities, has created a thriving town centre destination.
The proposed future repurposing of the former Pride Hill Centre site will also facilitate the wider transformation of Shrewsbury as part of the Big Town Plan.
