Footasylum has opened a significantly upsized and refurbished store at Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill, near Dudley in the West Midlands, as part of its continued UK retail growth strategy.
Expanding from 3,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft, the upsized store has combined Footasylum’s existing unit with the adjacent space and includes new features such as a mobile payment system that speeds up checkout, new digital screens, and a refreshed fit-out.
Shannon Osman, Head of Retail at Footasylum, said: “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our newly expanded Footasylum store at Merry Hill. Over the past several years, Merry Hill has proven to be an excellent location for our brand, and we’ve developed a strong base of loyal customers and have established ourselves as a well known brand in the West Midlands.
“We’re thrilled to welcome customers to our enhanced store experience, showcasing our even bigger and better range of products from the world’s leading footwear and apparel brands.”
Visitors can also enjoy an expanded selection of products across all categories, including the addition of womenswear from popular brands like Nike and Adidas, as well as exclusive labels such as Forena and Dripmade.
Alistair Winning, Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, on behalf of Merry Hill, said: “Merry Hill is a centre where brands not only succeed, but thrive, exemplified by the expansion of Footasylum.
“This year we have driven record levels of brand investment, with Footasylum now sitting amongst dozens of leading names that have both committed and recommitted to the destination, demonstrating Merry Hill’s transformation and catchment strength.”
The new opening comes after last month’s news that Footasylum has secured a £35 million Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) from HSBC to accelerate its retail growth plans across the UK, and boost its sustainability initiatives.
Footasylum was acquired by AURELIUS, a global alternative investor, in August 2022. Since then, the company has embarked on a strategic store opening and upsizing programme that has seen it open a flagship 20,000 sq ft store at 73-89 Oxford Street in London.
The retailer also opened a store at Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen in September, another at Golden Square shopping centre in Warrington and one at the Frenchgate shopping centre in Doncaster (which was recently acquired by Frasers Group) in October.
