November 2010
International shoe retailer giant, Deichmann, will soon open its doors to shoppers at The Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend. The heavyweight retailer expects to be trading before Christmas in its new 5,758 sq ft store on the ground floor of the scheme, next to the Centre’s other newest arrival, health and beauty store Boots.
William Harkness, CEO of Delamere Estates, commented, “Southend is now more than ever a retail destination in its own right, and shoppers from the surrounding areas have come to expect a great experience when they visit. We have seen record numbers of customers coming through our doors in the last few months. All these aspects made The Victoria Shopping Centre the ideal place for Deichmann to open in the town. When it opens this autumn, it will generate further footfall, as well as attracting other well-known retailers to Southend.”
The rent agreed with Deichmann is £120,000 per annum, on a 10 year lease. This news comes at a very positive time for the scheme; it has reported a 10% rise in footfall in September 2010 compared to the same month last year, a record for the region.
Delamere Estates completed the £24 million refurbishment of The Victoria in September 2008. The extensive refurbishment work, a joint venture between Delamere and National Grid UK Pension Scheme, has transformed the 335,000sq.ft centre and greatly enhanced the retail facilities of the town.