Ellandi secures Merry Hill Primark Home concept amid flurry of lettings

Primark has expanded its Merry Hill store for its new home and lifestyle concept, as asset manager Ellandi lands a flurry of leasing deals at the Dudley shopping centre. The retailer has upsized its store at the centre by 10,000 sq ft to nearly 84,000 sq ft to house its new home and lifestyle concept. Paul Baldwin, trading director at Primark, said: “There has been exceptional growth within our home and lifestyle department over the past 18 months as people have spent more time in their home. “We are continuously looking for new ways to innovate and look forward to seeing our ambitious plans come to life at our Merry Hill store.” Contracts have also exchanged with Starbucks for its drive-thru concept and German Doner Kebab. Smyths Toys has also announced the opening of a new 25,835 sq ft store. In total, 49 new or renewed leases have either been agreed or are close to exchange. The news comes as Ellandi is devising plans to convert some of the centre’s retail offer into new leisure uses, as part of its £50m, five-year investment programme to transform the 2m sq ft mall. Part of this involves improving the centre’s connections to the nearby Waterfront leisure destination. It has drawn up early concepts for a number of new “districts”, including entertainment, fashion and health and wellbeing areas. The enhanced leisure offer will include new dine-in eateries, bars and family entertainment experiences. Food-based pop-ups, culinary experiences and festivals featuring a strong, local and culturally diverse focus will also form a “major part” of the investment programme. Further plans for an enhanced culture and enlivenment programme are in development as part of a long-term engagement strategy with local arts, culture and educational institutions. Mark Robinson, co-founder of Ellandi, said the Primark Home opening marks a “major milestone in our five-year journey to redefine Merry Hill as the leading family shopping a lifestyle destination for the West Midlands”. He added: “The pandemic has given the retail sector pause for thought to bounce back better, while the reopening of non-essential retail has proved there is still a significant appetite for bricks-and-mortar retail destinations. “Merry Hill is already one of the leading shopping destinations in the UK, but by 2025 it will be home to even more flagship concept stores, as well as a revitalised leisure offer. We will tap into emerging consumer trends to future-proof the centre for years to come.”   To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@eg.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @EGPropertyNews Images © Ellandi/Merry Hill