After the economic shock waves caused by the first local lockdown measures in Leicester it must have come as good news to everyone in the city that Frasers Group has committed to opening up its first regional store since the coronavirus outbreak hit the UK as a 9,000 square foot store in Leicester. The store is due to be opened in 2021 and planned to create around 200 new jobs. That’s a very positive endorsement for both the City of Leicester and for the retail sector in general.
Frasers Group, formerly known as Sports Direct, is Mike Ashley’s retail group. It announced that it would be leasing the 9,000 square foot space on a 15-year lease at Fosse Park that’s owned by the Queen’s property company, the Crown Estate.
The store will be created in the form of a sports and lifestyle destination. It will incorporate a large Flannels store selling men’s and women’s clothing and accessories which is the luxury part the Frasers Group. There are already 40 UK Flannels outlets and the addition of Leicester is a commitment to the group’s move upmarket.
It will also include a Sports Direct store, an Evans bicycle section, and a video games department under the Fraser Group’s brand Game. This is all estimated to be developed at a cost in excess of £15 million that will be a great boost for the local economy.
Will this be the start of new post-lockdown economic green shoots in Leicester?
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