Matalan opens new store at The Mall Maidstone

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 21, 2020

Matalan has taken over the last remaining former BHS-space at The Mall Maidstone in Kent to open a new 23,000 sq ft store.

This is the only new store the value home and clothing retailer is planning to open this year, and it replaces the nearby Broadway Maidstone shop.

The family retailer opened the new location on Saturday, offering everything from womenswear, kidswear and menswear to homeware items like home furnishings and decor.

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“Matalan is a perfect fit for us in Maidstone, enhancing the everyday needs-based clothing and homeware offer at the centre, as well as the staple, dependable family offer that’s key for our local community,” said Gareth Holland, leasing executive at Capital & Regional, which owns the centre.

“It’s been a tremendous team effort to open this new store in the current retail climate, an effort that speaks to the incredible professionalism and resolve of both project teams.”

Antony Darbyshire, property director at Matalan added: “We’re delighted with our major new Maidstone store, and impressed that we’ve been able to open on time – it’s been a great team effort across the board. Relocating from our old store to The Mall Maidstone has enabled us to boost our local presence by ensuring our store is well located as possible in central Maidstone and as accessible to shoppers as possible, and represents the high standards expected by the local community.”

The business had a tough first quarter, with revenues plunging by more than 70% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This pushed the company into a first quarter loss of £53.8 million, compared to profit of £1 million in the same period in 2019.

Matalan, which has 230 stores in the UK and 30 international franchise stores in Europe and the Middle East, has also recently announced an executive reshuffle. CEO Jason Hargreaves is leaving his role and will continue to advise the board in a new capacity, while chairman Steve Johnson has been given executive powers to oversee the management of the business alongside chief commercial officer James Brown.