Schuh Kids signs up for Merry Hill store, Vanilla opens at mall

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Apr 13, 2023

Affordable footwear retailer is to launch Schuh Kids at the Sovereign Centros-operated Merry Hill West Midlands mall this summer.

The 4,000 sq ft space expands on the existing Schuh Merry Hill offer, with the kids’ store taking the unit adjacent to its parent brand.

The new space will feature the retailer’s full range of kids’ shoes, trainers, and boots, including Nike, Converse, Vans and Puma, as well as specialist kids’ footwear suppliers such as Lelli Kelly.

Ads

Neil Partington, Retail Director at Schuh, said the new unit “provides a seamless shopping experience to our customers in the West Midlands. Meeting the growing demand from kids in the region. Adapting to changes in the market, the store will move away from traditional gendered categorisation and present each collection by brand, as part of our new 2020 store design concept.”

Alistair Winning, Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros, added: “The signing is testament to our efforts to create long-lasting and successful partnerships with leading retailers. We strive to respond to consumer demand wherever possible, and expanding the offer of existing tenants that our customers love is evidence of this.”

Schuh isn’t the only newcomer to Merry Hill, with trend-led womenswear brand Vanilla having recently opened, with a 4,500 sq ft space in the destination. The store has opened on the Upper Mall opposite Boots, showcasing its Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla collections, “championing affordable, high-quality clothing”.  

Michelle Burns, Head of Retail Stores at Vanilla, said: “Merry Hill is a key West Midlands retail and leisure destination, so we are hugely excited to have opened the doors and to be welcoming in a new customer catchment for Vanilla.”

The opening of Vanilla follows the recent announcement that community-focused concept, Nike Unite, will launch a 10,165 sq ft space on Merry Hill’s lower level later this year.