Store ready for fitting out in time for spring launch
23 Jul 2007
DEBENHAMS will today take over the multi-million pound building that will form the second biggest anchor store in Grosvenors 1 billion pound city centre development in Liverpool.
Contractors have now completed construction of the store at the corner of Lord Street and South John Street, and Debenhams will now start a massive fitting-out exercise to prepare the building for its grand opening next spring.
It will be the store group’s first- ever presence in the city.
Fitting-out work at the largest store, John Lewis, at the other end of the street is already well under way.
Early this afternoon, store manager Kevin O’Donovan and Grosvenor’s technical director Bill Allen will raise a toast to the latest landmark in the creation of Liverpool 1, the name given to the Paradise Street scheme.
Mr O’Donovan will start the task of recruiting his store management team around October, with the rest of the staff recruited from January.
Debenhams say 550 staff will work in their new Liverpool store, half of them on a full-time basis.
The store will have four trading floors, and 130,000sq ft will be used as shop-floor space.
The remaining 55,000 will be used as offices and storerooms.
A spokeswoman for Debenhams said last night: “Our Liverpool store will have our full department offer, including the newly-launched Ted Baker children’s wear and a premier cosmetics hall.
“It will also offer a full personal shopping service, wedding and special occasion gift service and collect-by-car facilities. There will also be a restaurant.”
Mr O’Donovan said: “Our new Liverpool store will help transform Liverpool city centre into a first-class destination for shopping when it opens next year.”
He has worked for the Debenhams group for a number of years and has moved to Liverpool after opening several Debenhams franchise stores in Germany.
Before that he was at the company’s White Rose store in Leeds.
He originally joined Debenhams after working for the Next store chain’s parent group.
Meanwhile, Joanne Jennings, Grosvenor’s newly-appointed chief executive for Liverpool 1, has been presented with a special award from Shopping Centre Ireland, for the contribution she has made to the regeneration of Belfast. Ms Jennings was presented with the award at a ceremony in London in recognition of her work to help the renaissance of Belfast city centre.
She played a pivotal role as chief executive of the Belfast City Centre Management Company.
It was a job she held until being appointed to the new role in Liverpool.
The surprise accolade, presented at a glittering celebratory dinner at the Dorchester Hotel, was part of the Sceptre Awards, regarded as the major honours for the UK’s shopping centre industry.
The judge’s citation praised her for being at the forefront of promoting business improvement districts in Northern Ireland.
Her new task will be to drive the image of Liverpool 1, making it a ‘best in class’ as a shopping and leisure destination.
By Larry Neild, Daily Post
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