Look what's Next for the high street!

Wednesday 14 January 2015

Retail giant Next is planning on opening one of its biggest stores on King Street.

The company will be moving from its existing site on Queen Street if De Gruchy gets the green light from Planning for a £15 million makeover - the most significant investment in Jersey's high street for decades.

Next plans to up-size to create 37,000 square feet of retail space and once open in the spring of 2017 plans to sell its range of furniture on the Island for the first time.

A Next Spokesperson said: “This is a fantastic building for us to move into. Larger spaces like this are hard to find in the area and this will lead to a wider variety of products coming to St Helier and Jersey. The extra space will also lead to new jobs, however its too early to say exactly how many.”

Last week De Gruchy announced bold plans to revamp the site, creating a state-of-the-art shopping experience and more than doubling its retail offering. De Gruchy Managing Director Neville Moore said it was an exciting time for the store that was founded in 1810 and today employs more than 200 people.

Town Centre Manager Daphne East said: "It is excellent news to see this kind of investment in our retail area. When the rest of the UK is still seeing a decline in investment and this kind of project on the high street, it is heartening to know that Jersey, and St Helier in particular, can still attract development on this scale. It is also exciting to see a company that has traded on our high street for the last 200 years making this kind of commitment to the future of retail in Jersey."

Once Next moves into De Gruchy, it will shut up shop on Queen Street.