New Levi’s store to create 15 jobs at The Boulevard

AMERICAN clothing group Levi’s, known worldwide for its brand of denim jeans, will open a new store at Banbridge shopping centre The Boulevard next month.

A total of 15 full and part-time jobs will be created in the new 2,600 sq ft unit, set to open during October.

The US jeans specialist is the seventh business to announce a move to the Co Down retail centre in 2019.

Radley, Suit Direct, Samsonite and Jack and Jones Junior are among the brands to open new stores at The Boulevard in recent months.

The shopping centre’s retail director Chris Nelmes said: “We are thrilled to see another global retailer joining us at The Boulevard and expanding our fashion offering.

“The arrival of Levi’s will complement our existing clothing brand portfolio and will enhance our fashion credentials.”

Richard Hurren, VP for North Europe at Levi’s, added: “We are looking forward to bringing Levi’s to The Boulevard and believe we have found the ideal home for our new store.

“We were attracted to the site due to its location and proximity to both Northern Irish shoppers and those from the Republic and we can’t wait to open our doors to the people of Banbridge and beyond.”

The Co Down retail park was acquired by Banbridge property group Lotus and real-estate management firm Tristan Capital Partners in 2016.

The £40m deal included Antrim’s Junction One shopping centre, which was later rebranded as The Junction.

The new owners also moved to rebrand the Banbridge retail park from The Outlet to The Boulevard, announcing a £4m investment programme in 2017.

According to the Lotus Group, the Co Down shopping complex has enjoyed a 15% rise in footfall for the year-to-date, with a 24% rise in sales over the same period.