Town centre boost with new store to open
FURTHER positive signs for Accrington town centre are indicated by the arrival of a major fashion retailer at a vacant unit, it’s been claimed.
Select Fashion, which sells women’s clothing, shoes and accessories, will take over the former Store Twenty One unit at the Arndale Centre.
It comes after plans were unveiled last week to turn the ‘ landmark’ former Yorkshire Bank, on Blackburn Road, into a bar and grill.
Select Fashion has 190 stores nationwide including branches in Blackburn, Nelson, Burnley and Bolton and is aimed at women aged 18 to 35.
Up to eight jobs will be created and bosses say they have already been inundated with enquiries about the vacancies.
Anna Slark, store manager of Select Fashion in Blackburn, said they are ‘excited’ about opening their first ever store in Accrington and ‘want to bring something new to the town’. She said: “We are looking at hopefully in about three or four weeks time.
“It’s only just been finalised that we are going into the unit.
“They need to fit the store and everything and get recruited.
“Our inbox hasn’t stopped. It’s mainly enquiring about the jobs we have.
“The company is very excited to open a new store where they haven’t had one before.”
Store Twenty One closed in July after going into liquidation.
The value clothing retailer had been in the town centre for several years and the unit was previously occupied by The Best of Oswaldtwistle Mills and Woolworths.
Shahed Mahmood, president of Hyndburn Chamber of Trade, said the arrival of Select Fashion shows the positive progress the town centre is making.
He said: “It’s good timing. The signs are there that businesses are slowly relocating and Accrington now seems to be a good choice for investment. We are trying to encourage people into the town with the incentives that are available like revaluation of business rates, the new town square. These attractions are making investors sit up and listen and think ‘lets have a go’.
“With Christmas coming around the corner it’s a good time to get yourself on the map.
“We welcome it and I just hope that everybody uses the store.
“It is something different but it’s giving customers the choice and attracting them to Accrington which is what we want.”
For job enquiries message ‘Select Fashion - Blackburn Morrisons’ on Facebook.