New retail line-up for Hammerson’s Reading scheme
Hammerson has signed Next and River Island to debut at The Oracle, Reading, relocating from their historic positions in the town’s Broad Street. As well as welcoming these new stores, Debenhams will undergo a full store refresh, the first phase of which has already completed, introducing two exciting new dining concepts, Franco Manca and The Real Greek to The Riverside.
Next has chosen to increase its footprint in Reading, upsizing from Broad Street into a new 29,500-sq ft store in The Oracle. Becoming one of the centre’s predominant retailers, the extra space will allow the brand to showcase a much improved offer of fashion, home and accessories.
Similarly, River Island is also relocating into The Oracle. Located on Upper Mall, its new 11,500-sq ft unit will become an important flagship for the brand. The additional space allows River Island to implement its impressive and innovative fit-out and concepts, which have proved popular with customers across the UK.
To ensure that The Oracle continues to attract the most exciting London-standard retailers and restaurants, Hammerson has undertaken a substantial investment programme to upgrade the centre that is now in its final phase. Central to the project has been asset management initiatives that supported a collaborative working approach with Next, River Island and Debenhams to curate the optimal trading platforms for them, as well as aesthetic improvements including the creation of full height stores on Upper and Lower Malls and a full refurbishment of Holy Brook Mall and The Riverside.
Iain Mitchell, Hammerson’s UK commercial director, said: “The transformation we have been able to deliver at The Oracle is testament to our dedicated asset management and leasing strategy which continues to create the most compelling retail, leisure and dining mix for our shoppers.”
