An independent flooring retailer, which was previously an online-only company, has invested £100,000 on a huge new store in Bristol.
Flooring Superstore has opened its first outlet in the city at Imperial Retail Park off Hartcliffe Way.
The 5,500 square foot Bristol store will sell carpets, flooring, including laminate and vinyl tiles, and the UK’s largest selection of artificial grass.
It is the 14th Flooring Superstore to open in the UK in two years, after the family-run company behind the brand, Connection Retail, decided to have physical stores as well as operating online.
Bristol Flooring Superstore manager Nathan Pritchard said: “We’re delighted to be opening our first store in Bristol and our 14th in the UK.
“The city has always been a strategic area for us as we look to expand further in the South West and increase our presence along the M4 corridor.
“And as an independent, family-run company, we’re looking forward to making our own contribution to supporting the local retail economy in the city.”
The store has opened just weeks after the opening of another similar-sized store in Milton Keynes.
It follows the news that nearly one in 10 shops in the South West is now empty, according to a report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard.
The vacancy rate in the region was 9.8 per cent in July - only slightly lower than the national average of 10.3 per cent - while footfall is down 2.9 per cent year on year. Nationally, the vacancy rate is the worst for four years.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, says retailers have faced a “challenging environment”, with “sluggish sales” and declining footfall adding to the problem.
