First tenant set to open at Mercia Marina’s landmark £3m Piazza development
An entrepreneur is set to bring a Scandi influence to Derbyshire when he expands his retail empire by opening a fourth store at Mercia Marina – the first to open in the new landmark £3m Piazza development.
Building work has now been completed on the Piazza, which will become pharmaceutical firm Bionical’s global HQ and will also be home to an Indian-style tapas restaurant, William Wheelwright Hair Salon, Bluebird Gallery, home accessory store Black by Design and lifestyle store Twigg Home.
Twigg Home will open on Friday, and is owned by Steve Robinson, who employs 40 staff in his shops in Iron Gate in Derby, Burton, Barton Marina, Belper, Ashby de la Zouch and three stores on the Boardwalk at Mercia Marina in Willington.
His existing shops focus mainly on fashion and accessories but his new venture in the Piazza will be a lifestyle store selling homeware and clothes. Currently his shops at the marina include White Finn, Molly & Co and Blue Water.
He said: “We will be focusing on fashion and homeware that has Scandi influences but also brands that carry an ethical theme.
“We have spent time travelling and studying the brands and products that you’ll see in Twigg Home, these range from soft furnishings, cushions, throws, candles or Japanese aromas. Twigg was built around the comfort we find in the outdoors and home so it felt important for us to sell air plants which don’t need soil to grow and give even the smallest spaces the feeling of outdoors. We are also stocking a organic skincare range with incredible scents from Sweden, jewellery will also be available again with a focus on Scandinavian simplicity.
“The design of the store was the most important feature for me as having a background in graphic design meant I was keen to display all the brands and roots of Twigg Home. We used reclaimed materials and rustic features along with bright bold colours and simple shelving to create Twigg Home’s unique look.
“I have a massive love of the ocean and for British wildlife, combining this with the Scandi look is what makes Twigg Home unique and I suppose it’s just about educating people as to what it’s all about.
“I am confident that this store will be a success here. There is an incredible amount of footfall all year round the Piazza building is fantastic. It’s a great destination there really is nowhere else like it.”
Robert Neff, general manager of Mercia Marina, said: “The Piazza is a landmark building in the heart of South Derbyshire that not only looks spectacular but also fits in perfectly within the natural environment of the marina. We are delighted that Steve has chosen to open his fourth store here and we are sure that Twigg Home will be a great addition to the selection of shops that we already have, giving visitors to the marina even more choice.”
Derby-based Davlyn Construction was the principal contractor for the Piazza build, designed by bi Design Architecture.
