TJ Hughes returning to city

FISHERGATE Shopping Centre owner Benson Elliot has secured the return of popular department store TJ Hughes to Preston, with the creation of more than 80 new jobs.
 
The discount department store group is returning to its original 33,000sq ft premises over two floors at the centre on a 10-year lease after an absence of five years.
 
The retailer has prioritised Preston as one of its most successful locations and will open its doors to shoppers mid-October after an extensive refurbishment.
 
The move is the latest stage in TJ Hughes managing director Anil Juneja’s plan to rebuild the group as a national chain, a commitment he made after it was bought by Lewis’s Home Retail in August 2011.
 
Peter Cornforth, director of retail at Benson Elliot, said: “It is great to welcome TJ Hughes back to the Fishergate Shopping Centre along with the jobs that it is creating on its return.
 
“The return of TJ Hughes is a sign of the confidence the retailer has both in the Fishergate Centre and in Preston city centre as a shopping destination.”
 
The Fishergate Shopping Centre is home to blue chip retail brands Debenham’s, TK Maxx and Primark.
 
UK-based private equity real estate fund manager Benson Elliot, which was founded in 2005, has invested heavily in retail centres in towns and cities across the country.
 
TJ Hughes managing director Anil Juneja said: “I’m delighted to announce that TJ Hughes is returning to Preston and to its original premises. It’s fantastic news for the town and local economy. We’re really looking forward to seeing people back in the store.”
 
The Preston outlet will be the 19th TJ Hughes store to be reopened by Lewis’s Home Retail. The company currently employs around 2,000 workers.
 
Other branches can be found at Eastbourne, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, Widnes, Birkenhead, Bootle, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Coventry, Stretford, Oldham, Walsall, Bury, St Helens and Cannock. Its flagship store is in London Road, Liverpool.