80 jobs created as part of retailers’ deals

JD SPORTS is creating 80 jobs as it prepares to open the doors on its new concept store at intu Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

The retailer has refurbished and expanded its store and it will be the largest JD store in the West Midlands.

The 17,000 sq ft store will re-open on December 9.

Elsewhere, a series of deals with retailers has resulted in Solihull’s Parkgate shopping development being fully let.

The recent deals included 10,000 sq ft to discount retailer B&M, and other units to Coffee One and Barnardo’s. The final unit was let to an independent barber.

The 195,000 sq ft scheme in Stratford Road, Shirley, includes an Asda superstore and 500-space car park.

Chris Gaskell, retail agency partner at chartered surveyors Johnson Fellows, said: “We have a great track record of working alongside Asda and attracting retail occupiers to sites where they are the anchor tenant.

“It’s great to see that Parkgate is thriving and is able to attract national retailers as well as small independent operators, providing shoppers with an exciting mix of stores and facilities.”