INDEPENDENT retailer The Bottom Drawer in Portadown has bagged a 35 per cent extension to its selling space, making way for a growing product range after a strong rise in walk-in and online sales.
Located at Magowan West shopping centre in the town, it has been reconfigured with a new layout to provide an extra 600 sq ft of trading space to accommodate a new baby and children’s department.
Founded by sisters Frances and Rhonda Jardine in 2007, The Bottom Drawer provides gifts, ladies and kids fashion, home accessories and furniture, and is supported by a social media following of more than 45,000.
“We’re thrilled beyond measure with our new extension,” Frances said.
“Our new baby and kids’ department is everything we hoped it would be – light, bright and airy, somewhere that allows us to display our collection of quality children's gifts and fashion to their best.”
She said the additional new space had also created an improved flow to the existing premises, enhancing displays and improving the customer experience and driving repeat visits and sales growth.
Popular for big brand names like Boots, Benneton and DV8, the agents behind Magowan West, welcomed the latest retail expansion.
Paul Wilson, retail director at Savills, said: “Portadown remains a vibrant and bustling centre for retail and hospitality, and we are currently experiencing positive levels of interest in this scheme, which shows the town is attracting retail investors back after a challenging 18-month period.”
Earlier this year Magowan West saw The Post Office open a new 1,500 sq ft retail outlet and in December it welcomed the new Artisan Italian Restaurant (AIR) as part of an investment by Adam and Claire Carroll.
