Jack Wills is preparing to open in the former Croydons store, work on the Primark extension is nearing completion and the transformation of the Buttermarket Shopping Centre is now in its final stage.
The face of Ipswich is rapidly changing with work going on in all four corners of the town centre.
After months of speculation, Jack Wills is set to open its doors in mid-June. There is much anticipation about the store opening, with the hope the brand may attract other big names to the town.
Meanwhile, work on the Primark store at the opposite end of the high street is continuing. The store moved into the neighbouring unit vacated by Gap earlier this year and now the frontage of the original store is being remodelled.
The Sailmakers last year underwent a major refurbishment, bringing Pandora to the town and offering a larger unit to River Island.
Now it is the turn of the Buttermarket. Work on the rear, lower section of the centre was completed before Christmas and the food court has been remodelled over recent months.
The atrium is now coming down to open up the front of the centre and make way for a continental-style dining plaza.
Sadly, not all of the changes taking place are positive.
Just opposite here is BHS which is currently running a store-wide 20% sale and is slapped with signs encouraging shoppers to ‘Save British Home Stores’.
The store’s future was left hanging in the balance after the chain went into administration back in April.Should the chain fail, it would leave a huge crater in the town centre at a time when Ipswich is beginning to look up.
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