The Bradley Stoke Journal

Optical retailer Specsavers today becomes the latest outlet to open for trading at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre.

The opticians group was first revealed as a new tenant in July and workers moved in to fit out the unit last month.

The new store, in mall unit 4 (to the left of the Carphone Warehouse shop), will be open from 9am – 7pm Monday – Friday, 9.30pm – 6pm on Saturdays and from 10am – 4pm on Sundays.

The company says that seven jobs have been created at the new store.

The Specsavers group, which now has over 1,400 stores worldwide, was founded in Bristol 25 years ago by Doug and Same Mary Perkins.

Dame Mary, who was born in Bristol, says:

“I’m delighted that 25 years on from our first Specsavers in Bristol we are now opening our ninth store in the city. The Bristol area has always proved a successful trading environment for us and we are incredible grateful to our loyal customers. This is a great way of giving something back by providing a more convenient service to Bradley Stoke residents, and we are also delighted to be creating new jobs in the community.”

Visitors to the new Bradley Stoke outlet will be able to browse through more than 1,200 pairs of specs on display in store. It boasts three testing rooms, the latest pre-testing equipment and a fundus camera. The nine-strong team is lead by store directors Vivek Lakhanpaul and Edward Stanleigh who together have a total of more than 22 years’ optical experience.

Mr Stanleigh has managed the Chippenham branch of Specsavers for the last four years, while Mr Lakhanpaul has worked as an optometrist at various Specsavers outlets, including the Bracknell store.

Appointments at the new store may be made on 01454 275020.

The opening of the new store coincides with Guide Dog Week, run by Specsavers’ charity partner Guide Dogs. To celebrate, the store will be paid a visit by Zara, a four-month-old black Labrador puppy and her handler, Joan Bowering, on Wednesday 7th October.

Throughout the week, staff at the store will be carrying out specs MOTs in return for a donation and all the money raised will go to Guide Dogs.

There will also be a party day held at the store on Saturday 10th October when the Specsavers Quadruped – a stilt walker on four legs – will be on hand to entertain customers and goodie bags will be given out by staff.

Related link:

• Opticians in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)

Specsavers’ new store at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre is set to open on Monday 5th October, according to Centre Manager Scott Lahive.

The opticians group, revealed as a new tenant in July, plans to open in mall unit 4 (to the left of the Carphone Warehouse outlet) on Monday 5th October.

Shopfitters have been working on the inside of the store for the last few weeks and “opening soon” artwork has now appeared on the unit’s frontage.

When open, the new outlet will operate in direct competition with the Tesco Opticians department within the Tesco Extra store that it faces, which has been trading since the Willow Brook Centre opened last year.

Property consultants Alder King have disclosed that Specsavers have taken a ten year lease on the unit, which extends to approximately 1,750 sq ft.

The consultants also say that Pets at Home, also confirmed as new tenants in July,  will “begin the fit out of their new unit shortly”. The pet superstore will operate from unit 5 of the retail terrace, where Brantano is currently the only other trader.

Bradley Stoke’s first-ever cycle shop is to open on Saturday (15th August) at the Willow Brook Centre.

The Giant Cycles store is a franchise of the Taiwanese company ‘Giant‘, which claims to be the largest manufacturer of bikes in the world.

The store will be operated by ZeroG Cycles of Bedminster, who have three other outlets in the Bristol area.

Doors open at 9am and there will be a draw for a Giant bike worth £500 plus opening offers and “special goings on”.

Elsewhere in the Willow Brook Centre, budget greetings card retailer Card Factory has commenced trading in unit 6b of the mall.

Two more tenants are expected to open in the coming months – Specsavers in mall unit 4 and Pets at Home in retail terrace unit 5.

Three further stores could open next month (August) at the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke’s new town centre shopping development.

The town’s first cycle shop, branded “Giant Cycles“, is set to open on Wednesday 15th August according to a source within the owning company, ZeroG.

The sizeable store, on the corner of the main mall building at the Bradley Stoke Way end of the development, was reconfigured several months ago to have additional external entrances.

In answer to reader comments made on an earlier Journal story, the company has confirmed that it will be offering a cycle repair service at the new outlet.

Elsewhere in the mall, fitting out of the new Card Factory store is well advanced. Willow Brook Centre Manager Scott Lahive says the firm is yet to confirm an opening date but it is expected to be “mid to end August”.

Fitting out of the new Specsavers store has also started and the company has already advertised for staff, including Optical Assistants and a Trainee Dispensing Optician.

Over in the new Retail Terrace, the Brantano shoe store opened for business on Wednesday 22nd July, one day later than planned due to an “overstocking issue” the previous day.

Animal superstore Pets at Home, now officially confirmed as a Willow Brook tenant after being revealed months earlier in The Journal, will occupy the remaining “under offer” unit (number 5) in the Retail Terrace. The company recently submitted a planning application for signage at the new store but fitting out is yet to commence.

Opticians group Specsavers looks set to take the final remaining “under offer” unit at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook shopping centre.

The company has recently started advertising for staff, saying it will “shortly be opening a busy, friendly store in Bradley Stoke”.

Card Factory, Brantano (shoes), ZeroG (cycles) and Pets at Home are the other companies that are expected to open in the next few months.