Plans advance for H&M opening at Northampton shopping centre with latest planning decision

Progress has been made for H&M to open a new store at the Grosvenor Centre, with plans approved for new signage and an updated entrance.

The recently approved plans involve the removal of the existing external glazed canopies at the Grosvenor Centre facing Market Square, replacing the former New Look store’s access doors, and installing new illuminated external signage and updated exterior lighting for H&M.

The H&M store is moving into the former New Look store at the Grosvenor Centre, which has been empty since the well-known fashion brand vacated in February 2023.

In June, H&M confirmed it is set to relocate from its longstanding Abington Street location, where the store has been a fixture since around 1999.

A spokeswoman for H&M previously said: “H&M is relocating to The Grosvenor Centre and plans to open in Spring 2025. The Abington Street store will close less than a week before the opening of the new store, expected to be in April 2025. We are moving to a much better pitch with greater prominence, facing out onto the Market Square which is due to be newly redeveloped this Autumn.”

The Market Square, which has undergone a £12 million redevelopment over the past 18 months, is set to partially open on September 20.

The whole area around the Grosvenor Centre is set to be transformed in the coming years. As well as the Market Square redevelopment, STACK Leisure Centre has plans to move into the former Market Walk shopping centre, and Abington Street and Fish Street are currently being refurbished as part of a £5million project.

Mark Mullen, operations manager at Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), said: “The addition of an exciting new H&M store is excellent news for Grosvenor Shopping Northampton- with the centre continuing to go from strength to strength.

“The decision to launch this store here in Northampton is a massive show of confidence in our town from a major national retailer, following on from the significant investment in other units in the centre we have also seen from the likes of Bewiched Coffee and Michael Jones Jeweller.

“We look forward to seeing the new store opening soon and we are confident it will bring thousands of shoppers into the town, boosting footfall and resulting in extra business for other retailers.”

Initially, it was believed that the new store might be an H&M Home concept, but H&M has since confirmed it will be a standard H&M shop.

The move is a significant development for the Grosvenor Centre, which was purchased by Evolve Estates for an undisclosed fee in January 2023.

FMX Urban Property Advisers, the estate agents managing the centre, reported that the shopping centre is "thriving," with several recent lettings and new tenants moving in.

However, this move is another setback for Abington Street, which has already seen a series of high-profile departures over the years, including Ann Summers, Tesco Metro, M&S, BHS, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Moss Bros, and Sharps Bedrooms.

In other news regarding the Grosvenor Centre, Next recently announced it has closed its store there.