SHOPPERS have been left stunned as a fashion giant is finally set to take over a vacant BHS store that sat gathering dust for eight years.
A sprawling 25,000 sq ft Sports Direct will open its doors in late summer at the centre of Ipswich.
The building in Buttermarket has sat empty since 2016 after the collapse of BHS, which saw the loss of 11,000 jobs nationwide.
Terry Baxter, chairman of the business group Ipswich Central, welcomed the news as “a really important part of the town centre’s regeneration”.
He told BBC that he hopes the move will act as a catalyst for more businesses to move into the town centre.
Along with Sports Direct, a Frasers Group spokesperson announced that other brands including USC, Evans Cycles and GAME will join the store.
“We are pleased to be opening a new 25,000 sq. ft Sports Direct store, located in Ipswich’s Butter Market.
“The store will provide customers with access to the world’s best sports and lifestyle brands.”
They added: “The store will open late Summer.”
Sports Direct already has a store on Carr Street in Ipswich town centre which will shut down after its larger location in Buttermarket opens.
It also has a store east of the town in Ransomes Europark.
The news was met with mixed reactions from local residents who had long been waiting to see what would happen to the vacant spot.
A local responded to the announcement on Facebook, saying: “Great news.”
Another wrote: “Good move to there … I can see that will packing with people than carr street … more safely and easy to navigate around and more comfortable…..”
“About time!” a third chimed in.
However, other comments suggested an ongoing frustration with how the high street was managed.
“Believe it when I see it”, one resident wrote.
Another said: “All they are doing is moving. What will go into the shop space they leave behind.”
It comes as major retailer Mountain Warehouse – which has 250 UK branches – announced it would be closing one of its stores.
But it’s not all bad news for the chain as it has opened 11 new stores since last year.
Meanwhile, it is closing time for a much-loved bike store that has the “best service ever”.
Evans Cycles, owned by the Frasers Group, is pulling down the shutters on its Fitzrovia shop in west London in late Spring.