Sofa Brands Factory Outlet has signed a five-year lease to stay in its home in the centre of Chippenham after a highly successful first six months in the location. The store attracts customers from all over the south and south-west of England, providing an important boost to the town centre.
The Factory Outlet is located at 55 New Road, just south of the railway viaduct, and offers brands such as G Plan, Duresta and the Lounge Co at major discounts.
‘We’re delighted that our initial six months of trading exceeded expectations, in what is a very challenging market for sofas and furniture at the moment,’ said Craig Lyus, Group Marketing Director at Sofa Brands International. ‘The fact that we’re able to offer our major brands like G Plan and Parker Knoll at a fraction of the RRP has clearly struck a chord in the current economic climate.’
He continued: ‘The pull of these brands means a good proportion of our customers are travelling to us from all over the south of the country to make a huge saving. Given the distance they travel they tend to make a day of it in Chippenham, which has also benefitted a lot of our neighbouring businesses – particularly Coffee on the Corner over the road! Word of mouth continues to grow around Wiltshire and we anticipate strong growth as we move into 2025.’
Sofa Brands’ decision to stay on in the new location was welcomed by Coffee On the Corner’s owner, Mark Williams. ‘The Sofa Brands Factory Outlet are very good neighbours to us,’ he said. ‘We have certainly served many of their visitors, and on more than one occasion we’ve recommended that our customers look for a bargain at Sofa Brands. We’re really pleased that they’re staying – this area of town is definitely on the up. Lots of people pass by and there’s real buzz here.’
The centre of Chippenham has seen several new openings as the town has emerged from the impact of the pandemic restrictions, including Tesco and Starbucks. In New Road itself, several new outlets have opened in the past 12 to 18 months, attracted by its strategic location just north of the main centre and close to the railway station.
Bath property company HPH, which owns and manages 55 New Road, was pleased to secure Sofa Brands’ continued presence in the unit. ‘This is exciting news,’ said Lindsay Holdoway, HPH’s Managing Director. ‘Not only has a prestigious retail brand chosen Chippenham, but it has experienced a better return on its investment than anticipated. This demonstrates that the town itself, as well as the area around it, is an important market for quality brands. People are very happy to travel to Chippenham for key purchases.’
