NORTH East independent furniture retailer, Barker and Stonehouse, has been given the green light to build a new store in Gateshead on the former Snow + Rock site at the Metro Centre Retail Park.

The new store will double the size of its existing Gateshead base with nearly 50,000 sq ft of retail space across three floors and will also create 20 new jobs.

Read more: £4m growth target means Burnopfield engineer ESL needs staff

Managing director James Barker said: “We always want to provide something different for our customers, an approach which has proved successful over our 75-year history.

“Not only with a diverse product range but also by ensuring our stores far surpass the design expectations of any out-of-town retail outlet.

“This new location is ideal.

"It’s at the heart of an already bustling retail community and we’re excited to grow our offer here.

“Our roots are very much in the North East, with my grandfather having started the business in 1946 in Stockton-on-Tees.

"It’s great to be strengthening our presence by further investing in the region.”

The new Gateshead store, which is set to open in late 2022, will boast dramatic architecture, imaginative room sets, and visual displays fashioned from a dazzling array of Barker and Stonehouse’s beautifully designed furniture and accessories.

This latest investment comes after a further £1m investment in new technologies earlier this year, that will improve interactive customer experiences both in-store and online.

The Northern Echo:

In addition, visitors will also be able to relax in a mezzanine-level bistro run by talented North East chef Daryl Chadwick.

This will showcase Daryl’s distinctive Mediterranean menus and offer a fantastic range of options for breakfast and lunch.

As the first UK furniture retailer of scale to achieve Carbon Neutral Plus status earlier this year, Barker and Stonehouse is mindful of its impact on the environment and its Gateshead store will boast energy-saving lighting, a solar panelled roof and thermal insulation.

The store will also be built using more timber frames as opposed to steel which is not only environmentally friendly but also energy saving.

The site will also include electric vehicle charging points.

James Barker added: “We have twice as many stores as we did ten years ago but still use the same amount of power.

"This is the direct result of our carbon-reducing initiatives.

“To become the company that we would like to become, there is still a distance to go, but we are making good and consistent progress.”

 

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054.