A national retailer selling toys, books, games, and stationery will open its doors to customers today (October 27) – and is giving people the chance to get some free goodies along the way.

Discount retailer The Works has confirmed the doors to its new store at Teesside Park, in the former Footasylum, will open at 9am and staff will be on hand to greet any customers who come for the official opening.

Stretching 2,600 sq ft, the new store will stock the brands and items the discount chain is well known for including Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and books by authors including Richard Osman.

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The Works has more than 500 stores across the UK and Ireland, with the the Teesside Park store becoming the seventh across the North East with branches already in Stockton, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Coulby Newham, Redcar, and Hartlepool.

"We are delighted to be opening a brand-new store at Teesside Park tomorrow. As the largest shopping park in the North East with 600,000 sq ft of retail and leisure floorspace and over 1,600 free parking spaces, Teesside Park is a first class location that we have had our eyes on for some time. The new store will occupy the former Footasylum unit and is spread across 2,600 sq ft which will provide a fantastic trading space for our customers," said a spokesman for The Works.

“At The Works, we aim to inspire reading, learning, creativity and play and our stores play a very important part in this. Customers visiting our Teesside Park store will be able to shop the products they love including Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and brand-new books by authors such as Richard Osman. We look forward to welcoming new customers from Stockton and the surrounding areas!”

In August 2021, Teesside Park owner British Land announced the closure of the Footasylum store.

The past few years have seen several changes at the Thornaby retail park between Middlesbrough and Stockton.

Canadian fast food chain Tim Hortons opened a new restaurant, a Poundland store also opened in the former Outfit fashion unit and Primark is set to open a shop in the former Mothercare store.

Teesside is also getting its first branch of US lingerie and loungewear chain Victoria's Secret when a 'store within a store' is due to open within the Next store there shortly.

Catherine Furlong, centre director at Teesside Park, said: "We have a lot of incredibly exciting plans in the pipeline at Teesside Park and we’re very much delighted to be able to announce the next phase of those with the opening of The Works.

“We know it’s a very popular brand that will offer our shoppers good variety and something a little different, from books and crafting activities to toys and stationery – all at a great price. It’s brilliant to have another fantastic store to add to our range of brands, particularly as we approach the busy run up to Christmas.”

As part of the shop opening, The Works has already pledged that the first 50 kids to go through the door of the shop this morning will get a free Dex the Dinosaur. 

What better incentive do you need to pop along?

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