FOLLOWING its multi-million pound refurbishment last year, Queen Street has let a 3,000 sq ft unit to jeweller F Hinds Ltd - the company's first store in the North-East.
The unit, in Darlington, is on the opposite side of the Northgate entrance to Bakers Oven with both street and mall frontage. The complete unit comprises 1,200 sq ft ground floor retail space and some additional 1,800 sq ft on the first and second floors.
Shopfitting will start in the next few weeks, with the new store due to open in September. The Zone A rental achieved is approaching £85 per sq ft.
Neil Hinds, director of F Hinds Ltd, said: "When we decided to expand into the North-East we were looking for the right unit at the right price and Queen Street in Darlington was immediately available.
"Queen Street is the ideal location within the town centre for us - the Northgate frontage, facing the Cornmill, is of special benefit in getting our name established within Darlington as whichever shopping centre customers are going to they will see the name F Hinds."
Established in 1856, F Hinds is the largest family jewellers in the country with over a hundred shops predominantly located in the South and Midlands.
Neil Hinds is a great, great grandson of the founder, George Henry Hinds.
The four nearest F Hinds branches are in Yorkshire, and the company is looking to expand further within the North-East.
F Hinds serves the middle range of the jewellery market offering wedding, engagement and dress rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, clocks and other gifts and collectables including Swarovski fine silver crystal.
"We are delighted to welcome F Hinds into Queen Street as it will complement the other retailers within the centre, offering Darlington shoppers even more choice than ever before," says Paul Jackson, Centre Manager.
"Immediately after the Arcadia Group indicated its intention to close Richard Shops in Queen Street, interest was expressed in the unit by a number of retailers and we are delighted to provide F Hinds with its first store in the North-East.
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