B&M and Superdrug have been confirmed as the final retailers heading to Newport’s new St George’s Retail Park, but uncertainty now surrounds the future of both brands’ existing High Street stores.
It can be revealed that the unit now destined for Superdrug had originally been earmarked for Hobbycraft, suggesting hopes of bringing the arts and crafts retailer to the Isle of Wight for the first time have been quietly shelved.
Island Echo has already revealed that Aldi, Wren Kitchens, Costa Coffee and McDonald’s are all set to open at the former Newport IW FC ground off St George’s Way later this year.
It has now been confirmed that B&M – not Wickes – will occupy the remaining large retail unit, complete with an outdoor garden centre, while Superdrug is to take the final smaller unit, completing the line-up at the long-awaited development.
It remains unclear whether B&M intends to relocate from its existing High Street store in the former BHS building or continue operating 2 Isle of Wight branches. Likewise, there has been no indication whether Superdrug will retain its current Newport town centre store.
Should both retailers move out of the High Street, it would leave 2 more prominent retail units vacant and represent another setback for Newport town centre.
The revelation that Hobbycraft had originally been lined up for a unit at the retail park will come as a disappointment to many Islanders, with the national retailer having never had a presence on the Isle of Wight.
Construction is progressing at pace, but no opening date has yet been set – although shoppers should expect to be heading to St George’s by December.
Utter shite bloody costa packet McDonald awful,sad.
I would have liked to see a Greggs the bakers, much cheaper
and healthier than Maccy D’s
Two words I’d never expect to see associated with Greggs…
cheaper and healthier…
True when you compare it to McDonald’s
Keeping 2 stores open would be a money loser.
Oh yay, more shops for poor people
That’s not nice that rude you shouldn’t be rude
He is a Numpty who still ain’t changed his name.
there is only one Enough is Enough and that is I.
Just as well shut the High Street down as there will be nothing left of it soon.
That seems to be the plan,
So sad. Both Hobbycraft and Wickes would have made a welcome addition, instead we get more of the same cheap utter dross. Still half a step away from pawn shops on every corner and that (now gone) high interest never-never shop where Dottie Perks used to be.
When will planners etc realise that an area is marked by the type and number of retail outlets is has, and the populace behaves accordingly? If they’re constantly told ‘this is what you’re worth, have yet another Maccy D’s’…..
How about an artisan ground coffee blending shop? Or a world import cargo type shop (no, not cheap tat)? Maybe a perfumiers? Places where people could go and peruse, are not easily contested by online shopping and sell goods which have an uplifting ‘feel good’ factor and that people round here can afford.
But no…you don’t deserve a football club with sociable community events, here, have another tasteless burger while you buy cheap indigestion tablets, laxatives and hemorrhoid cream next door.
C’mon, there is no way a major retailer is going to keep two shops open in the same town. Looks like two more empty shops in the High Street then
Looks like MDs and Costa will be drive throughs. I’d suspect the town ones will therefore stay…at least until the impact is ascertained.
Unless run by Numpties, nothing would surprise me.
All of them fab can’t wait, glad they said no to hobby craft but why wren kitchens are going to be there myself personally think they have made a big mistake??
Makes one wonder if this will be the end of Newport
Town centre.
Will Superdrug, B&M, Costa and McDonald’s close when this
complex is complete!
What business in Labour Britain 2026 wants to pay
extra rents and extra wages etc.
Great – one trading estate I won’t be going to. Any idea how many empty shops there are in Newport High Street at the moment ?
Too many.
So all we have gained on the island ,as a new business, is a kitchen company!? Was it worth the effort?
And it is not everyday people are buying new kitchens.
They will be the first to close down.
And they are shit look online at some customer real life experiences ..
Sadly mucdonalds probably won’t close in town. They will be opening the drive through to catch those that are too fat already to walk into the shop in central Newport’s branch. The central store catches all those who cannot or would not go to the “out of town” shop.
Good point, and then they will live a life on benefits
because of self inflicted eating junk food pays a nice
monthly wage, not to mention cheaper energy bills and
I nearly forgot FREE RENT.
It’s a win win win
But not a problem we have a Government in power who
looks after the workers, not the shirkers
SOME HOW I DON’T THINK SO!
Maybe these new shops will install decent cameras / facial recognition
Looking Good I think old B&M will close from town centre when New one opens up in Retail park
It’s the only way to go, why pay unnesseccary wages
the majority of B&M staff in Newport spend more time
outside the store vaping and smoking than they do in the
actual store.
I DON’T BELIEVE THEY HAVE ANY MANAGEMENT IN THE STORE
UNLESS THEY ARE COWBOYS – YEE-HAW.
Looking good I think old B&M will close down when new one opens up in retail park
it would have been good to see Lidl, and Aldi, next-door to each other..
a proper battle of the budget supermarkets…
Then it would be easy to tell which really was the public’s favourite.
More of the same crap nobody wants, sigh. I guess I’ll have to keep shopping on ‘Shitazon’ since we’ve been given zero new choices—just the same old tat we already have. At least I won’t have to get stuck in that convoluted car park!
Next time a new retail park opens, can we actually get some new shops instead of just shuffling existing ones around? I’d much prefer to shop local than online, but we need better options.
Well what are the Council doing to encourage shops to stay in the High Street. NOTHING. Over the past 3 decades it’s been a matter, with shoppers, IF I CAN’T PARK I WON’T SHOP. And that’s NEWPORT High Street for you. And will say that the same thing is heading that way for Mark’s and Spencer. There you have a car park which is used for Newport and not for M & S Shoppers . Many a time it’s full of SVUs jamming the narrow spaces and if you are lucky and find a gap and get in the store you will find it virtually EMPTY.
Well you don’t get many pedestrians in M&S since they closed the door by Church Litten. Who has the time to walk round the other side when they are pressed for time? I’ve given up on my little luxuries there. Sainsbury’s will have to do for everything
I tried to park along Ventnor seafront today
1 parking machine out of order and the other one did
not accept cash so I went away.
Had family over was planning on having lunch
in the Smoking Lobster – their loss!
Vehicles were parked on pavements off of Ventnor
esplanade up hills and on double yellow lines with extra Lines
on the kerb, yet numpties were taking a chance parking
on them.
NOT A CIVIL ENFORCEMENT OFFICER INSIGHT!
Shocking.
Just more of the same.
What is the point.
So typical Isle of Wight
Not sure wren kitchens will be around that long to be honest.. u got B&Q and the kitchen place under the cinema…. B & M has already said its moving as I-E has already ran a story confirming this.. as for superdrg I thought they had gone or had been in liquidation recently and really cant see the point in 2 shops