A flooring store has invested £50,000 in a new, larger store in the centre of South Shields.
Franks the Flooring Store has left its old premises in King Street and opened a new store at 3 Prince Georg Square.
At 7,500 square feet, the new store is almost twice the size of the old one, meaning Franks can now offer a wider range of flooring. This includes carpets, wood flooring, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), laminate and rugs. It is even selling artificial grass, following a 20% rise in sales last year and another predicted rise of 20% this year as people opt for lower maintenance gardens.
The investment in the new store amounts to £50,000 and it will create an extra job.
Frank’s Area Manager, Gareth Booth, said: “We spent six years at King Street but increasing demand for our flooring meant we needed to find bigger premises.
“We were keen to stay in the town centre and support the high street, so we are delighted to have been able to relocate to Prince Georg Square.
“Unlike the older store, the new premises are on ground level with a bigger window display, so we are now even more visible.
“The new, bigger showroom allows us to showcase a wider range of flooring and, in particular, shoppers will see an increase in the amount of wooden and laminate flooring we stock, as well as our artificial grass range.
“Artificial grass is becoming increasingly popular as people turn to low maintenance gardens which are not affected by the weather.”
Frank The Flooring Store now has 28 stores across the North East.
Business Development Manager Mick Copeland said “As well as opening new stores like South Shields, we are also refurbishing many of our existing stores to make the shopping experience even better for our customers
“This also forms part of our strategy to extend our geographical reach in the North East and further strengthen our brand
“Ultimately, our goal to become the number one carpet retailer in the North East.”
