Published: Wednesday, 26th March, 2008 09:00
Leading new addition to town's retail park
By David Knox
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A DISCOUNT fashion store is the latest addition to Selkirk’s new edge-of-town retail park.
Leading Labels will open its 24th UK branch at the former Belmont garage next to the A7 in the summer.
The bargain boutique follows hot on the heels of soup giants Baxters, who will open a visitor center and restaurant at the Dunsdalehaugh site next month.
And they will both be followed by a further three high street stores later in the year as the town enjoys a resurgence in retail fortunes.
Bruce Weir from CWP Developers is delighted to have signed up the latest addition for the Selkirk units. He told the Border Telegraph:
“Leading Labels were keen to come and Baxters were keen to have them move in next door.
“It is excellent news for Selkirk – both for employment and for attracting visitors.
“We are currently working closely with the planning department at Scottish Borders Council to build three smaller units at the site, and we will be looking to bring in some mainstream retailers when we market them later this year.”
Selkirk was rocked a couple of years ago when the Belmont Garage drove out of town only a few months after Selkirk Glass closed its doors with the loss of 34 jobs.
But a revival in fortunes began last year when the Border Telegraph broke the news that Baxters was coming to the area.
The Fochabers-based firm will create more than 20 jobs when it opens its Borders outlet next month.
And a similar number of positions will be created when Leading Labels opens for business later in the summer.
Local councillor Vicky Davidson is delighted with the new businesses coming to Selkirk.
She said: “It was never a good advert for the town to have those empty units at the entrance.
“Baxters and Leading Labels will certainly attract more people to the town and give the northern entrance a much-needed facelift.
“I’m sure the arrival of these two national companies will also help the retailers already down at Dunsdalehaugh.
“Yes, this is certainly good news for Selkirk.”
York-based Leading Labels already has 23 stores across the UK and Ireland with the nearest just now being at West Calder and Newcastle.
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