'Major coup' as Pure Gym and Loungers set to arrive in The Galleries

Nationally renowned brands Pure Gym and the cafe and eatery outlet Loungers are to open new branches at The Galleries in Washington after both agreed 15 year leases with the shopping centre.

Both companies will be moving into the Market Place area of the mall, with Pure Gym taking over 10,812 sq ft of space, while Loungers has signed up for 3,919 sq ft.

Work to transform the units will commence in February.

Simon Eatough, director for landlord and tenant at LCP, part of M Core, which owns and manages the shopping centre, said: “Attracting two significant national brands to The Galleries is a major coup and will help with our plans to further improve the popular centre and we are looking forward to them opening.

“Across our entire retail portfolio up and down the country, we are always looking at ways we can enhance the experience for regular shoppers and occasional visitors, and we are confident that Loungers and Pure Gym will be a boost for the town and complement our existing mix of high-quality national and independent tenants.

“The good news comes on the back of our announcement that B&M has taken a 10-year lease on the recently closed Wilko store as well as other recent openings, including Deichmann and Select.”

The Galleries has seen a significant rise in the number of shoppers this year, with August recording a record-breaking summer with 2.1 million visitors.

The Galleries has welcomed a raft of new tenants since LCP bought the scheme in 2021 including Trespass, Klass and One Beyond.

The centre has more than 100 retailers as well as 2,500 free car parking spaces and a dedicated bus station.