Stirling shopping centre adds two more fashion names amid Covid bounceback

Stirling’s Thistles shopping centre has added two more names as it looks to bounce back from lockdown and the loss of Debenhams and BHS.

The Thistles centre in Stirling, pictured pre-Covid, has more than 70 shops and cafes.

Blue Inc a menswear brand offering “affordable, on-trend looks”, will operate from a unit previously occupied by Burton, which disappeared from the high street following the collapse of Arcadia Group.

Meanwhile, Leading Labels, a multi-brand fashion retailer providing a selection of womenswear and menswear, will be housed next door in a slightly larger unit.

The new stores join the centre following the arrival of watch and jewellery repair company Time Inc and beauty kiosk Beauty Boutique in May this year.

Bosses said the mall has gone from strength to strength since re-opening fully in April, following the lifting of Covid restrictions on non-essential retailing.

Gary Turnbull, centre director at Thistles, which was opened in 1977 before being extended with the addition of the Thistle Marches development, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Leading Labels and Blue Inc to the centre. They’re a fantastic addition and are already proving extremely popular with our visitors.

“After a troubling 2020 and start to this year things are really looking up, with footfall moving much closer towards what it was in 2019, pre-pandemic, which is really encouraging.

“While things slowly return to normal we are continuing to keep visitors safe with a number of Covid compliant safety measures in place to ensure everyone feels as comfortable as possible while shopping in the centre.”

The mall houses more than 70 shops and cafes.

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