By Pam McClounie City centre reporter

Last updated at 10:39, Monday, 22 October 2012

Carlisle is being handed a retail boost with several new shops opening in The Lanes before Christmas.

David Jackson

Jones the Bootmaker is taking the ex-Faith shoes unit on Peascod Lane, and several other temporary Christmas shops are scheduled to open in time for the festive season.

The firm, which sells quality women’s, men’s and children’s shoes, has 80 stores in the UK including shops in Glasgow, Durham. Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Milton Keynes and London.

Work to fit out the new unit has already begun and should take between three and four weeks.

David Jackson, commercial director of The Lanes Shopping Centre, said: “Jones the Bootmaker is a well-known High Street shoe retailer which follows on the heels of Jack Jones opening a few months back. It is a great addition.

“We lost Qube, Barratts the Original Shoe Company and Faith so it’s going to be great to have a footwear retailer back on board.

“We will also have three pop ups for the Christmas period including Calendar Club, Showcase selling decorations, trees and lights and the Appleby Bakery’s Taste Christmas store.”

Hawkins Bazaar, a shop that sells toys and quirky gifts, is also re-opening in The Lanes before Christmas. It closed in January.

Carlisle’s branch of JJB Sports closed its doors earlier this month. It was one of 133 outlets that closed nationally, with the loss of 2,200 jobs.

Twelve out of 13 staff at the Carlisle branch were told on October 1 that they were out of a job. One was kept on to help administrators.

The job losses came after JJB’s administrators, KPMG, completed an agreement to sell part of the business to Sports Direct, which already has a shop in Carlisle.

Mr Jackson said: “It is very early days regarding the JJB space as it is on the large scale – 16,000 sq ft – and there are only a limited number of retailers that would be looking for that sort of space. The JJB shop remains up for grabs. Someone like Primark would need an outlet about four times that size.”

Elsewhere in the city centre, Greenwoods menswear shop on English Street is closing temporarily for a refit.

A refurbishment is also ongoing at Collectables on Castle Street. Clarks shoe shop on English Street is closing down on October 27.

The store already has a branch in The Lanes.

First published at 10:34, Monday, 22 October 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk