Superdrug has reopened its largest store in the UK following a major refurbishment and expansion at Merry Hill in the West Midlands, strengthening the shopping destination’s growing health, beauty and wellbeing offer.
The newly refurbished store now extends to 12,831 sq ft, providing Superdrug with substantially more space to showcase its expanding portfolio of beauty, skincare, fragrance, health and wellbeing products.
The investment has enabled the retailer to introduce a wider selection of international and trending beauty brands, alongside an enlarged premium fragrance collection and Superdrug’s established own-brand ranges.
A dedicated Beauty Studio also forms part of the upgraded store, adding a service-led element to the retail environment and reflecting the wider shift towards more experiential formats within major shopping centres.
The Merry Hill investment comes as Superdrug continues to expand its physical store estate, with plans to open 30 new locations across the UK during the year.
For the retail property sector, the decision to create Superdrug’s largest UK store at Merry Hill provides further evidence of major retailers investing in larger, higher-quality stores at established regional shopping destinations.
The refurbishment also follows continued investment in Merry Hill as landlord Redical seeks to evolve the centre’s occupier mix and reinforce its position as one of the West Midlands’ major retail and leisure destinations.
Clare Jennings, property director at Superdrug, said: “We’re delighted to be opening the doors to our newly refurbished store at Merry Hill, which is now the largest store in our estate.
“The 12,831 sq ft store brings together everything customers love about Superdrug, from great value across health, beauty and wellbeing to the latest international beauty trends and much-loved own-brand favourites.”
Jennings added that the expanded format would allow customers to explore the dedicated Beauty Studio, a larger premium fragrance collection and the latest beauty and skincare ranges.
The project reflects a broader evolution taking place across the physical retail sector, where refurbishment and store expansion are increasingly focused on creating environments that offer customers more than a conventional transactional shopping experience.
Larger stores provide retailers with greater flexibility to introduce services, dedicated brand areas, new product categories and improved layouts, while landlords benefit from investment by major occupiers that can help strengthen footfall and the overall appeal of their destinations.
Alistair Winning, leasing manager for Redical, described the reopening as an important milestone for Merry Hill and said the expanded store reinforced the centre’s position as a leading destination for health, beauty and wellness.
He added that the arrival of Superdrug’s largest UK location demonstrated both the continued evolution of Merry Hill and its appeal to leading national retailers.
The investment comes at a time of renewed activity within the strongest regional shopping centres, with retailers increasingly concentrating resources on prominent locations capable of accommodating larger and more engaging store concepts.
For Merry Hill, the 12,831 sq ft Superdrug provides another substantial upgrade to its retail offer, while for Superdrug the refurbished flagship represents a significant statement of confidence in its bricks-and-mortar estate as it continues its wider UK expansion programme.
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