Major national multiple brands confirm commitment to County Mall, Crawley.
Major national multiple brands confirm commitment to County Mall, Crawley. JD Sports 15,000 sq ft upsize and brand new Sostrene Grene, Superdrug and Muffin Break lettings demonstrates occupier confidence in West Sussex centre.
Brasier Freeth and LM Real Estate, on behalf of the Arora Group, have secured JD Sports for a new upsized unit in the shopping centre, tripling the size of its existing presence to a new 15,000 sq ft space made up for the former Superdry and an adjacent MSU. JD has signed a new 10-year lease reaffirming their commitment to the centre, following 12 years trading in the scheme.
As part of the asset management strategy, Superdrug has taken 7,600 sq ft, made up of the former JD Sports unit, and an additional unit. The pharmacy and beauty retailer is currently fitting out their store, relocating from an existing store on Queensway into The County Mall.
Other recent lettings to widen the existing tenant mix include Sostrene Grene and Muffin Break. Sostrene Grene have taken a new lease of the former Monsoon premises, whilst Muffin Break have replaced Select.
Neil Hockin, Head of Leasing at LM Real Estate commented:
‘We’ve been really focusing our leasing efforts on attracting brands that will elevate the experience at The County Mall and help create a truly compelling shopping centre offer. It’s always rewarding to retain and support existing occupiers – celebrating success through upsizes – while also welcoming exciting new names to the scheme’.
Damian Sumner – Partner and Head of Leasing at Brasier Freeth commented:
‘The inclusion of an upsized JD Sports and the introduction of Superdrug, Sostrene Grene and Muffin Break have all come about on the back of intensive asset management initiatives at County Mall, all of which is testament to the efforts of all parties involved with the project. These new lettings fundamentally present an even wider retail and leisure offer to what is an already strong line up and customer base.’
Sanjay Arora – Chief Executive Officer at Arora Group commented:
‘The opportunity to work with an existing valued tenant such as JD Sports on an upsized space, whilst welcoming Superdrug, Sostrene Grene and Muffin Break is testament to our commitment to the retail offering in the centre. These are highly regarded national brands that will continue to uplift our retail offering and are lettings which fall in line with our wider ambitions for the asset. With some exciting deals in the pipeline, we look forward to making further announcements soon.
County Mall, Crawley is one of the largest shopping centres in the county, acquired by The Arora Group in August 2022, marking its first major venture into the retail market. The Arora Group’s broader portfolio also includes iconic properties such as the Intercontinental London at The O2.
For over 30 years, County Mall has served as Sussex’s premier one-stop shopping destination, housing more than 80 stores and over 200 brands across fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle. The 455,000 sq ft centre sits on a 9.5-acre freehold city-centre site, directly opposite Arora Group’s new Overline House development, where the group is creating the Crawley Gateway scheme, which includes over 300 new apartments.
Crawley itself is experiencing a period of regeneration, driven by the £14.6 million Crawley Growth Programme, a collaboration with West Sussex County Council. The initiative focuses on placemaking, infrastructure upgrades, and physical redevelopment aimed at supporting new housing, business investment, and employment growth.