River Island debuts new store concept at centre:mk

centre:mk today affirms its position as one of the UK’s top 10 prime regional destinations, as it announces that the high-street fashion giant, River Island, has chosen the centre to debut its newest store concept.

The new 12,800 sq ft store, which spans over two floors, welcomes a major transformation designed to deliver a more elevated, engaging and customer-centric shopping experience. The brand’s reinvestment in centre:mk unveils the first of its kind, a new store concept which will be rolled out across the River Island brand. It features an enhanced exterior, designed to attract and engage guests, whilst internally, it homes the brand new “River-Runway” installation, an immersive visual feature that exhibits runway-inspired looks and the latest trends, in addition to a new denim department that showcases an expanded selection of silhouettes and washes.

To encourage an elevated and seamless shopping journey, the new centre:mk store brings modernised, spacious fitting rooms for a premium experience, whilst a thoughtfully designed layout and debut technology aim to further enhance the customer journey for a quick and convenient trip. The technology includes weight-sensing self-service checkouts which use radio frequency identification technology, and WW Smart Fitting Rooms, whereby guests can request alternative sizes and products without leaving the fitting room cubicle. The result is an even more seamless and accessible shopping experience.

Kevin Duffy, Centre Director at centre:mk, comments: “The debut of River Island’s new concept store at centre:mk brings something fresh to the destination’s existing quality line up of fashion retailers. Our wide catchment values quality concepts, and we’re delighted that centre:mk can be the first to bring this new concept to market. It really affirms the scheme’s position as a best-in-retail destination”

Mel Aucott, Retail Director at River Island, adds:  “Debuting our new store concept to centre:mk represents an important step change in River Island’s bricks-and-mortar presence. The top 10 prime regional destination offers a wealth of quality fashion retailers, a highly engaged and loyal customer base and clear ambition to deliver quality experiences, all of which perfectly mirror River Island’s approach and new store concept. We are excited to reveal our enhanced store offering to our customers and look forward to expanding this vision further.”

The major reinvestment from River Island comes shortly after the premium Swiss chocolatier, Lindt, signed for a 1,670 sq ft unit on Silbury Arcade, bringing its boutique format and exclusive ranges to centre:mk