It has added new homestyling and clothing departments at the 125,000 sq ft store
Emma Leeke.
Family-run and owned the Leekes Group has invested in two new departments at its flagship Llantrisant store in the latest phase of a £10m investment programme.
The homestyling and clothing departments, which extend to 30,000 sq ft, will launch this weekend. They reopen a quarter of the store’s 125,000 footprint after 10 months, with brand-new flooring and a new roof. It follows the recent refurbishment of the Llantrisant store’s furniture studio, the largest in Wales and the south west of England.
Leekes Retail employs 500 people across five stores located in south Wales, the south west of England and the Midlands. This latest investment, says managing director, Emma Leeke, reaffirms the group’s, commitment to both the local area as well as the customer experience and will support the store’s 85 jobs.
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She added: “After nearly 50 years trading from our Llantrisant store, we’ve seen lots of change but serving our customers in the right way has been our consistent focus. These new departments have been entirely designed around how they love to shop, making browsing easy and inspiring.
“In homestyling, we’ve deliberately brought together everything that creates the look you want for any room in the house into one big space. Similarly, in clothing and footwear, we’ve attracted a wide range of partner brands who, together, present a compelling destination for everyday and outdoor wear.”
As well as its Llantrisant store, the Leekes Group’s retail arm also operates stores in Bilston in the west Midlands, Cross Hands in Carmarthenshire, Melksham in Wiltshire and Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It also retains its builder’s merchant at Tonypandy, where the business was established in 1897.
The group also includes four star Vale Resort in the Vale of Glamorgan and the nearby 17th and listed Hensol Castle, which is open for conferences, events, and weddings. Hensol Castle Distillery completes the group, which distils own-brand spirits and has a bottling plant.