PEOPLE throughout Bracknell have seen many changes to their beloved town over the past few years.
The arrival of the Lexicon not only brought a vast array of new shops to the town centre, it has also meant the closure of many stores due to rising rent costs and the pandemic.
Although certain shops are a welcome surprise for the people of Bracknell with more set to come, some beloved stores have been lost to the ages.
Here are the shops and restaurants that Bracknell has loved and lost throughout the years
Bentall’s
Many a Bracknell resident has a memory of the old Bentall’s which was transformed into Fenwicks when creating the Lexicon during the regeneration project.
The building that stood in the centre of town was said to be ‘iconic’ and opened originally in 1973.
From women’s fashion, beauty to children’s toys the shop sold everything. Some people have memories of ‘running up and down the mirrored ramp as a child’.
Sainsbury’s
On February, 26 2021 Sainsbury’s closed in Princess Square after many years in the shopping complex.
Sea Salt
This woman’s fashion store is the latest in small independent stops that has been forced to close it’s doors within the £240m flagship shopping centre.
Regular customers and shoppers were saddened to see the closure of this store saying that customer service was top notch.
Argos
Located in Princess Square, this used to be one of the complexes biggest brands and was an unfortunate loss during the pandemic. The unit now stands empty alongside many other stores forced to close over the devastating year.
EE
The latest in a long line of closures is the EE store which is currently located on Braccan Walk. The store has been a permanent fixtures since the retail centre first opened in 2017 and will now be permanently closing it’s doors later this month.
This is the second largest mobile operator in the UK, founded in 2010 and headquartered in London.
Shops coming soon
TO offset the closure of some of it's most beloved stores, The Lexicon have filled some of their empty units with exciting new one's.
This summer in July/August 2022, the £240m shopping complex has opened Gymfinity Kids, O2, Laser Clinic, Hobbs (replacing Jack Wills).
We have been also been given a sneak peek of what is to come in the next couple of months.
Quiz
The new Quiz store has been scheduled to open this month, September 2022, at the shopping complex on Braccan Walk.
This store will offer everything from occasion to casual wear, and a constantly updated choice of affordable fashion available instore and online.
Sports Direct
The new Sports Direct store will open in Princes Square this year with shoppers seeing signs confirming the store is ‘Opening Soon’.
No date has been given yet however the relocation of the sports clothing shop has been imminent for months.
Temptation Gifts
The Lexicon has recently announced that it will be welcoming a new gift shop to it’s ranks offering a mix of brands such as Ted Baker and Jellycat, combined with up-and-coming local designers.
Bracknell will be the seventh store for this independent retailer.
Wimpy
The arrival of the fast-food restaurant Wimpy was met with excitement from Bracknell shoppers. Before the regeneration of the Lexicon the restaurant was a favourite among residents for more than 30 years before it was closed down.
The arrival of the restaurant has been imminent for the last three years, delayed due to the pandemic and now because of ‘supply issues’.
No definite opening date has been released but hopes are it happens before the end of the year.
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