Two retailers – FCUK and The Iron Bed Company – have opened new stores at Allied London Properties' newly refurbished Christopher Place in St Albans and a further 279 sq m (3,000 sq ft) unit has gone under offer to designer women's fashion and footwear retailer Hobbs. These deals leave just one unit vacant and endorse the successful transformation of the area into an upmarket lifestyle retail and leisure destination.

FCUK has opened in a prominent 279 sq m (3,000 sq ft) unit in the heart of Christopher Place on a 15 year lease on a substantial base rent and turnover top up. Leading FCUK franchisee Stuart Selwyn, who also runs the stores in Windsor Royal Station, The Chimes in Uxbridge and The Harlequin in Watford, will operate the store.

Quality bedroom furniture manufacturer and retailer The Iron Bed Company has opened its new store immediately next door in a 185 sq m (2,000 sq ft) unit which has been taken on a 15 year lease at a rental level of £818 per sq m (£76 per sq ft) Zone A. Launched in 1994 by Simon and Anne Notley from three converted chicken sheds, The Iron Bed Company quickly became a star of the Virgin Fast Track 100 companies list and now boasts a workforce of over 150 people and turnover in excess of £10 million. Originally conceived as a mail order operation, The Iron Bed Company now trades from 19 outlets throughout the UK and four in Germany. It offers a range of beds in both traditional and contemporary styles and bedroom accessories including bed linen.

The lettings follow Allied London's £3.5 million refurbishment of Christopher Place which has fully integrated it into the city's prime pitch with an impressive line up of tenants including Bang & Olufsen, Next, Country Casuals, Viyella, Crabtree & Evelyn, Fitness First, Zizzis, Greys Hairdressing (included in Marie Claire's top 100 hair and beauty salons), wagamama and Carluccio's.

Allied London Leasing Director Peter Cooper said:

"Our determination not to compromise our carefully planned tenant mix strategy has paid real dividends and created the prime quality shopping and leisure destination in St Albans City Centre. Delivering two more major retail brands for our tenant line up, with Hobbs on the way, means that we have successfully revitalised and re-positioned Christopher Place – a fact also reflected in the significant sales and pedestrian flow figures now being achieved."

Markham Vaughan Gillingham and Aitchison Rafferty are joint letting agents for the scheme.

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For further information, please contact:
Linda Welch
Halogen
Tel: 020 7487 9191

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