TJ Hughes To Return To Wrexham? ‘Keep Your Eyes Peeled’

A large department store in Wrexham town centre is believed to be under new ownership, with rumours of a return by TJ Hughes not formally denied.

The 31,000 square foot two story building closed in 2011 and was seen by many as an important link between Chester Street and Henblas Street, with people often using it as a cut through when it was last open.

Wrexham.com understands that the town centre property is under new control, with commercial use believed to be on the cards. Inside the large unit it appears floors have been cleared recently, and some areas tided and cleaned.

Previously TJ Hughes entered administration with debts of over £433m, before a Liverpool based entrepreneur headed a rescue buy out deal. TJ Hughes has bounced back from its period of administration with new store openings totalling 60 currently, over the 57 it had when it entered administration. Many of these stores that have been reopening are prior TJ Hughes locations, so Wrexham could fit that pattern.

Although the new user of the store is unknown, Wrexham.com asked TJ Hughes if they were returning to the town – and intriguingly were not given a yes or no answer, but were told ‘we are re-opening lots of stores this year so keep your eyes peeled’.

Earlier this year a TJ Hughest spokesperson said: “We’re embarking upon a large-scale expansion programme. Our ultimate aim is to return to many of the 55 towns where we’ve previously had stores and are lucky enough to still have such a loyal customer base.”

So far this year the retailer have reopened three of their former stores – with the old Oldham store reopening in its old unit just a few days ago. It is hoped that the company will eventually open 60 stores – three more than the 57 that was open before the company entered administration.

At the tail end of last year it appeared that Techniquest could be in line to use the space for a new creative centre, however those plans appear to have stalled paving the way for other usage.

41 jobs were lost when TJ Hughes closed its doors in 2011, with many at the time voicing concerns on the closure of the regularly used cut through. The closure came at a time when TJ Hughes was joined with Jane Norman, Thorntons and others in facing difficult trading times on the proverbial High Street.