Touchwood, the West Midlands’ leading retail and leisure destination, has expanded its sports and fitness offer with the arrival of Sweaty Betty at the Solihull scheme.
The women’s activewear brand, known for its gym and yoga apparel, has taken a 2,283 sq ft unit at Touchwood on a new five-year lease. The store, which fronts onto Solihull High Street, is Sweaty Betty’s first outlet in the West Midlands.
Sweaty Betty’s choice of Touchwood further strengthens what is already the region’s foremost retail line-up. It joins major brands such as Apple – which recently tripled its presence at the scheme – John Lewis, Zara, Mango, Rituals, Miele, Oliver Bonas and a newly-opened Space NK store.
Following its acquisition of Touchwood in 2021, owner The Ardent Companies (Ardent) and asset manager Sovereign Centros from CBRE have implemented a strategy focused on diversifying and expanding the destination’s tenant mix and offer, bringing in new retail brands dining options and leisure operators to grow the scheme’s visitor base.
Joe Swindells, asset management & development director for Ardent, said: “Sweaty Betty is indicative of the aspirational brands we have worked hard to bring to Touchwood, and its arrival at the scheme – for its first store in the West Midlands – represents yet another fantastic addition to what we can offer visitors.”
Sovereign Centros from CBRE is the asset manager of Touchwood, with Cushman & Wakefield and Knight Frank the retained leasing agents.
