H&M fills gap at Pavilions after Zavvi collapse

Apr 28 2010 by William Oliphant, Birmingham Mail

PAVILIONS shopping centre has finally filled the store left vacant by the collapse of music chain Zavvi.

Fashion giant H&M and a new independent shoe shop, Silk Step, have both signed up to take over the four-storey 2090 square metre unit on High Street.

Sarah Jenkinson, marketing manager at Pavilions, said: “They’re at opposite ends of the spectrum but we’re thrilled to welcome both H&M as one of our flagship High Street stores and newcomer, Silk Step, both of which will enhance our fashion offers to customers.

“We have worked very hard in the last year to reverse the effects of the ecnomic downturn which led to the loss of Zavvi and The Pier brands nationwide.”

She added: “Things are definitely on the up for Pavilions.”

Anita Gunthup, from Silk Step, said: “After months of searching for the right premises we found the perfect space for our first retail unit at Pavilions. We wanted a city centre location and Pavilions’ portfolio of fashion brands such as Hobbs, Laura Ashley and Monsoon assured us that the right kind of consumer would find us. We can’t wait to move in.”

Sweden-based store H&M is known for its cut-price high street fashion and has been linked to celebrities including Kylie and Madonna.

Independent store Silk Step specialises in designer footwear from Spain, Italy and France.

Pavilions is currently hosting the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2010, with a five-week dance shop and studio offering free dance classes to the public as well as hosting rehearsals by international artists.

The centre has had a vacancy at its High Street shopfront since the music retailer Zavvi closed its doors early last year. The company went into administration late in 2008 after experiencing problems with its supply chain due to the recession.