ANOTHER new business has moved into Stourbridge's Ryemarket shopping centre which has welcomed back 75 per cent of its pre-pandemic footfall.

Mobile phone repair and supply shop Mobile Hut has taken a five-year lease on unit 10 in the shopping centre after working with Stourbridge based commercial property surveyors, Hexagon Commercial Property, to find suitable premises.

The new business has taken on a 1,455 sq ft unit in the centre - opposite Home Bargains.

Ryemarket shopping centre manager Aaron Powell said: “We are pleased to have Mobile Hut on board at Ryemarket, and are excited to be welcoming a line-up of new retailers that are in the pipeline very soon."

He said it was good to have shoppers flocking back to the centre following the lifting of Covid restrictions and he added: "Visitor numbers at the centre have been encouraging to see with us achieving approximately 75 per cent of our pre-pandemic footfall, year to date, compared to an overall average for the West Midlands of 43 per cent.

"This really is a testament to the Ryemarket, its mix of retailers and the local convenience it offers.”

The shopping centre is also set to welcome a new clothing store, Arhams, which is due to open its doors in the old Shoezone unit on Friday August 13.

Jake Fellows, commercial surveyor at Hexagon Commercial Property, said of the retail property market in the town: “Despite the recent climate we continue to be as busy as a company and the Ryemarket and Stourbridge as a whole is on the up.

"It’s great to see people visiting and supporting the local high street and brilliant to see the shopping centre busy again as we come out of lockdown.

"The demand from new enterprises and small businesses for space in the heart of the town centre has been fantastic.”

Are you set to open a new business in Stourbridge. Get in touch with us by emailing bev.holder@newsquest.co.uk or via our social media channels.