Pre-pandemic, the giant Bluewater mall in Kent was dominated by Arcadia-owned brands. But in recent years it’s been turning into a home from home for the Inditex portfolio and owner Landsec has just announced that Stradivarius will be joining the line-up next year.

The post-pandemic period was a tough one for fashion sales at Bluewater as a number of brands — particularly those Arcadia labels — exited the mall. But its premium reputation despite it no longer being the UK’s largest mall still made it a key destination. And fashion sales there rose as much as 15.7% year on year in the April to June quarter “with shoppers showing strong demand for brands that not only offer trend-led apparel but great experiences for guests”.  

Originally a family-owned fashion brand, womenswear specialist Stradivarius joined Inditex in 1999 and it will join Bluewater with its RTW, footwear, and accessories offer, occupying an 8,488 sq ft unit on Lower Thames Walk.  

Its opening there will mean that five of Inditex’s brands will have space at the mall, with Pull & Bear and Bershka joining Zara and Massimo Dutti in 2024 “demonstrating the attractiveness of Bluewater to global fashion retail brands”.  

At present, Stradivarius has 10 stores in the UK, including in Landsec’s St David’s centre in Cardiff.  

Pablo Sueiras, head of Retail Leasing at Landsec said: “Experience-led retail is thriving, and this new opening perfectly reflects the growing demand for retail destinations that blend the right mix of the best brands and experiences. Where Stradivarius excels is at delivering versatile, trend-driven collections at a very accessible price point.

“Welcoming the fifth Inditex brand to Bluewater reinforces the centre’s position as the ideal destination for global fashion brands. We are confident Stradivarius will experience the impressive footfall enjoyed by the other Inditex brands at Bluewater.”