Huge boutique River Island set up to open new store in Portsmouth's Commercial Road with a party to celebrate

Clothing retailer River Island has today announced the opening date of its new concept store at Unit 154, Commercial Road, Portsmouth.

The store, which has taken over the former WHSmith unit in the main high street, will open on Saturday, November 20.

A first for River Island, the new ‘River Island Boutique’ has been designed to enhance the customer’s in-store shopping experience.

Not only has the store doubled in size, it’s also spread across 7,602 sq feet and two floors.

Womenswear will be set across the entire ground floor, whilst the first floor will be occupied by menswear and kidswear, stocking older kids, mini and baby.

Frances Baker, property director, said: ‘River Island is thrilled to be reopening in Portsmouth with our first ‘Boutique’ store. Positioned in prime pitch with a loyal and vibrant consumer base, it’s the ideal location to introduce the first concept store. The team are eager to welcome back devoted shoppers and are excited to acquire new customers through the addition of kidswear.’

To get in the festive spirit and celebrate the new opening, River Island will be hosting a Christmas Party in-store on December 4.

Customers can expect to hear festive DJ sets, whilst kids can be kept entertained with free face painting.

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Those who spend over £40 will also be treated to a special RI Donut courtesy of Hideout Coffee and offered a bespoke wrapping service with exclusive branded paper to help take off the pressure of wrapping this Christmas.

The new opening adds to River Island’s 300 strong estate and solidifies its message of ‘Standing By The High Street’, a campaign set up in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic to show solidarity with other high street brands negatively hit by the effects of the pandemic.

The Portsmouth store opening will create more than 30 news jobs in Portsmouth. Its former store in Commercial Road closed earlier this year.

It is the latest retailer to move sites in and around Commercial Road in the past two years.

JD Sport moved to a bigger spot a few doors down, while Sports Direct and Game relocated into the Cascades Shopping Centre in 2020. HMV also reopened, and Flannels opened a new store this summer.