Rituals, the Dutch retailer, known for its extensive range of body care, home fragrances, and skincare products, has inaugurated new stores at two major shopping destinations managed by Sovereign Centros: Festival Place in Basingstoke and Merry Hill in the West Midlands. Both locations feature the brand’s latest shop design and offer refillable products, aligning with Rituals’ commitment to sustainability as a B-Corp-certified company.
In Basingstoke’s Festival Place, Rituals has unveiled a 3,300 square foot store, strategically located adjacent to EE and opposite MINISO, which recently celebrated its first year in the top 25 UK destination. In the West Midlands, the Merry Hill store is now open, occupying 2,000 square feet in the space formerly held by Phase Eight. This location positions Rituals among the destination’s high-end watch and jewellery brands.
Jack Gordon, Senior Asset Manager at Sovereign Centros, expressed his enthusiasm about the openings: “With Rituals now open at Festival Place and Merry Hill, visitors from across the South East and West Midlands have new opportunities to shop their great array of luxury goods, within two of the UK’s leading retail and leisure destinations. Securing a brand like Rituals at both destinations showcases the value we place on partnering with retailers, helping them to achieve their vision and supporting their growth in locations that match their aspirational demographic. They add a unique, luxury shopping environment wherever they are, so it’s fantastic for Festival Place’s and Merry Hill’s visitors to now be able to experience that.”
The introduction of Rituals at these locations comes amidst a period of significant growth for both Festival Place and Merry Hill. Over the course of 2023, these destinations have reported notable performance improvements, including sales and footfall increases well above UK benchmarks. The momentum continues in 2024, with new tenants such as Harvey Norman at Merry Hill and Chopstix at Festival Place, further diversifying the shopping and dining options available to visitors.
