The developers relaunching Bobby & Co in Bournemouth town centre have revealed the date for the first phase, and there isn’t long to wait.
Set to be unveiled on 7 August is the first phase in the grand reopening of the iconic building in The Square. The relaunch comes just shy of 50 years after it was replaced by Debenhams.
Verve Properties, an ethical property company recently announced plans to restore the building to its original early splendour and are currently working to regenerate the iconic Bobby & Co building, uncovering beautiful pieces of architecture that have been hidden for decades in the process.
Throughout the renovation, there has been a strong focus on repurposing the store to ensure that in the age of home delivery, people will still find purpose in visiting town centres. Bobby’s will not be a department store in the previous understanding of a single retailer offering multiple products in a single building. Instead, it is intended as a curation of a regionally significant building, hosting a number of independent uses, events and activities, centred around sustainability, localism and community. To ensure this prime frontage remains active the ground floor, The Beauty Hall will be home to a large number of local and ethical brands in addition to the welcome return of the major beauty houses which shoppers loved in the building’s previous incarnation.
“Covid-19 accelerated change already underway in our town centres – much as the impact on much of the high-street has seen retailers faced with enormous challenges, this hastening of a shift already happening also presents an opportunity for a complete reboot in terms of the way we use town centres. Four main drivers, community, localism, sustainability, and experience will dominate the new era of in-person shopping – and we have worked to ensure they will be the focus of our repurposing of Bobby’s,” said Ashley Nicholson, Director of Verve Properties.
