Kent welcomes two huge new Oliver Bonas stores this year

An interior view of the new Oliver Bonas store in Bluewater, with a range of women's clothing and accessories visible
Oliver Bonas is launching in Bluewater and Canterbury -Credit:Umpf PR/Bluewater


Lifestyle and fashion chain Oliver Bonas is launching two new branches in Kent this year, opening in two of the county’s ‘healthiest’ retail destinations. The upmarket chain has now officially launched its Bluewater store, having welcomed its first customers on Saturday, April 20.

Spanning a whopping 3,272sq ft, it is now the brand’s largest store in Kent and promises the widest selection of products available at any of its branches in the region. Shoppers can expect to find a range of clothing, accessories and furniture in the new unit found opposite John Lewis in the Lower Guildhall area of the shopping centre.

James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, commented: “Oliver Bonas is a brand that our guests have told us they were keen to shop at in Bluewater for some time, and we’re excited to be finally welcoming them to our retail line-up. The new store will have been worth the wait for our guests, as we’re proud to say this is the largest Oliver Bonas in the region, with the widest range of products on offer.

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“We know our guests will love the array of designs available in the new store.” Meanwhile, the brand will also expand into Canterbury, with another branch set to open in Whitefriars Shopping Centre later this year.

The lifestyle store will be taking over the space that previously held Topshop, which has now remained vacant for multiple years. An exact opening date is yet to be confirmed, but Whitefriars bosses have said it is hoped the store will launch this summer.

Once the site is ready, Oliver Bonas will be sharing the space with Canterbury City Council, which will use half of the first floor and the entire second floor for its relocated offices. Nearby, boba brand Bubble CiTea will also be moving into Whitefriars with a new shop taking over part of the old Beaverbrooks jewellers.

A range of clothing items from Oliver Bonas
The Oliver Bonas store in Whitefriars Canterbury is set to open this summer -Credit:Umpf PR/Bluewater

Natasha Hamilton, director at New River which manages Whitefriars, said: “Whitefriars continues to thrive, providing local people with a range of high-quality provisions and services in the heart of the City Centre. We’re delighted to be introducing a number of new operators which are due to open across the estate over the coming months including new brands for the City, Oliver Bonas and Bubble CiTea, as well as some old brands returning.

“The attraction of Whitefriars as a place to successfully trade and operate, is testified by the low vacancy rate of just 1% across the estate, helping Whitefriars cement its prominent position in the heart of the City. We are delighted to be welcoming Canterbury City Council into their new offices at the centre over the course of this year, demonstrating the Council’s commitment to both Canterbury and the City Centre, with their new office space also re-activating former vacant space.”

Recently, Canterbury’s high street was named among the nation’s healthiest city centres for shopping thanks to its impressively low number of empty units. Meanwhile, Bluewater has also been dubbed one of the nation’s healthiest retail centres, having seen an impressive bounce back since the peak of COVID as shopping trends finally return to pre-pandemic levels.

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