Sainsbury’s signs at St Johns

Supermarket chain Sainsbury's is to open in St Johns Shopping Centre in Liverpool, with a £500,000 investment from centre owner InfraRed Capital Partners.

The store will replace the May Sum Chinese restaurant and the Lime Street newsagents on Elliot Street and Lime Street.

The refurbishment is due to start in late 2014 and will see a complete revamp of the main frontage of the shopping centre opposite Liverpool Lime Street Railway station.

InfraRed recently announced a £2m upgrade to the internal shopping malls at St Johns, and in 2013 implemented £4m of works to the centre's food court, toilets and Houghton Street entrance.

Chris Huxtable, director of InfraRed, said: "This letting is a major coup for the centre and demonstrates how investment by shopping centre owners can attract new retailers. Along with the centre's asset manager, Hark Group, we are delighted that Sainsbury's have committed to St Johns, which will enable us to invest in the regeneration of this important frontage, which forms part of the gateway into Liverpool from Lime Street train station."

Sainsbury's will submit a planning application for the store to Liverpool City Council in the coming weeks.