Glasswells plans massive new store opening for Ipswich
Glasswells, East Anglia’s largest independent furnishing retailer is set to open a massive new showroom in Ipswich this year, subject to planning permission being granted this week (Thursday 24th January).
Artists impression of the new store
Glasswells has bought a large site on Orwell Retail Park, at the junction of London Road and Ranelagh Road, for its 73,000 sq ft store. When completed, it will be similar in size to Glasswells’ store on Newmarket Road in Bury St Edmunds and nearly four times the size of its existing store in Martlesham Heath.
Subject to the granting of planning permission, the £5million new showroom will open at the end of the year, creating approximately 70 new jobs for the town.
Managing director, Paul Glasswell, is very excited about the plans. “Many people in this area will know us only for our Martlesham Heath store. This new showroom, which will be on two floors, will be much larger and will carry a far wider product range.”
“As well as dining and upholstered furniture, we will sell beds, floor coverings, curtains and linens, lighting, giftware and cookware,” he said. “We will also have an in-store design service and will also offer contract furnishing for businesses. The plan is for a one-stop furnishing shop for this area.”
Like the Bury St Edmunds showroom, the new store will have a restaurant – Place to Eat - which will be open daily for tea and coffee, as well as freshly prepared cakes and meals. There will also be a Playzone for children, equipped with toys and video lounge.”
“Glasswells plans to offer something very different to other furnishing retailers in the town. We’re a family business and we have a real commitment to the region,” Paul explained. “For a start, we want to build a very attractive landmark building with a stunning glass frontage to replace the current 1970’s building. We’re also planning substantial and sympathetic landscaping. “There is a lot of development going on in and around Ipswich at the moment, and we see it as an area with a great deal of potential,” he added. “We’ve had a store at Martlesham since 1995 and it’s always done well. We’re now ready to take our investment in East Suffolk to a different level, based on that experience.”
Glasswells currently operates its “Furniture Now” outlet store on the site. This will be closed as soon as building work can begin onsite. The Martlesham Heath store will remain open for the foreseeable future.
Glasswells is a family company, set up by Paul Glasswell’s grandfather more than 60 years ago in Bury St Edmunds. There are further Glasswells’ showrooms in Saffron Walden and Haverhill. The company also has divisions specialising in contract furnishings, furniture removals and storage.
The two other stores situated on the Orwell Park site will remain unchanged as a result of the redevelopment of the Glasswells store.
