Costa Coffee, New Look Menswear and Yours to join Primark at Shrewsbury's Darwin Shopping Centre

Costa Coffee will open a new branch in the town as part of a quadruple letting of units in the town's main shopping centres.

The coffee giant has agreed a lease on a new unit in the Charles Darwin Shopping Centre off Pride Hill, moving into the unit which was formerly occupied by fashion chain Yours.

Yours itself is expanding into larger premises on the middle level in the centre, while New Look Menswear is also set to move into the town for the first time, taking over the former Blue Inc premises on the top floor.

The new Yours outlet will trade under both its Yours ladieswear and Rhino menswear.

New Look will operate both its new menswear store and its existing womenswear store in the nearby Pride Hill Shopping Centre.

The final of the four deals has seen The Body Shop, which has its shop front on Pride Hill, extend its lease.

It comes as the centre prepares for the forthcoming opening of a new Primark store, which will see 100 new jobs created by the budget fashion retailer.

Work to transform empty shopping units in the Darwin Shopping Centre in to the Primark shop is on schedule, according to the fashion chain.

The proposed opening of the fashion chain's latest shop is projected to be in late spring or early summer.

Centre manager Kevin Lockwood said: "The investment the landlords are making in the centre on the back of the Primark deal goes to show the commitment from the landlords and from the national retailers that have previously not been in the town.

"Everybody talks about the doom and gloom on the high street but Shrewsbury has a unique offer and I think people have seen that. We have good independents and good national retailers and that has attracted these people in.

"There are further discussions with other people, and agents are working really hard to bring new business into the town."

Will Fulton, fund manager of UK Commercial Property Trust which owns the centres, said: "As we continue to progress at pace with the delivery of a new Primark anchor and associated mall refurbishment works, we are pleased to attract new, national brands such as New Look Menswear to Shrewsbury.

"We are also pleased to see further commitment from brands such as Costa, Yours and The Body Shop.

"It is exciting to see this deserved confidence in Shrewsbury and we look forward to delivering further lettings and asset management initiatives to improve the Shrewsbury shopping experience."