Hundreds of shoppers queued in Swansea city centre on Friday for the opening of Danish lifestyle store Søstrene Grene — in what the retailer says was its busiest UK launch yet.
The Scandinavian brand opened its doors on Princess Way on the morning of 26 June, with queues forming along Castle Square for a first look inside.
The first customers were waiting from as early as 7:30am, well before the doors opened.
Søstrene Grene is known for its design-led homewares, furniture, crafts and lifestyle products, and has built a loyal following across Europe.
The Swansea store is its second in Wales, and has taken over the large Princess Way unit that had stood empty since Zara left at the end of 2024.
The opening had been keenly awaited since the brand confirmed its date in May.
Helen Markey, the retailer’s area manager for Ireland, Wales and Scotland, said it had been the busiest store opening she had experienced for the brand.
“Our first customers in the queue arrived as early as 7.30am,” she said. “It’s fantastic to see such a turnout and we’re sure the store will be a huge success.”
The opening was marked with a touch of theatre, with ballet dancers performing in the store and a string duo playing for the crowds outside.
The first 100 visitors through the doors received a voucher for a plant or a wool throw.
Swansea BID, which represents city-centre businesses, welcomed the arrival as a vote of confidence in the city’s retail offer.
Its manager, Andrew Douglas, said the opening was “fantastic news for Swansea city centre.”
He said the brand brought “something fresh and distinctive” to the city’s retail mix and showed the confidence major retailers had in Swansea.
He added that stores like Søstrene Grene acted as “a powerful draw,” with the increased footfall benefiting neighbouring businesses and the city’s hospitality sector.
Part of a changing city centre
The opening is the latest chapter in a fast-changing corner of the city. Directly opposite, the former BHS on Oxford Street has reopened as Y Storfa, the council’s new library and public services hub, which has drawn thousands of visitors since opening.
Right next door to Søstrene Grene, the long-running transformation of Castle Square into a greener public space is well under way, with a new big screen among the plans.
It is not all good news on the high street. Just along Oxford Street, the city is still coming to terms with the closure of its Marks & Spencer store.
Other corners are in line for their own makeovers. The McDonald’s building diagonally opposite is set for a transformation, with millions in Welsh Government funding earmarked for new city-centre flats.
There are signs of life above the shops too. Plans have been lodged to add ten new flats to the upper floor of the same Princess Way building, overlooking Castle Square, as the push to bring more people to live in the heart of the city gathers pace.
The arrival also follows a busy spell for city-centre retail, with American sandwich chain Which Wich recently lining up its first outlet and card retailer Cards Direct opening in the Quadrant — while three major new tenants are expected to be named for the former Debenhams.
Swansea BID said it looked forward to working with the retailer and was confident it would become a popular addition to the high street.
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