A large vacant unit in the heart of Swansea city centre is set to come back to life, with a Danish homeware and lifestyle brand confirmed as the new occupant of the former Zara store on Princess Way.
Søstrene Grene — pronounced “Sœstre-ne Greh-ne” and meaning “the Grene sisters” in Danish — already has a Welsh presence through its Cardiff store, which opened in 2024. The Swansea opening will be its second store in Wales, and an official opening date is expected to be confirmed shortly.
The brand is known for a distinctive Scandinavian aesthetic, selling a mix of design-led homewares, craft and hobby supplies, kitchenware, candles, stationery and seasonal decorations — typically at accessible price points. At the heart of its identity is the Danish concept of “hygge” — a word that roughly translates as a feeling of warmth, comfort and togetherness.
(Image: Søstrene Grene)
Mikkel Grene, Group CEO and co-owner of Søstrene Grene, said the Swansea opening marked an important moment for the brand’s UK expansion. “Designed to be a welcoming and inspiring space, the Swansea store will invite customers to immerse themselves in the essence of Scandinavian living,” he said. “Visitors will also be introduced to the Danish concept of ‘hygge’, a feeling of comfort, warmth and togetherness that sits at the heart of the brand.”
The Princess Way unit has been empty since Zara vacated at the end of 2024 following the expiry of its lease. The building — known as Castle Quays — was acquired by St Mary’s Square Developments, a Swansea-based property company, at the start of 2025. Work has already been under way inside the former Zara unit to prepare it for a new tenant, and scaffolding on the building has been coming down in recent months as the refurbishment progresses.
Peter Loosmore, director of St Mary’s Square Developments, said: “When we were made aware of the interest from Søstrene Grene we felt they would be a fantastic fit for the development and would bring their quality retail offering to Swansea city centre. We are excited to see them opening soon alongside our existing tenants.”
(Image: St Mary’s Square Developments)
The Castle Quays building sits at one of the busiest points in the city centre, with aspects over both Princess Way and Castle Square. It is directly opposite the council’s new Y Storfa hub — the one-stop shop for public services that opened in the former BHS store — and looks out over Castle Square, which is currently undergoing a major multimillion-pound revamp to create a greener and more welcoming public space.
County managers Norma Jacob and Richard Power, who operate Søstrene Grene stores across Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, also welcomed the news. Ms Jacob said the opening marked “an exciting new chapter” for the brand in Wales, adding: “We are delighted to bring our affordable, thoughtfully curated homewares to this vibrant and dynamic city.”
Mr Power said Princess Way was “a prime city centre destination” and that the team looked forward to welcoming customers to experience the brand’s “unique Scandinavian atmosphere.”
(Image: Søstrene Grene)
The arrival of Søstrene Grene is a rare piece of good news for Swansea’s city centre retail scene at a difficult time. The nearby Marks & Spencer store on Oxford Street is due to close later this year, prompting criticism from local politicians and shoppers who fear the loss of one of the high street’s last remaining anchor tenants. The M&S closure sparked calls for action on both sides of the political debate, with Swansea’s MP Torsten Bell demanding staff support and a replacement store for the city.
As Swansea Bay News has previously reported on the future of retail in the city, the question of what kind of brands and businesses can genuinely make the city centre thrive again is one of the biggest conversations Swansea is having with itself right now — and opinions differ sharply.
Against that backdrop, the Søstrene Grene announcement adds to a run of positive retail news in recent months. Greggs, Skechers and Boyes have all opened in the city, alongside Holland & Barrett’s new flagship in the Quadrant and Rituals opening nearby. The former Debenhams building is also being transformed as part of a major revamp of that part of the city centre.
The Castle Quays building itself is at the centre of wider change beyond just its ground floor retail units. St Mary’s Square Developments has submitted a planning application to add ten new flats to the upper floor of the building, as part of the broader push to bring more residents back into the heart of the city — a long-standing goal for planners and business groups who argue that a growing city centre population is essential to making the retail and hospitality offer sustainable.
It is a vision that has been gaining momentum. Across the immediate area, new residential conversions are taking shape, Castle Square is being transformed, and the Y Storfa hub is drawing people into the city centre who might previously have had little reason to visit. Søstrene Grene’s arrival on Princess Way adds another piece to that picture.
Søstrene Grene’s opening date on Princess Way is yet to be confirmed. More information about the brand is available at sostrenegrene.com.
