Shoe Zone has u-turned on plans to leave Ashford town centre – but will still move out of the high street.
The chain announced in December how the government’s budget had led to “significant additional costs”.
But while its store next to the town’s bandstand will still close, it has now confirmed it is moving to an empty unit in County Square shopping centre.
The footwear retailer will fill the former YMCA charity shop site next to Poundland, which has been empty since July.
A spokesman for the centre said: “We are delighted to announce we have completed a new lease with Shoe Zone which will be joining County Square.
“In the coming months, it will be fitting out its new store to move from its current location on the high street.
“We are very excited about its arrival, and we’ll keep you updated with a store opening date as soon as it’s confirmed.”
Shoe Zone bosses said last year how Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s move to increase employers’ national insurance contributions and increase the minimum wage had meant a number of stores had become “unviable”.
The chain employs about 2,250 staff across 297 stores in the UK.
As well as Ashford, it also listed stores in Folkestone, Herne Bay and Gillingham for closure.
The company’s other Kent stores are in Broadstairs, Dover, Maidstone, Chatham, Sittingbourne, Tonbridge, Gravesend and Dartford.
The County Square announcement comes just a fortnight after East Kent Mobility moved into the site after relocating from Park Mall.
The company was one of about 20 businesses in Park Mall which need to move out this year as site owner Ashford Borough Council (ABC) plans to demolish the centre in early 2026.
Last year, KentOnline revealed how County Square’s multimillion-pound extension could be turned into 200 homes.
The centre’s owners put the site forward in a “call for sites” planning process led by ABC to identify suitable building plots.
It remains unclear exactly what the scheme will involve, but Q+A Planning Ltd, which put together the plan, says it is “being promoted for a mixed-use development”.
The original part of the centre – including where Shoe Zone is moving into – is not included in the scheme.
