You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Waterstones is set to open a branch of Hatchards at London’s St Pancras International.
Foyles announced last week that it was vacating the London station where it had been for six years, after failing to renegotiate its lease.
The new branch of Hatchards will open in a different location to the one Foyles will vacate at the end of July, and will be situated next to Fortnum and Mason.
Waterstones managing director James Daunt said it seemed fitting to open a second Hatchards next to a second Fortnum and Mason in St Pancras International as the shops sit beside each other on London’s Piccadilly at the moment.
“When we saw the site was next to Fortnum and Mason we thought there was a symmetry there and we thought it would be quite a fun place to open a second Hatchards,” he told The Bookseller. “There was only one of each which have sat next to each other for some time and now there will be two of each next to each other in St Pancras.”
Foyles turned down the site Hatchards will now occupy after deeming the 2,000 sq ft space too small to host a Foyles shop. However, Daunt said: “I don’t think it is too small at all. It is bigger than some of my other London shops which do very well.” He added: “We are really excited about it.”
The store will open at the beginning of August. It will carry over 15,000 books and will include a large children’s section. As it does on Piccadilly, the shop is expected to host a full calendar of literary events and author signings, this time using the “dramatic public spaces of St Pancras International.”
Ewan Venters, c.e.o of Fortnum and Mason, said: “We've stood side by side with Hatchards for well over 200 years and have benefited from customers coming to their store to buy books, before taking a few extra steps along Piccadilly to enjoy the wondrous food and drink, and gifts, we sell. Likewise, hundreds of thousands of people that have made trips to Fortnum's have subsequently stepped into Hatchards. We're thrilled that they're setting up shop next to us at St Pancras and wish them the very best with this exciting venture".
Last week, Foyles c.e.of Sam Husain said the bookseller was “extremely disappointed” to leave St Pancras Station where it had “created a very successful and popular bookshop, well loved by our customers.” John Lewis will take the space the current Foyles store occupies in the station.