ST HELENS town centre will receive a welcome boost in the next few days when a women’s fashion wear chain opens a new store in Church Square Shopping Centre.

Select’s shop will be located in the former HMV store which was closed last year.

The positive news, which is creating nine new jobs, counters pessimism from some quarters surrounding the town centre following several major closures, including Burtons and Dorothy Perkins over the past month.

Select specialises in translating catwalk trends into high street outfits at affordable prices, and offers 15 per cent discount for students.

The hope is it will appeal to young women, who are often the harshest critics of the town’s shopping zone on social media.

St Helens Star:

  • Select aims to attract young women with their 'affordable' fashion range 

Church Square Shopping Centre manager Steve Brogan said: “I’ve a teenage daughter and she loves this store – the clothes are an affordable price, decent quality and very ‘on-trend’.

“This is great news for Church Square Shopping Centre and for the town.”

“We have many young shoppers who come to the centre, and enjoy hunting down a new outfit, so this is absolutely perfect for them.

“Signing a well-recognised name such as Select also shows the hard work that that’s been put in to encourage retailers to come to St Helens.”

St Helens Star:

  • Recognised name: Select is a growing brand across the UK

It is the second fashion retailer to open in Church Square this year after Roman set up there in February creating six jobs.

Since its launch in the 1980s, Select has been growing throughout the UK and now has retailers with 136 stores open across the UK.

Select owner Cafer Mahiroglu said: "We’re thrilled with the opening of the new St Helens store - we feel it will be a welcome addition to our rapidly expanding chain of outlets."

Mr Brogan, meanwhile, added it was a “sign of the continuing strong interest in Church Square Shopping Centre by national retailers”, raising hopes that other big names will take up empty units if the economy continues to recover.

In light of criticisms over the town centre’s plight, St Helens Council launched a £1million improvement fund to help “maintain the town centre as the vibrant, commercial heartbeat of the borough”.

Former town centre manager Ged Gibbons was chosen in June to head a commission aiming to create a fresh vision for the town centre.

St Helens Star:

  • The fashion chain is creating nine new jobs