Waterstones to open new bookshops in London, Lichfield, Suffolk and Oldham

Waterstones will open four bookshops in May and June, three of them in brand new locations. 

The retailer will open its fourth bookshop in partnership with Next in Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, on 6th May. There will also be a new store  opening on 20th May in the historic city of Lichfield, with Waterstones Oldham welcoming customers back on the same day after relocating to a new site in the Spindles shopping centre. A new London shop, Waterstones Broadgate, in the City, is planned to open in June. 

Kate Skipper, Waterstones c.o.o. said: “Following the successful opening of new locations in 2021, we are delighted to announce the opening of three further new shops as we continue to bring new bookshops to more areas of the country. We can’t wait to open our doors to customers and to establish the new shops as cultural and social hubs within their local communities. We will also continue to invest in our existing shops in 2022 as we seek to serve the reading boom which has seen more and more readers seek solace from the page away from the glare of their omni-present screens.”   

Waterstones acquired Blackwell’s in February. Its latest financial results in the pandemic-hit 12 months ending 24th April 2021 showed Waterstones’ annual sales fell 39% and profit after tax plunged 85%, though the chain expects a return to pre-Covid growth next year. 

The new stores will bring the total number of Waterstones shops, including Foyles and Blackwell’s, to 311.

The new shop addresses are:  

Waterstones Ipswich Martlesham (within Next) 

1-3 Beardmore Park, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 3RX 

Waterstones Lichfield 

35 Market St, Lichfield WS13 6LA 

Waterstones Oldham 

Unit 24, Lower Mall, Spindles Shopping Centre, Oldham, OL1 1HE 

Waterstones Broadgate 

Unit LG03A, Octagon Mall, London, EC2M 2AU