River Island and Next to open at The Oracle this year

London - British high street retailers River Island and Next are the latest retailers set to open at The Oracle shopping centre in Reading. The opening sees both retailers relocating their current stores from Broad Street to The Oracle.

Next is set to open a new 29,000 square foot store in The Oracle, becoming one of the shopping centres predominant retailers. The extra space sees Next offering a much wider selection of fashion, home and accessories.

Fashion retailer River Island is set to relocate to a new 11,500 square foot store on the upper mall level. The new store will become an important flagship location for the brand and will include new, innovative concepts.

"We were delighted to be opening a bigger, better store in Reading at The Oracle," said River Island. "The centre has a strong tenant mix and is already an important shopping destination locally. After years of working with Hammerson to create space for us, we are looking forward to showcasing more of our product to existing and new customers."

The new store openings come as property owner Hammerson continues to invest in refurbishing the shopping centre. The Debenhams in The Oracle is currently undergoing a full store refresh, and two new dining concepts - Franco Manca and The Real Greek - are set to open in The Riverside.

"We are very pleased to welcome Next and River Island into The Oracle. They are strong brands and their decision to upsize is evidence of growing occupier demand for prime regional retail space," commented Iain Mitchell, UK Commercial Director at Hammerson.

“The transformation we have been able to deliver at The Oracle is a testament to our dedicated asset management and leasing strategy which continues to create the most compelling retail, leisure and dining mix for our shoppers."