First retail brands revealed for Edinburgh’s £1 billion St James development

The first retailers to be moving into Edinburgh's £1 billion St James development have been announced.

Zara has been announced as one of the stores to be opening at the Edinburgh St James development.

Edinburgh St James has signed four brands from global retail group Inditex, including fashion powerhouse Zara, to form part of the world-class 1.7m sq ft mixed-use destination at the heart of Edinburgh.

Zara will open a 37,000 sq ft store over three floors at Edinburgh St James, while Bershka, Stradivarius and Pull&Bear will take stores of 9,300 sq ft, 6,000 sq ft and 8,000 sq ft respectively, all located within the main multilevel shopping galleria.

An aerial view of what the 1 billion site will look like once completed in 2021.

Martin Perry, director of development at Edinburgh St James, said: “Edinburgh St James is being created to reflect Edinburgh’s position as a pan-European opportunity city with a thriving economy and unique appeal.

"The signing of four Inditex brands to take prime locations within Edinburgh St James reinforces the development’s significance and highlights its appeal to leading international brands.

"Our vision is to deliver a destination that builds on Edinburgh’s famous calendar of events with our nine events spaces, and delivering a collection of handpicked brand partners in order to curate a world-class offering.”

Once finished, the site will feature 850,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, including 85 new shops, more than 30 new restaurants, an Everyman Cinema, 152 apartments, a striking 12-storey hotel – W Edinburgh, a 75 room Roomzzz Aparthotel, and three new public squares.

The retail and leisure element at Edinburgh St James is anticipated to complete in 2020, followed by full scheme completion in 2021.