Nando’s eyes new restaurant at Parc Fforestfach retail park

Documents submitted to Swansea Council by LCP Properties Ltd show proposals to convert Unit 3 at the retail park from retail (Class A1) to food and drink use (Class A3). The supporting planning statement, prepared by consultants Squires Planning, names Nando’s as the intended operator.

111 covers, 40 jobs

The 360sqm unit would be fitted out with a 220sqm dining area providing 111 covers, alongside kitchen, storage and staff facilities. The restaurant would open daily from 11.30am to 10pm, employing around 40 full‑time equivalent staff.

Nando’s already operates two Swansea outlets — one in the city centre at Salubrious Place and another at Morfa Retail Park. The new branch would mark a further investment in the city.

Planning context

The application argues that the change of use would bring a vacant unit back into active use, boosting the local economy and supporting the retail park’s wider offer.

While Swansea’s Local Development Plan restricts food and drink uses at out‑of‑centre retail parks to “small scale” provision, the planning statement contends that the proposal is appropriate in scale and nature for Parc Fforestfach. It also notes that Nando’s would not want to locate another restaurant in the city centre due to competition with its existing branch.

Access and impact

The retail park is served by 1,300 parking spaces, bus stops on Pontardulais Road, and pedestrian links from surrounding roads. The planning statement says the new restaurant would not significantly increase traffic compared with other retail uses, and that noise and amenity impacts can be managed through conditions.

Current occupier

Unit 3 is currently occupied by Card Factory, despite the planning statement describing it as vacant. Swansea Bay News has contacted Card Factory for comment on the proposals and whether the retailer plans to relocate.

Next steps

Swansea Council will now consider the application. If approved, the move would see another national restaurant chain join the line‑up at Parc Fforestfach, which already includes Tesco, Boots, Next, Aldi and Costa Coffee.

Nando’s has been approached for comment.

Chicken chains flock to Swansea

Swansea is fast becoming a hotspot for chicken restaurants — here’s more of our coverage:

• Peri‑peri paradise: Swansea is home to the UK’s highest‑rated Nando’s
  A new study found Swansea’s Nando’s restaurants top the UK for customer satisfaction.
• Slim Chickens to open new Swansea restaurant
  US chain Slim Chickens is bringing its Southern‑style menu to Wind Street, creating 35 jobs.
• Wingstop set to open in Swansea
  The popular chicken wing brand is opening on Wind Street, part of its rapid UK expansion.
• 18‑hour queues as Popeyes opens in Swansea
  Hundreds queued overnight on Oxford Street for the launch of Popeyes’ first Swansea branch.

#CardFactory #chicken #featured #Fforestfach #FforestfachRetailPark #jobs #NandoS #ParcFforestfach #planningApplication #PontarddulaisRoad #restaurant #retail

Discount chain Poundland sold for £1

Pepco Group say Poundland have been sold to Gordon Brothers for the nominal sum of £1.

Gordon Brothers is a global investment firm which formerly owned fashion label Laura Ashley. It says it will invest up to £80m in Poundland to help turn the business around.

As part of the transaction, Gordon Brothers, Pepco Group and Poundland have agreed to put forward a restructuring plan which is likely to look at store closures and reducing the company’s rent bill – details of this to be announced “in due course” Pepco have said.

Pepco has previously said that it’s struggling Poundland stores were “operating in an increasingly challenging UK retail landscape that is only intensifying”. It warned that increased employer National Insurance contributions which kicked in in April have added pressure on the chain.

Poundland has been struggling to compete with other discounters, with sales down in January and February this year.

Poundland started in Burton-on-Trent in 1990 and has since grown to over 800 stores across the UK and Ireland, employing around 16,000 people.

Locally, it has stores in Haverfordwest and Tenby in Pembrokeshire; Carmarthen, Ammanford and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire; Fforestfach, Morfa and the city centre in Swansea; Neath and Aberavon in Neath Port Talbot; and Maesteg, Porthcawl and Bridgend in Bridgend County.  

Pepco branded shops opened in Poland in 2004, expanding into Czechia and Slovakia in 2013 with further expansion into Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia between 2015 and 2017. Additional stores opened in Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Austria and Germany from 2018.

Pepco Group was formed following the company’s acquisition of Poundland in 2015 and is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Pepco say that as part of the sale all stores, colleagues, assets and liabilities of the Poundland business will move under Gordon Brothers’ ownership as part of the transaction.

Pepco Group expects to obtain a minority investment interest in Poundland, subject to the proposed restructuring of Poundland being sanctioned by the High Court in England.

Under this new ownership, the business will be led by Barry Williams, currently Managing Director of Poundland. The business will continue to operate under the Poundland brand in the United Kingdom and under the Dealz brand in the Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland

Stephan Borchert, Pepco Group CEO commented: “The agreed sale of Poundland marks an important milestone in our strategic plan to… focus predominantly on Pepco, our higher margin clothing and general merchandise business.

“This transaction will strongly support our accelerated value creation programme by simplifying the Group and focusing on our successful Pepco business. I am confident that Pepco has the right foundations to be one of Europe’s most successful discount retailers, delivering customer satisfaction, profitable growth and shareholder value.

“Poundland remains a key player in UK discount retail, with millions of customers annually and a well-loved brand and proposition. We want to sincerely thank all the Poundland team for their ongoing commitment and contribution to the Group and wish Barry Williams and his team all the best for the future.”

#Bridgend #Business #Carmarthen #Haverfordwest #Llanelli #Maesteg #MorfaRetailPark #ParcFforestfach #Porthcawl #Poundland #retail #Swansea #Tenby

Iceland’s Food Warehouse opens in Fforestfach

The highly anticipated new store, situated at Parc Fforestfach on Portarddulais Road in Swansea opened to the public on 10 June 2025, bringing with it an estimated 21 additional jobs to the local community. 

To celebrate the grand opening, The Food Warehouse’s Fforestfach store gave away £1,500 worth of store vouchers to the first 150 customers through the doors. 

Raffle tickets were also given to every customer in the queue before 7:45am on opening morning, which saw three winners take home a Tower Panini Presser and seven lucky customers won a Tower Air Fryer. 

Five other shoppers also won the chance to take part in a 90 second supermarket sweep-style trolley dash around the entire empty store, filling their trolleys for free. 

Floyd Vaughan, Store Manager at The Food Warehouse Fforestfach, said: “We’re so pleased to welcome shoppers to our brand new The Food Warehouse store this morning. Everyone was so excited for the grand opening – people were even in the queue from 4am! 

“If you haven’t been down to visit just yet, make sure to check out our brand-new store and get your hands on some unmissable deals.” 

Kristian Barrett, Group Retail Director at Iceland Foods, added: “We’re thrilled to have opened our new Fforestfach store, ensuring even more local residents can get their hands on market-leading deals, alongside a brilliant range of frozen, grocery and fresh foods.”  

The new The Food Warehouse store in Parc Fforestfach will offer multi-buy offers, like 3 for £3, 3 for £5 and 3 for £10 deals, alongside exclusive The Food Warehouse ranges such as Slimming World, Cathedral City, TGI Fridays and more.  

Customers can also find further offers on the Iceland Bonus Card app. 

The store will be open from 8am – 9pm Monday-Saturday, and from 10am – 4pm on Sundays.   

#Business #Fforestfach #ParcFforestfach #retail #supermarket #Swansea #TheFoodWarehouse

New food store to open in Parc Fforestfach

Iceland Foods has announced it will be opening the doors to a brand-new The Food Warehouse store in Parc Fforestfach, Swansea on 10th June, expanding its product offering and giving local residents an-all new shopping experience in the process.

The store will be situated at Parc Fforestfach on Pontarddulais Road in Swansea and will officially open to the public on 10 June 2025, bringing with it an estimated 21 additional jobs to the local community.

To celebrate the store opening, The Food Warehouse say they will be giving away £1,500 worth of The Food Warehouse vouchers to the first 150 customers through the doors, plus a free tray of Ferrero Rocher to the first 200 customers through the checkouts.

With an Iceland store already located at Parc Cwmdu on Carmarthen Road, the frozen food chain say the launch of a new The Food Warehouse store in the area will ensure that even more local residents have access to market-leading deals and big-brand products.

The Food Warehouse was introduced in 2014, with stores often double the size of traditional Iceland stores, offering a much larger range of goods and bigger packs for even better value. The stores are designed to look like a warehouse, with wide shopping aisles and large spaces – offering the perfect environment for customers to buy their favourite products.

Kristian Barrett, Group Retail Director at Iceland Foods, said: “We’re very excited to be opening our new store in Fforestfach ensuring even more local residents can get their hands on market-leading deals, alongside a brilliant range of frozen, grocery and fresh foods.

“We’re hard at work getting everything set up and ready to go and we can’t wait to open our doors to the local community.”

The store opening also coincides with Iceland’s 10% discount for all customers over 60, available every Tuesday across stores.

The Fforestfach store will be open Monday to Sunday from 10th June onwards from 8am until 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am until 4pm on Sundays.

#Fforestfach #foodDrink #Iceland #ParcFforestfach #retail #supermarket #Swansea #TheFoodWarehouse

Major pet retailer to open new store in Swansea

Jollyes, which describes itself as the UK’s fast-growing pet retailer has announced its new store will be opening in May 2025 at Parc Fforestfach Retail Park.

The new store will employ 12 new members of staff including a store manager.

The new Swansea store is one of five locations announced to open this year in addition to plans to overhaul five existing stores as it continues its rapid growth.

In March it will open new stores in Pontefract, West Yorkshire and Chichester in West Sussex, followed by the Swansea store opening, a new Chesterfield store in Derbyshire and the relocation of one of its oldest stores in Perth to new premises in the town.

All five new locations will provide pet parents access to Jollyes’ raw food frozen ‘shop-in-shop’ and community pet clinics for essential vet services such as microchipping and vaccinations.

The Swansea store opening follows the launch of the chain’s Llanelli store at Parc Pemberton in December 2022, and will be the pet retailer’s seventh store in Wales.

Chief executive officer Joe Wykes said: “We understand how much joy a pet brings to families, but we also know the cost of that commitment is high, especially at a time when household budgets are under pressure from energy bills and mortgage payments.

“That’s why we’re simplifying our prices, so customers won’t need to be a member to get the value that pet parents demand.

“Being relentless in lowering prices to deliver on our promise to be the best value pet store in town is at the heart of our DNA and the promise we make to our customers.

“We’re looking forward to bringing that combination of low prices, service and expertise to even more communities during 2025.”

#Business #cats #Dogs #Jollyes #ParcFforestfach #petShop #retail #Swansea