Rumours Eat will close Oxford Street and Westfield stores unconfirmed
Sandwich chain Eat will be closing its sites at 68 Oxford Street and its unit within Westfield London shopping centre in Shepherd's Bush to focus its portfolio on transport hubs, according to www.propertyweek.com/news/eat-loses-appetite-for-oxford-street-and-westfield-stores/5079499.article?origin=PWbreakingnews">http://www.propertyweek.com/news/eat-loses-appetite-for-oxford-street-and-westfield-stores/5079499.article?origin=PWbreakingnews" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Property Week. However, Eat has refused to either confirm or deny the suggestion.
Property Week reported that the firm would not be renewing a 10-year lease on the Oxford Street site, owned by Derwent London, which is due to expire next month. The store is thought to be one of the largest within Eat's current portfolio.
Eat is also expected to vacate its ground floor unit in the food and beverage area at Hammerson's Westfield London, according to the report.
But it said the chain will still operate a store in the Topshop flagship store on Oxford Street and will remain in the Stratford Westfield shopping centre.
A spokesperson for Eat was unable to comment on specific lease arrangements but said the firm was working on its "ambitious" store opening programme.
In a statement, the firm said: "Eat has a strong presence in and are committed to growing our scale in the West End of London and across the UK. We are unable to comment on any specific lease negotiations that are ongoing in the West End or elsewhere; however there are no confirmed conclusions reached on any current negotiations at this point in time.
"We have a healthy, ambitious store opening programme and continue to seek out sites to extend our brand offer in high footfall locations."
The firm said its most recent store opening in Cardiff is trading strongly and it will be opening a new site at Clapham Junction station on 10 March. Another site is set to open on Finsbury Pavement, central London in April.