The Warp Welcomed by Record Crowds at New Unit in Meridian Shopping Centre, Havant
Shoppers have been showing their support for a popular Havant hobby shop which has opened its expanded store.
Landlords Havant Borough Council and the Meridian Shopping Centre said that were delighted to witness the overwhelming public response to the opening of The Warp’s new, expanded store on the first floor of the centre, next to the lifts. The popular retailer, which has relocated from a smaller unit to accommodate rapid growth, welcomed far more visitors than anticipated on opening day.
Store owner Ryan King said: “We were expecting a maximum of 150 people to attend on opening day, but we counted over 1,200 visitors. It was a huge and very welcome surprise. Everyone queued patiently, and the feedback from customers has been fantastic, particularly about the new store layout and dedicated gaming areas. We’re hopeful this momentum will continue over the coming months, especially with our extended trading hours now in place.”
Rob Fryer, Centre Manager at the Meridian Centre, praised the success of the move and the support behind it: “From the outset, the landlords have fully supported The Warp’s move into a significantly larger unit, recognising the explosive growth of what began as a local start-up.
"We admittedly underestimated the sheer scale of interest in Warhammer, which we now understand has a huge national following. We’d like to thank everyone who attended on the day, including those who queued around the upper balcony for over two hours. One of our security team even spoke to a couple who had travelled down from Northampton to attend.”
He added: “With the impressive look of the new unit, extended trading hours, and the positive, welcoming nature of The Warp team, we have no doubt this store will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Details of The Warp’s new opening hours can be found on the Meridian Shopping Centre’s website and social media channels.