CANVEY’S new retail park is set to buck the trend of failing shopping centres nationally, it is claimed.

NewRiver REIT is responsible for the new retail park planned for Roscommon Way, near Morrisons in Northwick Road, and new aerial photos show the site is almost completed.

A Marks and Spencer food store will be joined by retailers including B&M, Sports Direct, and a Costa drive-through when the site opens at the end of January.

One unit is yet to be allocated, but the developers told the Echo they are currently in talks with a number of retailers.

The developers are also confident the retail park will not suffer the same struggles as others, including intu Lakeside, because it has a “different demographic”.

Concerns have been raised over the future of Lakeside after House of Fraser announced its closure and bosses admitting they are investigating “alternative uses” for vacant shops.

However NewRiver REIT stated the mix of shops there will be focussed on convenience and budget buys, without the “specialist” shops dominating shopping centres.

Director Charles Spooner said: “Canvey Retail Park will provide a convenient, accessible and quality new offer to the Canvey community.

“This type of retail serves a very different function to that of a huge glossy super mall where a shopper goes every few months to browse for items they desire, rather than what they require.

“NewRiver specialise in community and convenience retail and leisure assets, owning 34 community and convenience led shopping centres, together with almost 700 community pubs and 21 convenience led retail parks, all of which serve an important role in their local communities because they cater for the needs of the UK family household budget.

"Our shoppers visit one to two times per week, in order to purchase their weekly essential goods and rely on these community hubs to cater for the needs of their families.

"For that reason there is consistency of spend and frequency because regardless of the economic environment, consumers still need to go about their daily lives.

"The opening of Canvey Island Retail Park will mark a highly anticipated long term investment for the community. It activates a formerly vacant brownfield site and will bolster the local economy and help to prevent potential leakage to neighbouring towns.”