A brand new pop-up shop, Collecteebles, has opened its doors in the Chantry Centre.
Appealing to gaming fans and collectors, the shop will primarily specialise in selling Pokémon. The store will also stock some Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, a vast range of gaming accessories, Hot Wheels, Top Trumps and board games.
The pop-up is located next to Toy Arena in the centre and will be open seven days a week, with plans to host special gaming events going forward. Collecteebles has been active for the past four years and prior to opening the unit in the centre has been trading online and attending pop-up events and car boots sales in the local area.
Collecteebles hosted an official opening day on Saturday 10 December. To celebrate the launch, the first few customers received a free gift with their purchase and visitors had the chance to learn how to play Pokémon.
The new shop is the latest to open in Andover’s indoor shopping mall, following the likes of Boba World, Yana Vintage and Celebration Cube.
Owner of Collecteebles, Curtis, said: “We Play, we collect, we get it. We are excited to bring the community together on a regular basis as we move from hosting one off events to a permanent home in the Chantry Centre”.
Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Phil North said: “I’m really pleased that we have been able to accommodate Collecteebles in Andover. After trading online for the past few years, we have now been able to offer the business a secure indoor space in the Chantry Centre to not only sell their goods, but also host special gaming events as well.
“I wish them all the very best of making this new shop a success.”
Test Valley Borough Council has ambitious plans for the future of the Chantry Centre as part of the town centre redevelopment project. In the meantime the council is actively looking at options for the building’s under-utilised space. The council operates a flexible easy-in, easy-out scheme for local retailers who may wish to trial a short term residence in a retail unit and raise their profile in the town before making a longer term commitment.
Anyone interested in a Chantry Centre pop-up shop can contact the Chantry Centre management team at ccmanagement@testvalley.gov.uk