Pattern emerges for carpet store suitors

Several bids have been submitted to take over a former carpet showroom in Stourbridge, estate agents said today.

Lex Allan Commercials originally planned to decide which firm would taking over the lease at the former Kidderminster Carpets store in December.

But a number of bids have been submitted for the Talbot Street store, all of which are "viable" options.

More time has now been allocated to consider the bids and a final decision is now expected in a few weeks' time.

The building has stood empty since Kidderminster Carpets moved out in September.

It is one of the largest units in the town centre and was leased by the carpet firm for more than 30 years.

Bosses decided to move out because they said services in the town had declined over the years and no longer attracted high levels of trade.

The lease has been on the market through Lex Allan Commercial, which is not revealing which companies are interested.

Spokesman Stuart Doolittle said: "There have been a significant number of offers for this site, so it will definitely be reopening in the near future.

"A decision still has to be made on which offer will be taken up by the owners and we are expecting this to happen soon.

"It will be a matter of weeks rather than months.

"How soon the successful tenant will move into the store and open we obviously cannot say. However, the future is obviously bright for this unit."

Mr Doolittle said a decision had not been made on whether the site would be split in two because of its size, or taken over by a single firm.

Kidderminster Carpets is still trading from its store in High Street, Amblecote.