The Range to open store at Dunmail Park in Workington

The Range, a UK home, leisure and garden retailer, is coming to Dunmail Park in Workington, the owners of the shopping centre have confirmed.

The former Dixons Home Store and four other units, previously occupied by Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and Burtons will be made into one space, with the addition of a hard-standing for a garden centre. A café is also included in the plans.

It is the last project led by Donald Dixon, of J Dixon & Son Ltd, which owns Dunmail Park, following his death at the age of 89 last week.

A planning application has now been submitted and if approved, the new store is expected to open in early 2025.

The plans for The Range at Dunmail Park in Workington (Image: Submitted)

Gordon Osbaldestin, of J Dixon & Son, said: “Sadly with Mr Donald Dixon’s recent passing it is the last project that Mr Dixon led.

“But it will be a lasting legacy and a good example of the many projects he was involved with in Cumbria and the west coast of Cumbria, in particular, over the 65 years of leading J Dixon & Son.

“It will complement what we are offering at Dunmail Park now. It will definitely benefit the community. There will be more options for customers – you don’t have to go to Carlisle, you can stay in Workington.”

The Range will be employing more than 50 people at the centre with a mix between retail, security and its Café 89 catering offer. 

It had been widely rumoured that The Range would be opening at Dunmail Park after Dixons Home Store closed earlier this year.

The Range had identified three locations across Cumbria for new stores – Workington, Kendal and Windermere. The company said it was going through ‘a period of mass expansion and growth’ in the UK and Ireland.

It said it was now one of the fastest-growing retailers in the UK, stocking more than 140,000 products across 16 different departments, from homewares and furniture to DIY and art supplies.