Sports Direct is set to close a branch in a town’s shopping centre.

The store in The Mall, Maidstone, will move into House of Fraser in Fremlin Walk.

The sports retailer is owned by entrepreneur Mike Ashley and sells a range of clothing, footwear and equipment.

There are more than 10 branches across the county – including Ashford, Chatham, Sittingbourne and Tunbridge Wells.

The news of the closure comes after the well-known department store chain revealed it would be having a rebrand.

In August 2018, House of Fraser announced its intention to call in administrators.

Mr Ashley immediately struck a deal to buy the company and its stock for £90 million.

We asked Maidstone residents and experts what is to blame for recent shop closures. Click here to read the report.

House of Fraser will now be called Frasers and is part of a new business model.

It aims to be a “dynamic” retail destination and could potentially be home to brands such as USC, Evans Cycles and Game.

As a result, the Maidstone store will be having a major refit and is set to shut at the end of March to reopen in early October.

During this time the Sports Direct branch in the shopping centre will close.

An official closing date is yet to be announced.

A spokeswoman from Frasers Group said: “We are pleased to confirm that we are transforming the current House of Fraser site to provide Maidstone customers with a larger, elevated store that offers the world’s most aspirational brands.

“Following the group’s success in opening over eight Frasers stores to date, the group continues to invest in Frasers’ concept store model and will open a 65,000 sq ft. Frasers in this space, featuring a Sports Direct.”

The Mall has declined to comment.

Fremlin Walk management said in a statement they were delighted to have signed a new long-term lease agreement with Frasers Group for the 101,921 sq ft unit.

They said the new agreement will see Frasers Group fully refurbish its House of Fraser unit into a flagship store for Kent, featuring several of its well-known brands under one roof including Flannels and Sports Direct.

They confirmed that to carry out the necessary transformation, the House of Fraser store will close temporarily from Saturday, March 30, reopening in Autumn 2024.

The statement continued that following several lease renewals with existing tenants during 2023, the team at Fremlin Walk were planning to further enhance the retail and eatery line-up during the next 12 months and in discussions with several brands to move in.

Kerry Williams, portfolio director for M&G Real Estate, said: “We are delighted that Frasers Group has not only committed its long-term future to Fremlin Walk, but also selected Maidstone as a location for one of its new flagship concept stores. House of Fraser has been a key footfall driver for the town centre for several years, and we firmly believe that this new enhanced store will attract shoppers from across Kent.

“The continued presence of big name brands such as Frasers Group demonstrates the confidence that major UK and international retailers have in Fremlin Walk which continues to attract strong footfall throughout the year. As we continue our efforts of creating a diverse and vibrant shopping environment, we hope to share more exciting leasing news over the course of the year.”

Knight Frank and Green Partners are the retained letting agent for Fremlin Walk.

David Legat from Knight Frank added: “Completing this flagship letting and bringing the three incredible brands of Frasers, Sports Direct and Flannels to Fremlin Walk secures the scheme as a retail led destination long into the future. Fremlin Walk has now firmly cemented its position as the centre of Maidstone. We look forward to building on this success and announcing more exciting brands to our line-up in the near future.”