UPMARKET mother and babywear firm JoJo Maman Bébé is opening a brand-new store in Stroud.

The new 1,205 sq. ft. outlet is due to open in a retail unit fronting King Street at the end of September.

The store is part of the new Five Valley’s shopping centre, which is a development and expansion of Merrywalks.

The company, which sells maternity, baby and children’s wear, nursery products, gifts and toys, is currently recruiting its new Stroud team.

Six new jobs will be created when the store opens next month.

It’s the first major announcement of a new company moving to the town centre development since Dransfield Properties Ltd embarked on its £25 million transformation of the centre.

The King Street frontage to Five Valley’s has undergone a major transformation over the summer with a new glazed canopy entrance feature.

The stonework has also been restored in this part of the development and traditional shopfronts installed along the busy shopping street.

Managing director for Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: “JoJo Maman Bébé is a great company which we have worked with for many years here at Dransfield Properties.

“We are really pleased to be building on our relationship with the new store at our Five Valley’s development in Stroud.

“We are confident this will be a great addition to the town centre and look forward to making further announcements about new retailers joining the centre in the coming weeks.”

JoJo Maman Bébé was founded in 1993 by managing director Laura Tenison MBE. The company has more than 90 stores across the UK and sells a stylish range of high-quality maternity, nursery, baby and children’s wear.

Laura said: “We are really excited about opening in Stroud as we know that local parents are in tune with our deep-seated values. JoJo is a Certified B Corp, with the mantra to put “people and planet above profit” written into the company statutes.

“We look forward to assisting expectant mothers, new parents, grandparents and baby gift buyers to find exactly what they need within a short distance of their homes.”