Take a look around the new Millstores at the former Wilkos in Cleveleys

In what was planned as a soft launch, eager shoppers were found queueing before the doors even opened at the new Millstores in Cleveleys yesterday.

Hundreds visited the new 13,000-square-foot store situated in Nutter Road, just off Victoria Road West - formerly occupied by Wilko. The store includes a range of fashion, footwear, bedding, homeware, gifts, and more departments.

Join Jane Littlewood, of the Visit Fylde Coast websites and Care for Cleveleys Facebook page, as she takes us on a tour around the new store.

Simon Yates, co-owner of Millstores, said: "It’s standard practice to open quietly. It helps you iron out any issues before the major opening. It’s called a ‘soft launch’ in the trade.

“But with over 1,500 shoppers, yesterday was anything but a soft launch! We had hundreds of people in the store!

“We wanted to let Cleveleys residents be the first to experience Millstores. We’ve been planning and training to transform the store into something special.

“We are so grateful to everyone who visited us and the staff team who coped admirably. It was an amazing day!”

The new venture was brought to Cleveleys by Simon Yates and Jon Addis, who own Ena Mill in Atherton and The Courtyard in Tarleton, with the pair creating over 25 new jobs for the town.

Millstores offers over 10,000 product lines from well-known brands such as Rieker Footwear, Apricot, Regatta, Tog24, Julian Charles, Sockshop, and Yankee Candle.