One of Lowestoft's best-known department stores is holding a huge sale so it can clear £2million worth of stock ahead of a major revamp.

Palmers – which has stores in Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Bury St Edmunds – is transforming its London Road North premises, with a 1,000 sq ft new cookshop taking the place of the former Moss Bros men's clothing area.

There will then be a new home furnishings department called Gallery, which will stock bed linen brands designed by celebrities Kylie Minogue and Kirstie Allsopp, as well as made-to-measure curtains and blinds.

Although there will still be a smaller men's clothing section in the store, Palmers managing director David Howard it was part of a change of strategy to become more of a homeware store.

'We see that's where the growth is,' he explained.

However he added he wanted a 'point of difference' with stores like Dunelm in the town, saying: 'Our range is going to be higher-end, better quality but still affordable.'

Brands to be stocked in the homeware section include Kylie, Ted Baker, Echo, Julie Dodsworth and Joules, while the cookshop will contain the well-known Kitchen Aid, Joseph Joseph, Denby and Meyer Circulon labels.

As such the store has been closed for two days this week as it undergoes a refit in preparation for the new departments.

Work will continue over the next few weeks, with the cookshop due to open in early March and the home furnishings sections due to be ready by mid to late March.

Palmers – which came into Lowestoft in 2004, taking over the store previously known as Chadds – hopes to officially open the new departments in early April, subject to final completion dates.

However in order to do that it needs to clear the £2million of stock on site, with its 'madness sale' starting at 10am yesterday (Thursday, February 4).

Some products will have up to 70 per cent off as part of the sale.

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