Rihoy & Son has successfully completed what the public now sees as ‘Chapter One’ of the Creasey’s redevelopment – but for the construction team, this was actually the third stage of work. This multi-million-pound transformation saw the complete demolition of 13 High Street and its reconstruction to connect directly with the existing flagship store. The result is a bold, contemporary addition to Guernsey’s retail centre.

Collaboration and completion

As main contractor, Rihoy & Son tackled the demolition of the former six-storey HSBC building and constructed a replacement that now integrates seamlessly with the original Creasey’s premises.

Managing Director Dan Taylor said:

“We were dealing with a six-storey building in the very heart of St Peter Port. On one side we had the High Street and on the other the quayside, so there was no working space at either side of the building. We had different trading entities on each side [Creaseys’s and Marks & Spencer] which meant we needed to liaise with two different sets of staff and management.”

“Aside from the difficulties of the location, the project itself was demanding for our team. We demolished a six-storey building and then rebuilt it to connect into the main Creasey’s store – but nothing in the original building lined up with its neighbour. From a technical point of view, one of the major challenges was the three large escalators which came from the UK and that we needed to install. While everything had been measured and checked thoroughly, the tolerances for installing those were very small, so it was a huge relief to get them in safely.”

A standout feature of this phase is the quayside staircase, designed by Lovell Ozanne and constructed by Rihoy & Son. Built within the original footprint, it shifts as it rises to use the cantilevered bay, adding both space and impact. A repurposed lift from the neighbouring M&S store was also installed, now fully compliant across all floors. With 13 High Street complete, the upper floors of the original store were refurbished to temporarily house womenswear and lingerie, enabling continued progress.

What comes next

While ‘Chapter One’ marks the first customer-facing stage, the overall redevelopment continues with two further construction phases. To maintain trading throughout, departments will rotate within the building, allowing works to proceed with minimal disruption.

As soon as the womenswear and lingerie departments were relocated, strip-out works began on levels one and three, alongside removal of the existing lift shaft and staircase between levels zero and three. These changes will unlock more open floorplates and enhance spatial connectivity within the store.

The full £10 million redevelopment is due to complete by autumn 2026. The finished store will retain and highlight key architectural features, using story boards to honour Creasey’s long-standing legacy as a fifth-generation family business which Rihoy & Son are proud to support.