Arnold Clark opens Derby Motorstore at former Pizza Hut, MP cuts ribbon

Arnold Clark opened its Derby Motorstore at Foresters Retail Park in early March 2026, converting the long-vacant former Pizza Hut into a used and nearly-new car showroom and inviting customers through the doors at an official ceremony where Baggy Shanker, MP for Derby South, cut the ribbon. Shanker said the project represented a "£10 million investment, creating 40 jobs and bringing a site back into use after seven years," framing the opening as a local economic boost.

The site sits about two miles south of Derby city centre and, according to general manager George Ferebee, has been transformed with an investment he described as £10 million and with "space for up to 750 vehicles." Ferebee said the Motorstore is a brand-new facility intended to offer customers "extensive choice in one location," a scale the company says will pair on-site stock with Arnold Clark’s wider group inventory.

Arnold Clark’s senior team framed the launch around choice and customer service. Sammy Ali, Group Brand Director, said, "We’re thrilled to open Arnold Clark Derby Motorstore. Our new Motorstore gives customers in Derby and the surrounding areas access to the best used car deals in the UK." The store will showcase vehicles from 35 manufacturers, with reporting of on-site counts varying from more than 450 nearly-new and used cars on opening display to company statements about broader access to thousands of vehicles across the group.

The Motorstore will add aftersales and charging infrastructure in the coming months. Arnold Clark has committed its Arnold Clark Charge network to install six ultra-rapid chargers on-site offering speeds up to 150 kW, and the company says dedicated workshop and valeting facilities will be commissioned shortly. Those additions follow Arnold Clark’s recent Motorstore openings elsewhere, including a Chertsey location that displayed over 300 cars after taking over a former Cazoo site.

Employment figures cited around the opening vary across statements and reporting. Chief Executive Russell Borrie said the investment "creates over 30 new jobs locally," while other accounts and the MP’s remarks referenced figures up to 40 jobs. Arnold Clark staged a recruitment drive earlier in the year to hire for sales, customer service, accounts and valeting roles ahead of the opening.

With more than 200 branches nationwide and an expanding Motorstore format, Arnold Clark is positioning the Derby site as a regional sales and service hub that pairs high on-site capacity with rapid EV charging and planned workshop services, marking a concrete reuse of a site vacant for around seven years.