Bosses at Jarrold have unveiled ambitions to become the best independent retailer in the country in the wake of a £2m investment programme which has transformed the look and feel of its flagship Norwich store.

Tuesday sees the official launch of the new-look beauty hall which has seen the inclusion of an enlarged fashion accessories department, a new approach to gifts and an upgrade of its menswear department.

The transformation is aimed at providing a visual treat and sense of shopping 'theatre' for customers and comes on the back of the introduction of a new-look bookstore and coffee shop in the basement.

Michelle Jarrold, development director for Jarrold Retail, said underpinning the changes was the introduction of an exciting line-up of new brands.

'We are definitely seeing very postive feedback,' she said. 'It's transformed the arrival point into the store. The beauty hall has been doubled in size over the last five years.

'We have introduced some great new brands such as Jo Malone London, which is our biggest arrival since Mac Cosmetics in 2004 and our brand line-up includes Barbour, Gant, Hackett, and Tommy Hilfiger. It's a big step forward in terms of some of the most prestigious brands in department store retailing.

'What we are setting out to do is strengthen the merchandise offering, without losing the incredibly important connection that we have with our long-standing customer base.

'We think we have got the best beauty hall in Norwich. We have added a brand new bookshop, which has been very well received.

'We've created a lovely environment.'

Peter Mitchell, group managing director, said the transformation was underpinned by a desire to create a sense of retail 'theatre' for customers.

'It's our ambition to be the best department store in East Anglia and the best independent department store in the UK,' he said.

'It's been a major upgrade of every spare inch of the store which has been stripped out and refurbished over the last few years.