Retail development is happening across the UK. From Aberdeen to Portsmouth, bulldozers and cranes are dotting the landscape to take their cities’ retail offer up a gear. While some schemes are a long way off completion, retailers are eagerly eyeing the changes and opening stores in their target cities.
This year’s Top Towns supplement gives a snapshot of the top UK towns in terms of their retail rankings. Using exclusive research from Experian, we have been able to provide a detailed analysis of the 20 top towns, with useful data such as Goad maps, demographics, floorspace, missing retailers and under-sized retailers.
Nobody would argue that the market isn’t tough for retailers, but our report shows that, for the right site in the right city, deals are still happening. And it’s not just London attracting new names. Take Birmingham and Manchester, for example: Birmingham scored the first shop for Danish brand Bestseller, while Manchester won the first store for another Danish outfit, Blend.
Experian’s retail rankings enable us to look into the future to see how the top towns may change by 2017. Interestingly, the top five towns retain their positions, with London taking the lead, followed by Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham.
These locations have always been key for shoppers and, with their plans for redevelopment, will remain prime pitches. London’s West End will always attract flagship stores, but Westminster Council is not resting on its laurels. It is working with the Mayor of London to tidy up the tatty east end of Oxford Street and re-route the buses to create a better shopping environment.
Meanwhile, Glasgow’s planned redevelopment of its town centre shopping schemes Buchanan Galleries and St Enoch Centre will cement its ranking; Birmingham’s Martineau Galleries development will reinforce Bullring; the redevelopment of the Arndale Centre in Manchester has completed the city’s shopping Mecca and in Nottingham, the plans to develop the Broadmarsh centre will help extend the city’s retail offer.
The UK’s top performing towns are making sure that they don’t get left behind. While there is a lot of competition from out-of-town developments, online shopping and factory outlets, these top towns are working hard to ensure that their offer remains attractive to shoppers.
And they’re doing a great job. Anyone walking around Manchester since the Arndale re-opened will see a terrific retail offer, which will soon be rivalled by Liverpool, Cardiff and Newcastle. Retailers and shoppers alike will be spoilt for choice.
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