Bath’s SouthGate shopping centre has joined forces with other retail schemes across the West of England to attract more stores to the region.
The centres have combined to produce an eye-catching map, pictured below, that showcases the strength of the region’s retail sector and its economic potential for investors.
Also taking part in the initiative are Bristol’s Cabot Circus, The Galleries, Broadmead and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway along with the Sovereign Centre in Weston-super-Mare and Yate Shopping Centre.
William Juckes, chair of the West of England retail sector group, which acts as an advisory group to the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “There has been huge progress in our region’s retail offering over the past 20 years, with the arrival of Cribbs Causeway, Cabot Circus and SouthGate Bath, plus the redevelopment of Dolphin Square in Weston-super-Mare and Broadmead in Bristol. We now have a fantastic retail offering with a wide variety of retailers, providing a great mix of big brand names and local independents.
“However, we know that major retailers, particularly international brands, often disregard our part of the country when they are looking to trial new concepts outside of London. It’s vital that we work together as a sector and do everything we can to raise the profile of the opportunities here. We hope this unique map will help paint a picture for potential investors and encourage them to take a fresh look.”
John Hirst, chief executive of Destination Bristol, who is a member of the retail sector group, added: “Our main shopping centres have a combined annual footfall of over 100m visitors and, with the planned investment in our transport network over the next few years – particularly the electrification of the Great Western railway line – we are expecting to see even more visitors, more businesses relocating, and more jobs here. We want to take this message out to national and international retailers and show them what they’re missing.”
The group will use the map at retail events in the UK and overseas and it will also be used as a tool by Invest Bristol and Bath, the region’s inward investment agency.
