The economic downturn has hit retailers hard – but one Midland shopping centre is still attracting new customers. Consumer Editor Emma McKinney reflects on Touchwood’s ten years in business.
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RISING fuel costs, crippling mortgages and soaring utility bills are leaving a record number of consumers with no cash to splash out on life’s luxuries, according to new research by the British Retail Consortium.
Yet despite 32 per cent of those quizzed by the retail watchdog claiming to have no money left at the end of each month, one Midland shopping centre is managing to attract millions of customers through its doors every year.
While some shopping centres have been blighted by shop closures, Touchwood, in Solihull, which celebrates its tenth birthday today, is attracting new firms and retaining its existing ones.
It is set to open fashion giant Hollister in December, and has recently welcomed new restaurants, including Giraffe, ASK Italian and YO! Sushi.
It currently boasts more than 80 shops, from independent boutiques to designer brands; more than 20 restaurants and a nine-screen cinema – all helping to attract 14 million shoppers in the last year alone.
Paul Birkett, the centre’s general manager, says: “When it first opened, the aim with Touchwood was to create a shopping centre which felt part of the local community and created an outstanding retail and leisure experience for the residents of Solihull, the surrounding area and throughout the UK.
“The retail mix has evolved over the past ten years and we are constantly looking to grow and improve on what we offer.
“However, we are also very proud to acknowledge that many of the big brands we opened with, such as John Lewis and Gap, are still with us today. This is testament to our strong footfall and superb guest experience.”
The shopping centre has come a long way since it first flung its doors open on September 5, 2001, when hundreds of shoppers lined the streets to see the Queen cut the ribbon to declare it open.
The mall, which spans more than 650,000 square feet and cost £110 million to build, has helped put Solihull on the shopping and fashion map, adds Mr Birkett.
“Touchwood was a major achievement for Solihull,” he says. “It doubled the retail space in the town to 1.25 million square feet overnight.
“With it, it brought a brand new shopping experience to the region that it was sorely lacking.”
He said the development, which was the brainchild of property empire Lend Lease – the firm behind one of Europe’s biggest shopping centres, Bluewater in Kent – has proved to influence other major schemes, such as Birmingham’s Bullring shopping centre.
“I think it is safe to say that it has become a blueprint for in-town development, thanks to its innovative design, incorporating naturally lit arcades and open spaces, which has definitely been replicated in other schemes since,” adds Mr Birkett.