500,000 visitors in first week of trading
Bosses at St. Enoch Centre are celebrating following the news
that the opening of its new extension attracted more than half a
million visitors in its first week.
Shoppers have been flocking to the new-look Centre following the
completion of the first phase of its £100 million redevelopment
programme by owners Ivanhoe Cambridge.
A host of top retailers have been introduced as part of the project including world famous toy retailer Hamleys which unveiled its first UK standalone store outside London and international fashion retailer H&M which opened one of its largest stores in Scotland, plus Henleys, Pulp, Costa Coffee, Jessica Boo, Wheels of Sport and Cake Clothing.
Other new retailers opening shortly include jewellery and
accessories specialist Folli Follie, Swiss watch retailers Swatch
and iconic fashion brand Lambretta.
Since the wraps were taken off the redeveloped Centre on 26th
November footfall has been exceptionally high with retailers
reporting strong sales as the Christmas rush gathers pace. Saturday
footfall on the opening weekend reached over 100,000, a figure
repeated the following Saturday.
Susan Nicol, General Manager of St. Enoch Centre, said: "We've
been absolutely delighted with the response from Glasgow's
shoppers. Our new look coupled with the excellent retailers we've
been able to introduce to the city has transformed the Centre's
profile and feedback from our customers has been very
positive."
Hamleys chief financial officer Alisdair Dunn said: "We are very
pleased with the store so far. Sales have exceeded expectations and
feedback has been extremely positive; it feels as if Glasgow has
really taken Hamleys to its heart. Our decision to come to St.
Enoch Centre was based on its location and the support of Ivanhoe
Cambridge's management team and our experience since opening fully
supports this."
Wheels of Sport managing director Peter David said: "We are
delighted with the reception that Wheels of Sport has received in
Glasgow. We have had a fantastic start in St. Enoch Centre
with opening weekend sales exceeding those in both London and
Liverpool and very much look forward to continuing this
success."
The new retailers introduced by Ivanhoe Cambridge join already
well-established major brands such as Debenhams, Boots and Dorothy
Perkins.
Boots St. Enoch store manager Arlene Forrest said: "We had a fantastic weekend from Thursday through to Sunday and saw a real increase in footfall. It's now clear that St. Enoch Centre has become a destination for Christmas shopping in Glasgow and the revitalised tenant mix plays a large part in that."