Last call for the mall? How shopping centres are reinventing themselves
In the internet age, medium-sized retail hubs are looking for new ways to survive and thrive.
The Brunel Centre once thrived as a shopping destination in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, before the opening of centre:MK in Milton Keynes in 1973. However, it now struggles with vacant units and graffiti-covered shutters, with only one store remaining - a Boots Opticians set to close later this month. The centre is scheduled for demolition next year, but council member Keith Ely, 87, is accepting the change, hoping the new flats and health centre will attract more people to the town.
In Cambridge, the Grafton Centre faces a similar fate, with shuttered units and a closed cinema. Long-term plans for redevelopment include a life sciences hub, but this may not work in other parts of the country. Subjit Jassy, a director at Pioneer Group, which owns the centre, believes there are too many shopping malls in the UK and many lack a future.
The old model of retailers expanding to boost sales has disappeared due to online shopping. CBRE found that while the UK vacancy rate for shopping centers was 16% in Q2 2023, it was significantly lower at major centers. Savills research revealed that nearly 73% of consumer spending in shopping centers was in the biggest sites, while less than 18% occurred in secondary or medium-sized centers.
Some destination shopping centers have occupancy rates of nearly 100%. At the Brunel Centre, Labour's Ed Hume believes the town needs more shops, and the change aims to create a more open town center. Meanwhile, Norwich plans to replace Anglia Square with housing. Other options include transforming malls into leisure and entertainment spaces or community hubs, as seen in Northampton's Market Walk and Weston Favell's increased footfall.
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