Experts say that UK high streets are suffering and could potentially be set to face the worst year ever – while one shopper headed to her local centre to find out why
Several shopping experts have claimed UK high streets are struggling, with reports saying more than 13,000 high street stores closed last year alone. Now, one consumer decided to discover why.
Dianne Bourne from Manchester Evening News headed to her local centre, which she claimed was a “ghost mall”. With several shops closed and an obvious lack of footfall, she delved into what might be putting shoppers off. From “freezing” temperatures to a chain coffee spot being the highlight, there was much to say about Quayside Shopping Mall in Salford Quays.
When first arriving, Dianne noted several shoppers had complained of the “ghost town” atmosphere. They also noted that the centre was a complete “waste of time.”
Dianne said: “I visited on a mid-week lunchtime and counted over 30 empty shopping units on a walk around. The upper retail floor in particular is now a very strange empty gallery of nothingness.”
The location used to be a prime spot for visitors and rarely quiet. It rebranded as Quayside in 2020 amid what was described as a multi-million pound revamp. Formerly it was known as The Lowry Outlet Mall.
Several shops have closed their doors for good now, with empty units lining the hallways. Of the shops that do remain, largely now on the ground floor, most are still “outlet” style shops offering discounts on ends-of-lines, like M&S, Next and Clarks.
The owners of Quayside, property giant Peel Retail & Leisure, are looking to the future, and say that changes are being planned “behind the scenes” as part of the “Salford Quays 2030 vision”.
That vision is all about how the area will grow to become a “new town centre” in Greater Manchester. They say they are: “developing the plans for Quayside to transition and become a place more suitable for a town centre and this means realigning the offering to provide a better customer experience for visitors.”
Dianne gave the centre a visit. She said: “Circling round to the front of the mall, it’s just a horsehoe of more emptiness. There is a large hairdressers here, but it wasn’t open on Monday. Neither was an art gallery opposite – I looked at their opening times and it said only open on weekends.
“The only other human I saw up in this section was a security guard, who was eyeing me suspiciously as I peered into empty units and jotted down notes.
“Then a lost woman who asked me where the toilets were. ‘It’s a lot of traipsing around isn’t it,’ she huffed when I told her they were all the way on the other side.”
She added: “While I was tempted by a reduced tub of £3.99 Heroes at the Cadbury shop, ultimately, the only purchase on my visit here was a Costa coffee. And the Costa at Quayside clearly knows what it’s doing, as it was heaving.
“I’m not surprised as it is a particularly good branch of the coffee chain this – a bit of a boho interior, loads of seating, the high roof giving a lovely feeling of space, friendly staff and super-quick service.
“But I mean it comes to something when the highlight of your trip out to a shopping centre is the Costa doesn’t it?”
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