Rear of former Woolworths, MetroCentre (25 Mar 2011)

I was at Metrocentre yesterday, and noted that work seems to be progressing well on Primark’s redevelopment of the former Woolworths unit.

Though Primark’s relocation from its existing ex-Littlewoods unit had been rumoured for the best part of a year, the news was only confirmed in January. The new store is set to occupy 74,500 sq ft – seemingly larger than originally suggested – incorporating the former Woolworths site, some extra adjacent space, and the new 15,000 sq ft rear extension that was granted planning permission last May.

Though there’s nothing new to be seen from the boarded-off mall side, the rear of the store looks like it’s being prepared in readiness for the extension. The old Woolies signage has gone, along with all the brick cladding, exposing the steel frame underneath.

...and a similar view three months ago (14 Dec 2011)

As far as I’m aware, no opening date for the new Primark has been confirmed. Back in November, Capital Shopping Centres’ interim management statement for the period 1 July to 3 November 2010 suggested that the then-unnamed “major value fashion anchor” on the former Woolworths site had “a target opening of July 2011″. However, given the amount of work still to do, this now seems unrealistic.

Primark’s rather rudimentary website is little help either. Though there’s a ‘Future Stores’ link from the homepage, the map that it directs to doesn’t show any future stores at all, while the site’s ‘News Stories’ section hasn’t been updated since October. Primark does have a reputation for hiding its light under a bushel as far as PR and the media is concerned, but it always surprises me that one of the UK’s most talked about retail businesses has such an underwhelming web presence.

Next’s extension and redevelopment of a slightly smaller space in Newcastle’s Eldon Square – set to open next month – has taken the best part of a year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Primark’s target is to be open in time for Christmas 2011. Something tells me that Tyneside shoppers will flock to the store whenever it opens, regardless of how much – or little – information we’re fed in the meantime.

Entrance to Green Market, Newcastle

Since I broke the story, in January, official confirmation of the closure of Newcastle’s Green Market at High Friars has been rather slow in coming. Even back then, I argued that “the lack of any coverage – or perhaps even awareness – of what appears to be the current Green Market’s impending closure is surprising.” 

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, however, notices on Newcastle City Council letterheads, posted around the market, are now confirming that it will close on 31 January 2011, and the story has been picked up today by both BBC News and the Evening Chronicle. 

Though the market has only operated from its current site for the last three years, there has been, as the Chronicle notes, a Greenmarket in Newcastle for the past four centuries. While the current incarnation at High Friars may be a rather sad, mostly empty version compared to its predecessors, its demise will signal the end of one of Newcastle’s most long-established retail ‘brands’. 

Interestingly, the BBC article remarks that “the departure of the market will make way for a fashion retailer”, though it’s unclear from where this information has been sourced. However, it echoes my earlier observation of a new tenant being “secured” for the three-storey retail unit that will replace the Green Market, and does nothing to dispel the still-persistent rumours of Urban Outfitters being the retailer in question.

Expected entrance for new fashion store from Grainger Street

Spare a thought, however, for the few tenants that are still trading in the Green Market, and who now face the further upheaval – if they have the energy and inclination – of moving into the Grainger Market. 

When the current, 15-unit site was launched in 2007, following a £1m refurbishment, it was heralded as being “fresh”, “new” and “modern”, with “a prime location… right next to MK One and New Look”, but with every intention that a new, permanent Greenmarket would be built as part of the St Andrew’s Way extension. 

With those plans subsequently abandoned, and the ‘temporary’ Green Market too small and isolated to really take off – especially since New Look’s departure for the Eldon Square extension – the Green Market at High Friars was always likely to struggle as a longer-term enterprise.

Interestingly, the fact that the new ‘fashion retailer’ will be accessed from Grainger Street (with access from Eldon Square itself due to be blocked up) is only likely to compound the problems facing the shopping centre’s High Friars section. A mall leading only to the toilets, a branch of Internaçionale (in the former MK One unit) and the escalator down to Nelson Street is hardly going to draw the crowds.

Nelson Street, with the Green Market access on the left (17 Jun 2010)

Securing a really strong anchor to reoccupy the large, two-storey former New Look unit will therefore be crucial. To encourage flow around that end of the shopping centre, it will be much better to have one retailer occupying both levels, preferably also with a reopened direct entrance on to Nelson Street, as was the case when the site housed WHSmith.

It may even be worth trying to carve out a larger unit from the old New Look, the current Internaçionale, and the mall in between, to create a sizable, modern unit that may appeal to a retailer such as Clas Ohlson – already represented in Capital Shopping Centres’ malls at Watford and Manchester – or Zara.

High Friars entrance to Eldon Square (22 Jan 2010)

Ultimately, however, full redevelopment of the Sidgate and High Friars end of Eldon Square – preferably including reinstatement of the historic link between Clayton Street and Old Eldon Square, and a livelier frontage to Blackett Street – may be the radical solution that’s needed.

Here’s a screenshot:

Screenshot of ES South lettings map, September 2009

At present, the only Apple Stores in the north of England are in Manchester (Trafford Centre and Arndale Centre) and at Sheffield’s Meadowhall. If it all goes through, Apple Store coming to Newcastle would therefore be a real coup for Eldon Square’s majority owners, Capital Shopping Centres (CSC).

Indeed, Apple Store and Superdry are particularly welcome additions to Eldon Square in that they are retailers new to Newcastle (though Superdry, admittedly, already has a store at Gateshead’s MetroCentre). As I noted before, with the exception of Debenhams, ES South’s early major lettings – New Look, River Island, the Arcadia brands – were all relocations from existing pitches in Eldon Square. Back in June, this lack of new names led the retail industry journal Retail Week to devote an in-depth – if perhaps overly negative – article to what they described as CSC’s “hollow victory”.

However, this latest news on lettings begins to suggest a better balance between old and new names, as well as indicating that there are only six of the 25 new units left to fill. This raises the prospect that ES South could, when it opens next spring, be more or less fully let – a remarkable achievement given the present economic climate. The real test, however, will be ensuring that the large and prominent units being vacated by New Look, River Island, Topshop, et al do not stay empty for long.

Credit where it’s due to patrickratcliff at the SkyscraperCity forums for spotting this interesting new development!