Shrewsbury’s Darwin Centre coming back strongly after Lockdown

The Darwin Centre in Shrewsbury is performing exceptionally well since coming out of the third Lockdown on 12 April 2021. During the month of August 2021, the centre had 308,523 visitors, up 15.7% month-on-month. Footfall is very nearly reaching pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

To prepare the former Pride Hill Centre for future development, several national and independent brands have successfully relocated from the Pride Hill Centre to the Darwin Centre.

New Look made a business decision to leave the Pride Hill Centre in October 2020 but  reopened this month (September 2021) in the former Topshop/Topman unit inside the Darwin Centre. This British fashion brand’s return is testament to how well the Darwin Centre is performing in terms of footfall and sales following its recent redevelopment and refreshed brand mix.

The Entertainer relocated to the Darwin Centre on 10 July 2021 and has adjusted well to its new location. This iconic children’s brand moved to a bigger store, allowing them to offer the people of Shropshire an even better selection of the latest toys and games.

Clarks reopened in the Darwin Centre on 26 July 2021 and the public has responded very well to the store’s relocation. Visitor numbers have been exceptional, especially in the run-up to the schools’ reopening in September, with fitting appointments proving popular.

F. Hinds jewellers reopened on 12 April 2021 and had the most modern store design in the brand’s portfolio. Larger windows have allowed the brand to showcase more merchandise to customers, encouraging greater sales.

The new New Look store

A new specially created shopping gallery for independent traders opened in the Darwin Centre in December 2020. Called The Collective, the space – which was formerly home to QVC – can house up to 10 independent businesses. Buttercup Bookshop and Darwin’s Barbers took up residence recently and are thriving in their new locations.

Several other independent brands, which were previously located in the Pride Hill Centre, have opened inside the Darwin Centre within the last year.

Most recently, Lipstick and Gin, Shrewsbury’s most celebrated florist, reopened and trade has been extremely strong since then given their prominent location.

Avantgarde Designs will open shortly and offers diverse fashion for all shapes and sizes and is a hugely welcome addition to the centre and town.

Meg Hawkins Art and Mollie’s sweetshop re-opened in 2020 and have had positive trade outside of lockdowns.

 Andrew Hinds, Diamond Buyer, Chairman and F.Hinds family member, said:

“We’ve been a family business since we started in 1856 and are honoured to have been part of Shrewsbury’s retail scene for over 30 years. Moving to a bigger store in the Darwin Centre starts a new chapter for us and we can’t wait to bring our bigger, brighter and better store to Shrewsbury despite the challenging times we all find ourselves in. I hope that we can welcome everyone – both existing customers and new – to our relocated store in the Darwin Centre.”

Andrew Milner-Walker, Head of Property at The Entertainer, said:

“It was great to relocate and consolidate/strengthen the retail offer in Shrewsbury. We have a great new store with a stronger range and we’re looking forward to Christmas and the return of customers and families to our store. We hope to launch some activities and Character events once restrictions allow.”

Kevin Lockwood, Shrewsbury shopping centres manager

Kevin Lockwood, Shrewsbury shopping centres manager, said:

“I am so proud of what we’ve achieved in the last 18 months. Coronavirus has been an unimaginable challenge to our industry, but we’ve successfully come out the other side – rebutting all predictions. Our footfall is still rising week-on-week, and we continue to welcome new incredible brands to our portfolio, which the public are really embracing.

“We’re over 85% let, well over the ‘post-pandemic’ UK average and looking forward to a great run-up to Christmas. Our unique mix of national and independent brands is a real USP, and I am so pleased to see the people of Shropshire continuing to shop local and support their local town. A vibrant Shrewsbury is essential to the overall economy of the county.”