Newcastle Area RETAIL - City Centre, MetroCentre, Suburban Shopping, Out of Town Retail Parks, etc

[BigLebowski]

Eldon Square South - St Andrew's Way

Here are a list of stores in the new extension, due to open Jan/Feb 2010:

Confirmed as let:
Debenhams
New Look
Top Shop
Apple
Tesco Metro
River Island
Dorothy Perkins
Poundland
Paperchase
Miss Selfridge
Burton
Republic
Schuh
Superdry
Hollister
Laus Buffet

Still under negotiation:
All Saints
Guess
Oasis

EDIT: To someone who has actually dragged themselves into this century, feel free to add some images!

[johnnypd]

Poundland looks a bit out of place in that list, doesn't it? Will be nice for the regulars at the black garter, though.

[Geordie Ahmed]

So Apple is 100%?

Great news if thats the case

[Geordie Ahmed]

Also im quite excited (i love Ice Cream ) about Marble Slab opening up in Eldon Square (High Friars) - openining in October according to their site (will be the first in England)

[johnnypd]

Originally Posted by Geordie Ahmed

So Apple is 100%?

Great news if thats the case

yep. they are already hiring.

[kieron79]

Hi All, this is my first thread on the new fangled forum, I have been an observer on here for a very long time but now the forum has more structure I feel it will be easier for me to find particular topics that interest me, well done on getting it sorted.
On the topic of shopping in Newcastle I must say it is hugely dissapointing the fact that the majority of the openings in the new ES extension are relocations, I personally hate Elson Square and have always found it dark and claustraphobic (at least the MC has an airy feel about it). Market Street was a massive missed opportuntiy, I used to work in Jigsaw Menswear/UTH and there used to be a great 'buzz' aroundn that are. Of course there were always the rumours of big retailers arriving 'imminently' along that strip of shops but what did we get?TJ bloody Hughes, whilst i acknowledge there is a market for that demographic it was seriously poorly thought out about having that as the anchor store. The truth was however they were REALLY struggling at the time to fill some of the units so guess they just took the hand off the first retailer that came along, just think how nice that area could have been! I dont get into town much but when I do I really feel the area is stgarting to look shabby, a real shame considering how much was spent doing the spaces up. I also remember the huge amount of wasted space in those buildings, there was nothing done to the upper floors of the buildings and below the store i worked in there was a MASSIVE floor plate not used in the basement!I presume the other stores were the same.
I really hope something gets done about that area and of course East Pilgrim Stree, I am a teacher and show my students around GraingerTown as part of their course and all the students comment on the poor state of repair of the area next to the Fire Station/Popolo etc, its also very embarrasing when you take visitors around that area to the bars as it looks terrible, shame really as some great buildings around there! The fire station imo would make an amazing boutique hotel or department store, and as for the old odeon site, that is a traversty it has been allowed to decay for so long, anyway rant over for now!

[bigchrisfgb]

Welcome, within 24 hours of our Sub-Forum we have our first new member who has always looked, but not posted because we didn't have one. Proveing our selves already.

Great news about Apple.

Some pretty impressive list there.

[geordiejon]

Yes as we have all said before Grainger Town development was in the long term a disappointment. As I have said now that the new pavements and furniture arent as shiny and new as they once were coupled with the huge number of empty properties the area- specifically on the Market Street/ Grainger St junction is looking rather forlorn. With the huge risks in retail these recessionary days trying to attract new retailers to that part of the city will be almost impossible due to no anchor store. The only ones that would be attracted would be the low cost cheap stores- almost a Clayton St extension really. With many new units becoming available in Eldon Sq (due to relocations not in the St Andrews Way as it all full really apart from one place) any new retailers will head to there with anchor stores such as Fenwicks, John Lewis, Debenhams and Marks and Spencer. I know I would.

East Pilgrim Street will never develop into a retail desination as the masterplan has been developed (at great tax payers money I must stress). There may be some small development where the Odeon is but other than that it is not feasible IMO. Hotel, Office, Leisure and Student Accom or even apartments would be more realistic and of course a bus station so we can get ridof the buses away from Blackett Street. I mean two new department stores- who in Gods name would be in them? I assume they are betting money on a High end Harvey Nicks but who else? There isnt any what with H of Fraser just a few miles away in the Metro Centre.

[geordiejon]

I am over the moon about Apple though. For me personally we need a Urban Outfitters in the city centre, and of course a Zara. I am intrigued as to who the large double unit in St Andrews new mall will be- it says In Negotiations but there has been no hint as to who it will be.
Big Lebowski- who do you reckon- looking at the size of the unit- who could be looking at it?

[kieron79]

thanks for the welcome, I look forward to becoming part of the growing communty!

[maxtoon]

great news about the Apple store

[elliott]

New high-end fashion store has opened on Hood Street, Kiara Boutique.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/lifesty...1634-24839485/

I feel this should be where high-end fashion is in Newcastle, with Vivienne Westwood already there, it could attract further stores such as Dolce & Gabbana (already have stores in London, Leeds and Manchester), or a Ralph Lauren. This coupled with a new Departmnt store in the old Odeon and redevelopment of Commercial Union House could be the city's Met Quarter.

[Geordie Ahmed]

Eldon Square Extension Photo's

Originally taken and posted by Newcastle Historian on 19/9/2009

Clayton Street Frontage



Newgate Street - Debenhams Frontage

[BigLebowski]

Originally Posted by geordiejon

I am over the moon about Apple though. For me personally we need a Urban Outfitters in the city centre, and of course a Zara. I am intrigued as to who the large double unit in St Andrews new mall will be- it says In Negotiations but there has been no hint as to who it will be.
Big Lebowski- who do you reckon- looking at the size of the unit- who could be looking at it?

Well given the nature of those signed up (all but 2 are fashion outlets, though arguably that label could apply equally to Apple!) i think clothing retail is most likely - the likes of UO, Blue inc and Mango have all been expanding as have Zara - now Zara cited the lack of display space as the reason for their exit from Northumberland Street and this unit is considerable larger so that door isnt shut.

Course it could just be a relocation of Reiss or Envy, who will be looking very lonely when Market Street empties next year....

[TownPlanningNE]

It seems the new mall is just going to be mainly clothing retail then, reminds me a bit of the new red mall at the MetroCentre. Does anybody have any idea if the units that are being relocated are under offer? I read a news story with somebody from CSC saying they were in talks for all of the units that were becoming available through relocations but haven't heard anymore.

[bigchrisfgb]

I've just been talking to a security gaurd for ES, and he says Apple is a defo (which we all gatherd), and that only 2 units are available, that is one in the main mall (up stairs), and one facing Grainger town on the ground level.

[geordiejon]

Yes the only unit left is the one right next to the entrance to the new mall near thorntons. Top Shop is also right next to the new mall and will provide some tenant a large floor space with entrances in the mall and also onto the corner of Percy/ Newgate/ Blackett junction so I would have expected this to be signed up- obviouly the weird design of the floors means it would mean considerable money to get it into the 21t century. Personally I think Urban Outfitters would fit into there more than the talked about large unit 'undernegotiation' near debenhams.

[geordiejon]

Originally Posted by elliott

New high-end fashion store has opened on Hood Street, Kiara Boutique.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/lifesty...1634-24839485/

I feel this should be where high-end fashion is in Newcastle, with Vivienne Westwood already there, it could attract further stores such as Dolce & Gabbana (already have stores in London, Leeds and Manchester), or a Ralph Lauren. This coupled with a new Departmnt store in the old Odeon and redevelopment of Commercial Union House could be the city's Met Quarter.

Again I go back to the fact that none of the above would open in Newcastle without a strong large anchor store with a cluster of similar minded retailer around them- Newcastle is much more a risk for retailers compared to Mancheter or Leeds. Kiara is an independent local retailer and Vivienne always opens in bizarre- ot of the way locations. The recent opening of Oxfam on Hood Street would also deter many high end retailer- I couldnt see D&G next door could you?
The best hope as I say is a Met Quarter/ Victoria Quarter where odeon is now- sorry guys it would have to be knocked down. The block could house a anchor and a string of high end retailers- hopefully not an inside mall, but something similar to Edinburgh near Harvey Nicks. This could them mean that the anchor could face onto the new development and also the new large public square by Laing/Library.
I also think that when Waygood opens on High Bridge this street could become much more lively and hopefully regain its vibe.

[kieron79]

A store that I feel is missing in Newcastle is the Habitat furniture/home furnishings store, they sell loads of cool mid range pieces and loads of nice decorative items for the home. Currently the nearest one is either Edinburgh or York. I emailed them several years back and they were really keen to find a location, could ES possibly be the solution? Many many years ago there was one in ES anyway. I often buy stuff from there but its a real pain haviong to pay to get it mailed out, would love it if it opened up here and I think it would do pretty well too!

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by kieron79

A store that I feel is missing in Newcastle is the Habitat furniture/home furnishings store, they sell loads of cool mid range pieces and loads of nice decorative items for the home. Currently the nearest one is either Edinburgh or York. I emailed them several years back and they were really keen to find a location, could ES possibly be the solution? Many many years ago there was one in ES anyway. I often buy stuff from there but its a real pain haviong to pay to get it mailed out, would love it if it opened up here and I think it would do pretty well too!

The Habitat store in Eldon Square was a really big store, described in 1976 when ES opened, as one of the "anchor stores" of Eldon Square (along with M&S, Fenwicks, Bainbridge (called John Lewis now) and Mothercare). It was in a prominent place all along a long part of Blackettbridge as is shown on this 1976 ES Map. It was next to that 'brick built' open sited Cafe (remember?) called Sarah's Cafe I think (not certain about the name).



It is quite interesting to see the names of all the shops (on the map) that were there in 1976, when it first opened. There have been a lot of shop-changes since then!

Yes, it would be excellent to have Habitat back in Newcastle again, but I thought they closed a lot of shops as they became a bit unfashionable. Are they 'fashionable' (again) now?

Certainly the Newcastle store must have been profitable, it was always very busy, I seem to remember, with people buying rather than just looking.