St. Davids Shopping Centre

Completely unrelated to this thread but thought I'd mention the successful lettings at Friars Walk in Newport! Really surprised to see the excellent development of the site and the string of retailers they've signed up! Think they're 65% let already with three months till opening...

- Topman|Topshop
- Next
- Debenhams
- Schuh
- Krispy Kreme
- Pandora
- H&M
- New Look
- JD
- River Island
- Occasions Cards
- Candle Company

All the safe ones then! But fair play, the city centre has suffered over the last couple of years so this is good. And m and s food?

city centre has suffered over the last couple of years so this is good.

This will be the death knell for the top end of Commercial Street, I doubt there will even be pound stores left in few years time. You saw what happened top end of Queen St. in Cardiff, this is Newport

Following on from that - River Island, JD and New Look are relocations from Commercial Street. Decent sized units that might prove hard to let to others.

But what do you mean as the "top end" though - the South (which is already ropey) or the North (where most of the big chain stores are)?

Newport is a sizeable town with, for Wales, a not-too-shabby potential catchment. It seems to be hurt by:
- Cwmbran, taking a lot of the Northern catchment
- Strong retail parks in Spytty and Maesglas with open A1 consents (a mistake!)
- proximity to Cardiff and Cribbs Causeway (more than Bristol, I'd say).

Back to St Davids though. New letting plans:
http://www.intugroup.co.uk/media/352096 ... 060815.pdf

Main changes since last update in June:
- the unit between Rugby World Cup and Oasis is now "in solicitors hands" (last time: negotiation)
- the old Kamigata hair salon is now "in negotiations" (last time: available)
- the catering unit in the back of the Vera Moda store is now "in solicitors hands" (last time: negotiation)
- the forever cursed and never-let unit next to JL on the top floor is now "in negotiations" (last time: available).

No backtracking on any units, which is perhaps a good sign. Units which are "available to let" are now:
- old Gilly Hicks
- the unit between Bose and Monsoon (was that "Pumpkin Patch" as some time?)
- the unit temporarily occupied by Natuzzi - and previously Hush Puppies
- a small unit between the perfume shop and Swarovski on Cathedral Walk

Theres quite a few units currently vacant, but most are in negotiation or solicitors hands now. Hopefully a fair number will come to fruition.

Another store will be empty soon though.
http://shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/pages/ ... osing.html
Help for Heroes is closing down this Sunday. A shame, but not surprising perhaps. With the wind-down of operations in Afghanistan, the military is not in the news as much as it was a few years ago.

There's a job ad for a Frankie & Benny's in SD, not sure which unit as the split Jack Jones unit would be too small I think. Not the most exciting restaurant news mind!

Could be the Ruby Tuesday unit as i read somewhere that they were closing.

There's a job ad for a Frankie & Benny's in SD, not sure which unit as the split Jack Jones unit would be too small I think. Not the most exciting restaurant news mind!

I heard Frankie & Benny's & Coast To Coast were both interested in that unit immediately after the closure of Ruby Tuesday's so I shan't be surprised if F&B open there! Nothing special but certainly better than an empty unit... Wonder who'll occupy the new restaurant unit downstairs?

Few bits of St David's news in this article including a new letting to stationery and accessories retailer Smiggle http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/wal ... ws_tracker