Meadowhall to celebrate its 20th anniversary with three new stores

LK Bennett and Phase Eight are moving into 1,603 sq ft and 1,448 sq ft stores respectively on the upper level of Park Lane, next to House

of Fraser.

They join premium brands such as Hobbs, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, Radley and

Coast.

L'Occitane has secured a 1,445 sq ft store on the upper High Street, alongside Apple, Monsoon and Zara.

The new signings are part of a change in strategy at the Sheffield shopping centre, which saw sales rise by seven per cent last year to 750m in spite of the deep recession.

Meadowhall decided to target more high-end high street brands 18 months ago.

Darren Pearce, Meadowhall centre director, said: "Meadowhall is like a department store for me. You have got to offer a range of different

retailers that match up with the consumer profile of the area.

"High-end high street is an area that is slightly under-represented. We really wanted these brands and now we have got them."

He added: "LK Bennett and Phase Eight are key additions to the centre. They complement the existing offer in Park Lane, which provides

a critical mass of premium fashion that is unique in the region.

"L'Occitane is also a great new name for Meadowhall. Along with brands like Hollister, Apple, Zara and Yo Sushi, they create a cosmopolitan offer that appeals to a very broad cross section of customers."

In the last year 30 new retailers have opened at the centre, including Firetrap, Lipsy and Hotel Chocolat.

Mr Pearce said: "Less than two per cent of our retail space

is unoccupied, compared to six or seven per cent, sometimes higher, at other shopping centres.

"We understand our customers and provide them with something they want."

Meadowhall's low void rate was recognised at last week's national Sceptre awards, which recognise talent in the shopping centre industry.

Smith Young Partnership, which is joint agent alongside CB Richard Ellis, won managing agent of the year.

Earlier this year, Mr Pearce revealed plans to double the size of Meadowhall's Oasis food court in an effort to get a bigger slice of the night-time economy.

He said the centre's owners, British Land and London and Stamford, are prepared to invest 20m in the 56,000 sq ft extension. House of Fraser is set to undergo a 5m refit to open up the front of the store and add new brands inside.

In the last two years, Mr Pearce, who joined Meadowhall as financial

controller in 1994, has overseen a restructuring of the business, which has led to a streamlining of the management team and the recruitment of directors with backgrounds in retail, operations and marketing.

The business outsourced cleaning and security staff in February this year and has cut about 110 jobs over the last 18 months, mostly through natural wastage.

To help retailers, Meadowhall also cut its service charge by 18 per cent.

Mr Pearce said: "We have a very strong customer focus now.

"We understand our shoppers that come to the centre and we are much more engaged with our retailers."

Two decades of success

Meadowhall was built by entrepreneurs Eddie Healey and Paul Sykes

and opened in 1990 on the site of a former steelworks.

The centre now includes 280 independent and international stores over 1.5m sq ft of floor space and attracts more than 25 million visitors per year.

Eight million people live within an hour's drive of Meadowhall. In the last year 30 new retailers have opened there, including Firetrap, Lipsy and Hotel Chocolat.

In May, British Land, which owns half of the shopping centre, said the value of the Meadowhall portfolio rose nine per cent to 1.271bn, compared with 1.165bn a year earlier.

The group sold half its stake in Meadowhall to London & Stamford Property last year to reduce its exposure to big single assets.