Sheffield may be famous for its steel, but it’s Meadowhall that is doing all the shining at the moment. The shopping centre, which is the eighth largest in the country, has continued to attract record numbers of visitors and keep vacancy rates to a minimum.
The centre, which opened in 1990 has 1,500,005 sq. ft. of space available to over 280 stores. Shops include, Debenhams, Boots, Disney, Primark and Cath Kidston – to name just a few. These kinds of stores will be expected to pay high rents for a position in the shopping centre which rakes in £82 million per year in rents alone. The centre is 98 per cent full and is currently valued at £1,525 million and is owned by British Land.
Speaking of the success of the shopping centre Chris Grigg, chief executive of British Land said: “While footfall performance across our portfolio was weaker, we continued to outperform the market, with Meadowhall and retail parks both ahead. We are also attracting new retailers, notably at our major shopping centres Meadowhall and Drake Circus, where we continue to expand the premium retail offer.
“The most notable deal was with Victoria’s Secret at Meadowhall for a 13,000 sq. ft. store which will open in the autumn.”
In 2007 Meadowhall famously closed its doors for six days when it was flooded when River Don over broke its banks. Water levels peaked at 6ft and many shops were faced with expensive bills to refurbish their units. The cinema was badly damaged and was closed for several months whilst it dried out and was refitted.
However, not everyone is a fan of shopping centres. Meadowhall has been given the unofficial name by locals as ‘Meadowhell’ as some people detest the busy environment of indoor shopping, thus opting for the high street instead.
