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Woolworths to be new mall
Wednesday 20th January 2010, 5:45PM GMT.
Woolworths’ former store in Wolverhampton is to become a mini shopping mall and food court, creating more than 200 jobs, it was revealed this afternoon.
Aldridge-based Plaza Malls today announced it had snapped up the 25,000 sq ft Mander Centre shop and was spending £2 million on its transformation.
The store has stood empty for more than a year since Woolworths closed down with the loss of 80 jobs in the city.
Plaza Malls, led by businessman Tony Swannie, recently carried out a similar transformation at Dudley’s former Woolworths store.
Mr Swannie said today he expected the Wolverhampton venture to be launched in June.
“We are going to set Wolverhampton on fire with retail,” he said today. “We’re going to create a fantastic food court with lots of parts to it, from groceries through to butchers and bakers and delis. It will be a fantastic food environment.
“There will also be more than 70 retailers in there with a variety of shops.”
More than 80 retailers have already expressed an interest in taking a spot in the new mall, Mr Swannie revealed.
Legal experts are said to be working on finalising the takeover deal over the next week.
Mr Swannie added: “We specialise in bringing small and medium retailers back to prominent positions on the High Street.
“This is a new and exciting way of shopping. We’ve had a very successful opening in Dudley which has been welcomed in the town so now we are looking forward to opening up in Wolverhampton.”
Kim Gilmour, Wolverhampton city centre manager, welcomed the investment.
“This is fantastic news as the store has been empty for over a year,” she said. “It’s a very large space so to bring that back into use will bring some vitality back to the Mander Centre.”
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wow what a shocker i think that the mander centre should close off the store other wise it would bring down the centre people want to see shops not shops within shops other wise it looks like a mini indoor market inside like that one in westbrom. do we really need this ???
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I think the people that will get one of the 200 jobs need it – what would you rather have more big stores that have already laid waste to the independent retail sector?
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I think that Vic has hit two nails on separate heads here. This is great news for Wolverhampton, something good to come out of the closure of the Woolworth store. 80 jobs lost, 200 created, seems like that’s a gain of 120 jobs. Excellent news!!
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This is great news, hopefully this will be the first step in finding new uses for empty shops in the city centre
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70 retailers??? It isn’t that big. Someone is telling porkies somewhere…
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Depends on the size of the stalls dontcha think? There’s a good chunk of floor space there and I would imagine those little stalls in the overpass from Wulfrun to Mander Centre are considering relocating.
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does it matter what it looks like or what it sells as long as it creates jobs and uses up a dead space??
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It would be great to get some small grocers, veg shops, etc. back in the town centre so that you don’t have to queue at the supermarket for half an hour for a packet of sausages.
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Thats exactly what the City Centre needs, more pound land style chopping stalls.
At least it will be good news for Birmingham!!!
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I am told that first year rents are to be £500 weekly. ( with an uplift in subsequent years)
If true,can the traders make a profit at that sort of rental?
Our town centres are falling empty because the rentals, service charges and local taxes overload the enterprises with very high fixed costs. As more and more business is being done on the internet, property companies should now be reducing rentals, and service charges. Then the local taxes should also fall..
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Shocking.
We dont want to be another Dudley.
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Sounds Wonderful! Not!
No wonder I shop on Birmingham! It is amazing me how a City Centre can survive on ust pound shops!
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Pound shops have their place,but new blood needs to be encouraged.
Birmingham has proven what can be done with the boldness of change….Let Wolverhampton learn that lesson and show it has an open mind.
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How much will the rents be for this market? Very high I have heard.
I doubt that over 80 have expressed an interest but if the rent was the same as what Wolverhampton Council charged the German christmas market traders, then maybe so?
Most of these “in-shops” & “spencer market halls” styled shopping centres are half or more empty throughout the UK. The one in Merry Hill was forced to close down as traders were finding it hard to make a profit after they had paid the high rents! Also, a simular one at Telford was forced to close after their traders left due to low sales and high rents.
Unless you are situated against the outside edge (i.e – against the window), you will find it hard to survive and make a profit in these “market shop” enviroments. The landlords know this and always charge premium rates for these posistions. The hardest thing to do in retails is to get customers INTO their shops.
This is also just another nail in the coffin for the REAL Wolverhampton market which has now been left in situ as no one knows what to do with it nor re-invest the profit that it has made over the last four decades!
Its strange how the market should be denied permission to move to Dudley Street just as this new indoor market is announced to open in close proximity?
I wish Plaza Malls the best of luck in this venture but I wish the traders who sign a long lease with them even more luck,,, they are going to need it.
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I LIKE THE IDEA OF BRINGING THE STORE BACK TO LIFE,THE MANDER CENTRE IS LOOKING TIRED AND EMPTY THERE IS A BIG VOID WITHIN THE CITY CENTRE AND IT NEEDS FRESH IDEAS
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As well as making use of the empty space and creating new jobs, this has the potential to open up the Mander centre to new retailing experiences.
There is little in the way of food shopping and this will hopefully add to that.
As long as it is done right,this could be a whole new reason to shop in Wolverhampton.
Good luck.
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The one in dudley is not exactly buzzing so i will only give it 12 months before it closes down
As for a comment on the page about dudley
you have to realise dudley has had no new investment in the last 20 years only the roads shut off to stop traffic entering the town, what a joke!
look at wolverhampton 5 worst place to live in the world. give me dudley town anyday!
Friends of dudley town centre
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number 10 has nail it stright down. it would be for the bargin hunters thats it fair enouth but if its going two happen then they carnt be priced out lower the rents in the city and the stores will be lasting that why they came hear from els where 2 mil two transform the woolworths i think thats two much and allso if they divided up the plot so a chain can move in like over cramp tesco and iceland or get a new chain in like toys r us that would be grate but i can only dream
get rid of the gangs of kids then get
toys r us in and they would make a hell of a profit you get the familys in you make more money.
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Get rid of the gangs of kids? Your defensive stance of “kids” creates a base tension for which the kids respond to, but that is a seperate discussion.
This will fail or not, it’s simple logic and no mass protest or celebration will be necessary. I’ve read all opinions and think that this could do well, the Mander Centre is facing difficulties due to the credit crunch, pure and simple. The other problem is the lack of diversity within the centre, therefore a new mini mall is a bold but very meditated move. As for the Wolverhampton Markets, they should have more support but aside the fresh food, the market offers little but cheap toys, imitation clothing and a bad image. It’s not exactly the most pleasing sight to look upon during the morning rush through town.
There’s too many people who have a negative opinion about Wolverhampton and I’m starting to think that perhaps our City’s problems lies within that negativity and not the actual City. Let’s face it, every “yam yam” is a miserable so-so but the levels of negativity on these discussions are really embarrasing, take some pride and come what may. If it fails, it fails…no amount of speculation, upheaval and over the top reactions will make or break this project but perhaps a non-chalant attitude may see this project ease in unnoticed without the negativity that kills a project dead before it gets a chance to walk.
Of course Wolverhampton has been disappointed before and we’re still waiting on Summer Row for any development in those plans but this is our city, it needs jobs, it needs a fresh outlook and in my honest opinion, it needs an attitude make over. 200 jobs are being created but I would bet my last quid the ones moaning are lazily unemployed or arrogantly employed. Well, congratulations.
I cannot wait for this Mini Mall and good luck to the developers and I hope the negative people can stop thinking so much for one second and give it a chance.
“Most personal turmoil is caused by our own doubts and paranoia, we transfer those unto others in hope of finding truth or vindication in our negativity, we overlook the ability to remain quietly confident and let whatever will be, be.”
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Worries on rent and viability aside wouldn’t it be nice if the new owners approached any Woolworths staff who are still out of a job since the company closed last year and offered them interviews for positions to help set up the new venture?
I know my heads in the clouds and ideal world and all that but It would be nice!!
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Wasn’t there something similar attempted 20 years ago on the site of the present-day O’Neill’s opposite the Grand Theatre? It looked tacky, was heavily under-used and it disappeared pretty swiftly. I’m all for improving the city centre as it has deteriorated quickly since its ‘heyday’ in the late 1990s, but ideas like this need to have some real thought behind them.
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Sounds like the indoor market to me… Since the outdoor market seems to be migrating to Dudley Street then perhaps this is appropriate.
What about the numerous sales floors above Boots?
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i belive that bringing a store back can have its good and bad days
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lol i can’t believe it…. i was thinking this idea ages ago. And its like somone heard me.
Its a brillaint idea to encourage small traders, cause of a bit more variety. don’t ya think?
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