Dudley, Merry Hill Shopping Centre
- One of the UK's 8 super regional shopping centres
- 1.5m of lettable space across the shopping centre and retail parks
- 230 stores anchored by Primark, Marks & Spencer, Asda and Next
- 8,000 car parking spaces and 16 million visitors annually
Business Plan & Achievements
Appointed on behalf of the investors in January 2022 to replace the former Asset Manager to prepare and implement a new Business Plan for the shopping centre and retail parks.
The focus of the plan is a proactive leasing campaign, seeking solutions to former department store space and upsizing existing successful retailers and reconfiguring / repositioning certain key areas of the Centre.
The repurposing of the former Debenhams space to the first Harvey Norman store in England and the first Xtrafit gym in the UK which both open in October 2024 are a significant part of the Business Plan delivery.
There has also been a particular emphasis on the promotion and delivery of a major new food & beverage / leisure quarter. To this end Hollywood Bowl have been successfully introduced as an anchor to attract other casual dining outlets.
At the same time, a range of new brands have been introduced and key retailers repositioned. These include new Nike and Lego stores and the upsizing of the Beaverbrooks, Schuh, H&M and Goldsmiths.
Sustainability is also an important part of the Business Plan. Transactions with Zest and Tesla have meant the provision of 108 charging points will be in place by the end of 2024. This will greatly improve the provision for electric cars in the Dudley area.
Olympus Power have also committed to fit 2,500 solar panels to the roof, which will provide 20% of the power for the Centre going forward.