Recent reports have found that Sheffield is trailing behind other popular cities such as Manchester and Leeds in regards to the amount of top fashion shops found within the city. A new report shows that the national average of clothing stores within Britain is almost three times higher than the amount found currently in Sheffield.
However, the new £480 million retail Quarter development plans to put an end to Sheffield’s fashion drought as they believe the major new development may help attract well-known fashion stores to the city centre. Two council planning bosses Mike Hayden and Dinah Hope mention in a recent report that the draw for retailers is strong, saying:
‘’Analysis of Sheffield’s Retail offer in comparison to other cities reports that the potential for Sheffield to attract new retailers to the city centre is extremely strong, largely due to the currently low proportion of retailing compared to national averages.
The report also goes on to say ‘’ In 2010, the city centre was attracting £830.4 million per annum of total comparison goods expenditure in the city, while Meadowhall drew £670.96 million, and the city centre comfortably outsells Meadowhall in the homeware, audio-visual and chemists goods sectors, yet Meadowhall dominates the two largest categories of clothing/footwear and miscellaneous –those associated more with fashion.
“The fashion offer of the city centre, especially the quality end, is most in need of strengthening. Indeed, there are almost no high-end retailers represented in the city centre, save for those with concessions in existing department
The council seem to have launched this initiative to satisfy the publics demand following an interview carried out in the city centre that concluded that the vast majority of Sheffield residents ‘’Want high-end fahion stores’’.
The regeneration specialists Queensberry Real Estate, in cohesion with the council who are also funding the development are spearheading the project. The Development is planned to expand Fargate, with new eating-places and retails stores being erected between Pinstone Street and Barkers Pool.
It is believed that the first phase of the scheme will be undertaken by 2019, this will include building new offices for HSBC within the city centre.
