SCOTLAND’S top retail and leisure destination, intu Braehead has welcomed the opening of new stores creating more than 30 jobs.
Management has announced two new tenants have taken units and an existing store is tripling its retail space.
The UK’s largest independent toy retailer, The Entertainer has opened in the upper mall having taken up a unit of more than 5600 square feet bringing work for 12 new staff.
This was followed by cake, crepe and dessert outlet, The Little Dessert Shop opening a 1,600 square feet store in the adjacent Soar at intu Braehead leisure complex, which already hosts Scotland’s only indoor real snow ski slope, a multi-screen cinema, ten-pin bowling, an adventure climbing facility, the UK’s tallest indoor helix slide along with various bars and restaurants and retail outlets.
The new store will be the first Little Dessert Shop in Scotland and it has meant 20 new jobs have been created.
Fashion trainers and apparel retailer Footasylum are currently fitting out a new unit in the upper mall of the shopping centre, which will see them operating out of a 10,000 square feet unit three times the size of their present store.
Operators cite intu Braehead’s high profile and its “remarkable” catchment as reasons for opening stores there.
And intu Braehead was recently ranked as Scotland’s top shopping centre by GobalData, who measured the requirements and data from both tenants and shoppers to give a comprehensive review of the country’s shopping malls.
Donnie Macdonald, from the Little Dessert Shop said: ”The mix of retail, dining and entertainment venues at intu Braehead make it the largest and most visited shopping centre in Scotland.
“While I was looking for premises in which to open the country’s First Little Dessert Shop, availability of a space in Soar at intu Braehead presented itself as a total no-brainer.
“The centre enjoys a high profile throughout Scotland and given its enduring draw as a shopping destination, it clearly ranks high not just on local people’s radar, but also draws large numbers of tourists and visitors.
“There is literally no better location for pretty much any kind of food, shopping or leisure pursuit, given Soar at intu Braehead’s already huge popularity, which continues to be illustrated by its remarkable catchment.”
Andrew Milner-Walker, head of property at The Entertainer comments, “We are pleased to open another store at intu Braehead following the success we’ve experienced at other intu centres across the UK.
“With The Entertainer stores in a range of intu locations including Lakeside and Derby, it was a natural move for us to open in one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres.”
Peter Beagley, regional centre director with responsibility for intu Braehead said: “The team here at intu Braehead is determined to create the conditions that give retailers the best chance of successful trading.
“Our aim is to drive footfall to intu Braehead, continue to be Scotland’s number one retail and leisure destination and give people a much wider and enjoyable experience than just going to the shops when they visit us.
“Our unique mix of leisure and retail along with our creative and innovative marketing strategy certainly seems to be working for us and our retail partners.”