Swansea's The Quadrant shopping centre has been bolstered by a string of new arrivals taking the place of some big name departures.
The centre appears to be starting to bounce back after taking a huge hit with the loss of Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Animal which have all shut up shop for good in recent times.
But now it is benefitting from the arrival of three new retailers, a toy shop, a clothing shop and a sports store.
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Quadrant Shopping Centre manager Lisa Hartley said: “We are very excited to have such a brilliant list of stores joining us at the Quadrant. It’s really encouraging that retailers, especially in the current climate, are opting to open brand new stores and expand their portfolios. We are even prouder that they are choosing the Quadrant and Swansea city centre as their key destinations.
"The products offered by our new retailers will add something really special to our centre, particularly ahead of Christmas, as our customers will have an even greater choice of toys, sportwear and big-brand fashion lines to choose from. We are also proud of the work taking place with our neighbours at the Copr Bay development. It is an exciting time to be part of Swansea city centre and we’re looking forward to seeing customers make the most of the additional reasons to visit.”
We've profiled the new arrivals, and taken a look at the units still left to be filled to bring the centre up to full occupancy.
The Ente rt ainer
The Entertainer is opening a brand new store at the centre on Saturday, October 2. It will be located in the St David’s Arcade side of the centre, opposite Superdrug, and there will be a schedule of opening day celebrations.
Shoppers will be treated to a free gift with every purchase and have the chance to enter a range of competitions and giveaways. Popular characters including Jack, Happyland King, and Happyland Pirate will visit throughout the day and children can take part in toy demonstrations. There will also be a balloon artist and face painters.
The Entertainer is one of the UK’s leading toy retailers, with more than 170 stores. As well as a strong physical presence on the high street, it also has a successful website, TheToyShop.com which offers a 30-minute click and collect service in store. It has toys for all ages, and brands such as Barbie, LOL Dolls, Lego and Disney available.
Ms Hartley said: “The Entertainer is a prestigious and much-loved brand and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Quadrant. In what has been an extremely challenging time for retail across the board, we are proud to bring a new retailer to the centre and we are confident it will become a firm favourite with children and families.
"The large unit on St David’s Arcade is easily accessible via the bus station and is a vibrant part of the centre with a wide range of retailers like Trespass, Superdrug and Holland & Barratt represented there. The opening weekend sounds like a wonderful celebration and we look forward to working closely with The Entertainer to make this a great success.”
Events coordinator for The Entertainer, Craig Lowe, added: “We are really looking forward to launching our 172nd store in Swansea. We are currently recruiting people to join our team at the Quadrant store. We were ranked 49th in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2019 list and we hope to attract a talented team of toy enthusiasts to join us here in Swansea.
“We can’t wait for our opening day and we would encourage everyone to come down and take part in the activities.”
The Entertainer is currently recruiting for both full-time and part-time sales assistants. Click here to apply.
The Clothing Culture
The Clothing Culture, a designer store with a huge following on Swansea’s High Street, and Cardiff’s St David’s, will open in the shopping centre the week commencing October 4.
The store, founded by Mumbles-born Paul Davies, and friend Carl Read, will be managed by Carl’s sons, Ben Miles and Matthew Read. Both Ben and Matthew have committed to bringing Quadrant customers new brands which could attract a new demographic to the centre.
It will stock big-brand, high-end names such as limited edition sneakers, Air Jordan and Yeezy, alongside brands like Supreme, Palace, Anti Social Social Club, Fear Of God Essentials alongside Weekend Offender, The Couture Club, and FKA Collection among many others.
The store’s contemporary design will boast clean lines and large spaces so customers can browse its clothing and footwear collections comfortably. A video projector, with classic basketball footage, will dress the walls; creating a unique shopping experience.
Co-founder of The Clothing Culture, Paul Davies, said: “We’re very much looking forward to opening in the Quadrant. It is the third store we will open in south Wales and we are looking forward to being right in the heart of the city centre. Ben and Matthew have great plans for the store and we look forward to seeing it have a real impact on the centre.
“Having had great success on High Street and most recently in St David’s Cardiff, we wanted to bring our brands to another part of Swansea city centre. The Quadrant is a great space and will give us the flexibility to bring even more exclusive lines to the city. We are proud of the brands we offer and the service we provide our customers. We will often source products on behalf of customers and will continue to offer that service at the Quadrant.”
Rugby Heaven and Moti
Swansea’s Rugby Heaven and Moti store in Caer Street has relocated to a bigger unit in the Quadrant.
Home to top rugby and specialist running brands, the decision to relocate follows the store’s ambitions to expand its offer in Swansea.
Having overlooked Castle Square for six years, it will now occupy the ground floor of the old Dorothy Perkins and Burtons unit, which is more than three times the size of its existing store. The additional square footage will provide space to stock a wider range of products from key brands including WRU, Under Armour, and Canterbury. Moti’s Gait Analysis Zone will also grow significantly, providing a larger space for customers to test running shoes before making a purchase.
Store manager, Matthew Griffiths, said: “We have loved our location on Caer Street but have significantly outgrown the space. We are looking forward to being able to offer our customers an even bigger choice of products and the ability to comfortably browse in a larger space. The Quadrant is at the heart of the city, and we are looking forward to joining the other brands that already exist within the shopping centre.”
What stores are still left to fill?
The former Debenhams is still empty, as are the Game and Disney stores.
The Entertainer will fill the old Menkind unit, whilst Rugby Heaven / Moti now occupies Dorothy Perkins and The Clothing Culture will occupy the old Animal unit.
What else is going on in the Quadrant?
The Quadrant’s first big event since lockdown takes place next Tuesday, October 5, with the return of Student Night.
Taking place from 5pm until 8pm, there will be exclusive discounts and in-store treats and competitions, to help students start the academic year the right way.
Those who attend can also expect to be entertained by the local club scene with freebies, and extra discounts from Dorothy’s Showbar, Bambu, Peppermint and more.
There will be drag Queen DJs on the night, performances from Swansea Music Hub and The Fringe, whilst Coca Cola, VK and local Swansea nightclubs will add even more entertainment to the centre. This event is in partnership with Swansea BID’s Big Heart of Swansea. For tickets, click here.
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