Southampton city centre & West Quay

A case study to show how retailing has changed overtime

Learning Objective

To understand how retail services have changed over time.

Why?

‘For a location you have studied describe and explain how the retail functions have changed over time’ (8)

So what are the changes in retail provision?

• Geographical location changes - out of town shopping Vs regeneration of CBD

• Size of shop changes - huge department stores Vs tiny independents

• Ownership of shop changes - MNC’s, High Street chains vs independent

• Methods of shopping changes - internet, catalogue, superstore

Out-of-town shopping

Mall shopping

High Street Shopping

Online shopping

Why has retailing in Southampton City Centre changed?

Starter:

LOOK at the old photos of Bargate and High Street

What was shopping like then?

How is it different along the High Street and Bargate today?

So what’s changed in Soton?

• In 1898 Tyrell and Greens began as a Draper’s on the Above Bar site selling haberdashery items and clothing

• The business was brought by John Lewis 1934• In Nov 1940 Southampton saw three weekends

of particularly heavy bombing and shops like Tyrell and Green were completely destroyed.

• This is why all along Above and Below Bar the buildings are of different ages and architectural styles as many were re-built in 50’s and 60’s

Donut Effect

• Dead city centres,• Redeveloped/more

affordable housing out of town,

• Run down shops/shopping centres in town,

• Out-of-town shopping has taken over,

• Very few people in town any more.

More Changes?

• Decline of independent specialist shops often run by families

• Rise of ‘high street’ stores (like Topshop, HMV) as disposable income increases

• Growth of out of town shopping such as M&S at Hedge End (1994) and supermarkets as car ownership increases and suburbanisation

• Growth of shopping malls/centres e.g.Bargate 1989, Marlands 1991

Rise of brands and fashion (e.g.Hollister) who will pay money to get best retail location

Biggest change? West Quay?

• Over 100 shops & 2 department stores under one roof

• Over 74,000m2 of retail and catering space

• Entire floor of catering

• Cost £295million to build

• Owned by Hammerson (they built the Bullring in Birmingham and Oracle in Reading)

Where?

• Situated in Above Bar - north of the Bargate building in Southampton

• West Quay entrance was formerly the Daily Echo offices

• Connects Portland terrace and areas to the west of Above Bar

More what?• West Quay is a £295 million development

incorporating 100 retailers, including 50 fashion stores and 21 places to eat & drink

• A 33 acre site its total retail space is 74,500m2 - five times the size of a football stadium!

• Southampton was previously ranked 27th in the UK as a regional city in terms of retail space. With the opening of WestQuay, its position has risen to number 13

• WestQuay’s catchment is 2 million people living within a 60 minute drive.

• Together they represent a total of £2.32 billion retail spend.

• Initially approx 12 million people were expected to visit the centre in the 1st year

• BUT 1.5 million people had visited WestQuay within 2 weeks of opening.

• By end of 2001, a total of 16 million visitors had passed through the doors, a dramatic increase on expectations

How?• Demolition on the brownfield site in September

1997• West Quay opened on 28th September 2000• WQ is constructed on the former site of the first

Pirelli Cable Works and on the former Daily Echo site

• The development crosses over three major roads. It absorbs a 4 ½ metre change in ground level between east and west boundaries