Hobbs leads new openings at Sheffield’s Meadowhall

Four new retailers have just opened, or will be opening, stores at the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, with premium womenswear brand Hobbs leading the way with a new 2,000 sq ft store.

Also just opened at the British Land-owned centre, with a 1,000 sq ft store, is home and body cosmetics brand, Rituals. Swedish children’s lifestyle brand Newbie set to open a new 900 sq ft store, and fashion jewellery and accessories specialist, Lovisa, will be opening a 700 sq ft shop which will showcase its latest fit-out concept.

Ben Grose, head of retail leasing at British Land, says: “Despite tough market challenges, Meadowhall continues to draw in exciting new brands and increasing numbers of shoppers, demonstrating the strong appeal of the best retail destinations.”

Boots has also recently opened its second ever beauty hall at Meadowhall, its first outside of London. The new concept allows its customers to experience a revamped and inspirational store layout, where they are able to get advice from brand new Beauty Specialists, as well as shop more of the industry’s most innovative brands and products including Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.

The new retailer openings come as the centre records its twelfth consecutive month of year-on-year footfall increases. They join a host of other brands at Meadowhall including Flannels, Godiva and Tag Heuer, which have all opened at the centre following an extensive £60m refurbishment programme, transforming the look and feel of the centre and strengthening its appeal to new customers. In addition, a further £46m has been invested in store upgrades by nearly 80 brands.

Meadowhall is also reaping the benefits of a late-night programme. The shopping centre has recorded a 6% increase in footfall since 2018, with over 2 million people visiting the centre after 4pm since January.

The Meadowhall Sessions, a series of evening workshops from The Post Room, the UK’s first dedicated selfie attraction, are just some of the initiatives that have been introduced. The Post Room alone has received over 131,000 visitors since its opening in April.