UK Shopping Centres Innovate With Experiential Activities To Boost Footfall
UK shopping centres are increasingly incorporating health and experiential activities such as zip wires, darts, wild swimming, rock climbing, padel, and immersive experiences to attract visitors amid declines in footfall caused by online retail growth and home working trends.
Notable operators and initiatives include Toca Social operating in three malls, Five Iron providing hi-tech golf simulators at Broadgate in London, and discussions by Zip World and Go Ape about adding centre experiences.
Redevelopments feature significant transformations like Wimbledon Quarter near the tennis championships, now home to Third Space gym and The Golf Groove, and Cardiff’s Queens Arcade being converted into a leisure mall housing courts and interactive exhibits.
The economic backdrop highlights a 0.9% decline in footfall during October alongside vacancy challenges, with about 20% of former Debenhams sites remaining empty after over four years. It is estimated that approximately 60 of the UK’s 500 largest shopping centres may be entirely demolished, and another 200 partially razed. Meanwhile, rental agreements are shifting towards turnover-based terms.
Specific centre initiatives include the Gravity run at Southside in Wandsworth, the Parthian climbing wall, Hex activities at Bluewater encompassing potential outdoor arena events and padel courts, and Braintree hosting Europe’s biggest bouncy castle attracting around 10,000 visitors weekly. Westfield is also expanding leisure options with a 39% increase in Activate gaming in London and the Wake the Tiger art experience. Go Ape is considering expansion opportunities contingent on suitable space and complementary offers.
Industry experts emphasize this shift towards creating memorable and shareable experiences. Vivienne King from Revo highlights the value of experiential moments, Bruce Findlay of LandSec notes the wellness trend, Katie Wyle at URW focuses on interactive engagements, Jo O’Boyle from Go Ape contemplates expansion, and Colin Waggett of Third Space discusses repurposing former retail spaces to meet these evolving demands.
