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Liverpool One – the one and only
The year 2008 will see the completion of several major retail projects across the UK. The first of these to open will be Grosvenor's Liverpool ONE shopping development. Due to open at the end of May, it is certain to change the face of retail in Liverpool irrevocably. Elizabeth Troake takes a look at this highly anticipated project.
There are places I'll remember all my life, though some have changed": the words of Liverpool's famous son, John Lennon. These lyrics are particularly appropriate in describing the sweeping changes currently taking place in his hometown of Liverpool.
Having been officially named the European Capital of Culture, Liverpool is also a city of hungry shoppers - 557,000 of them to be precise, placing the city 15th in the UK's retail rankings according to data from Experian. Additionally, in the face of a grim retail climate elsewhere in the UK, Liverpool's average income and retail spend are both on the rise.
Even in the city's retail culture, which has traditionally suffered from its close proximity to Manchester's well-established shopping areas and the formidable 9 million sq ft Trafford Centre, the tide now appears to be turning as Liverpool prepares to open the doors to a development that will, many believe, see it become the fastest growing shopping destination in the UK.
Grosvenor's Liverpool ONE is 1.65 million sq ft of shopping and leisure space in the heart of the city, featuring 160 high street shops, cafés and restaurants including flagship stores for both John Lewis and Debenhams as well as the largest Topshop outside of London. Hailed as "one of the most important and exciting retail-led developments in Europe" by Experian, it is also the flagship project in a decade-long initiative that will see hundreds of additional new shops opening throughout the city, supported by dozens of bars, restaurants and cafés. For those in need of some serious retail therapy, Liverpool ONE is also bringing late night shopping to the city centre for the first time, with stores open till 8pm Monday to Friday along with 3,000 new parking spaces, providing easy access to the city centre.
But it isn't only the shopping public who are drooling over the prospect of the new development. Retail professionals throughout the UK are also keeping an eye on this exciting project, especially as Liverpool ONE is expected to create 4,000 permanent jobs in the community upon completion. High street favourites such as All Saints, Body Shop, Carphone Warehouse, Faith, Goldsmiths, H&M, Karen Millen, Radley, Topshop, Zara and Zavvi, amongst many others, are all opening branches at Liverpool ONE.
Usually, when a large shopping development is planned for a city centre there is some controversy attached, often in the shape of protests from local residents and businesses. However, the Liverpool ONE shopping centre isn't a sterile, self-contained mall, transplanted into the heart of the city. Part of the unique appeal of this project is the fact that, unlike the roofed shopping malls that have become so popular in recent times, the Liverpool ONE project has retained and developed the existing historic streets to house the 36 individual buildings which make up the 1.6 million sq ft of retail space. The redeveloped area spans from Hanover Street to the Strand, linking the city centre with the waterfront and, crucially, potentially linking the city's existing shopping districts including Church Street, Lord Street, Clayton Square and St John's Shopping Centre.
With such a huge rival opening on its doorstep, it isn't surprising that Liverpool's hitherto largest shopping centre, St John's, is now in line for a makeover of its own. The owner of the 100-unit building, Land Securities, is planning to reposition the mall in relation to Liverpool ONE as a mid-market shopping destination with a £100m revamp. Plans include improvements to the 1960's building, both inside and out, as well as a modern food terrace, improved access, flooring and toilet facilities and more natural light for shoppers. St John's Market will also be re-housed in a new, modern market hall in the extended Williamson Square building. However, as the building was last renovated 19 years ago, some would say that the move is long overdue.
In fact, despite the sweeping changes in the city for which Liverpool ONE has been the catalyst, industry insiders say that the new development will not be as detrimental to the city's retail health as might typically be supposed when a much larger rival seeks to break into an established market. The fact that Liverpool ONE has utilised the existing streets surrounding it means that there will be little definition between the "old" and "new" shopping areas in the city centre, allowing shoppers to wander between different retail destinations without even realising they have done so. Added to this, according to the local press many shoppers arriving in Liverpool from the north or central suburb areas will have to pass through St John's shopping centre as well as Williamson Square in order to get to Liverpool ONE, ensuring that shoppers can take advantage of the fullest range of retail destinations possible and benefiting a wider range of retailers.
One of the driving concepts behind Liverpool ONE is the concept of "New Rules", an attitude of fresh thinking in relation to the regeneration of the city and embracing the concept of Liverpool as a premier UK shopping destination. Six of the core "New Rules" adopted by Grosvenor include: Involve everyone, love the city, think big, make new rules, create more, and be the best.
Commenting on the anticipated success of Liverpool ONE's business model, Ayo Daramola-Martin, marketing director at Grosvenor, said: "As a brand, Liverpool ONE is powerful, flexible and true to the unique spirit of Liverpool. Its confident and multi-faceted nature, and the 'New Rules' thinking behind it, are indicative of the huge impact this ground-breaking development will have upon the city".
Retail Market Spotlight, which follows the publication of Experian's Retail Rankings for 2007, has predicted that the opening of Liverpool ONE alone is enough to catapult the city into the top 10 in the league table, coming in at number 6 by 2017, compared to its current position at number 15. This would put Liverpool in the same league as such top destinations as London's West End, Glasgow Central, Birmingham Central, Manchester Central and Nottingham Central. This also equates to a 33.7% increase in spending in the next decade, by far the highest increase of any major city in the UK.
May 29th will see the first part of the project's opening, officially unveiling 80 retail outlets, including the new Debenhams and the 240,000 sq ft John Lewis, 40% larger than the existing store on Basnett Street. The second part of the opening is scheduled for September, when the full 42 acres of shopping and leisure space will be completely open for the first time.
Until that grand opening, it remains to be seen whether the development will be sufficient to regenerate the city's retail culture enough to eventually make it one of the top 5 UK retail destinations although it is widely accepted that the change the development will have on Liverpool will be far-reaching. It might not be Penny Lane, but it seems likely that Liverpool ONE has a very big part to play in the regeneration of the city's retail industry in the coming years.
