​Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo says it has been “firmly cementing its place as one of the leading shopping and leisure destinations in the North” this year.

How so? Several 2024 positives. The centre’s celebrating a record-breaking year with a total of 81,536 sq ft of new lettings secured, up 36% increase on 2023.

Then there’s the best-ever footfall numbers, with a 7% increase year on year while tenant investment in the centre over the course of the past year has surpassed a total value of £13.4 million “reflected in the high quality standard of shopfits being delivered across the centre”.

And for next year, the centre has also secured sport retail giant Sports Direct to a long-term agreement, set to open in early 2025, with a promise of another so-far hush-hush major brand opening.

All that adds up as a “testament to the business successfully building on its strategy of blending retail with more experiential tenants to create a well-rounded lifestyle offering for visitors”, said its owner/operator Peel Retail & Leisure.

Meanwhile, the company plans to continue to invest in the Trafford Palazzo infrastructure, including improvement to its overall facilities and ancillary services.

Trafford Palazzo also introduced a dedicated brand activation space designed as a flexible, easy-to-fit-out platform for smaller businesses, including independent and on-line retailers, to activate short-term pop-up opportunities. 

This calendar year, luxury sample sale provider Showcase, brought leading brands including Mulberry, Nadine Merabi, Kate Spade and Self Portrait to Trafford Palazzo over consecutive weekends.
 
Mark Whittaker, managing director at Peel Retail & Leisure, said: “Trafford Palazzo is generating strong momentum as a destination that is proving significantly attractive to both traditional retailers and experiential operators – and we will be announcing another major addition to our retail offering early next year.”