Three companies – SGS UK Retail, TDL Media and XPE – have teamed up under the name Braehead Ambition to launch a strategic partnership.
From now on, they will handle marketing, management and leasing together for Braehead Shopping Centre, Braehead Arena and the nearby XSite leisure park. Their aim is to give visitors, shopkeepers and operators a smooth, joined-up experience across the whole site.
A joint board made up of SGS UK Retail, TDL Media and XPE Group Plc will oversee day-to-day work. They’ve brought in expert advisers from firms such as Pradera Lateral, Savills and Lunson Mitchenall. These teams will act as one, improving facilities and services so that shopping, dining, events and leisure all feel connected.
Together, the three venues cover 1.45 million sq ft and attract 16.3 million visits each year, a figure that should reach 17.6 million by 2026. Alongside the local community, they serve a wider group of 2.2 million people who spend around £6.3 billion on retail and leisure every year.
Braehead Ambition aims theirs is destination of choice for consumers, and for retail and leisure businesses looking to open in Glasgow.
Commenting on the creation of the partnership, Claire Barber, CEO of SGS UK Retail, said: “The scale and diversity of Braehead Ambition’s offer means the destination is more relevant to more consumers more of the time. The partnership will position Braehead as a lifestyle choice, creating even higher levels of loyalty and engagement that will drive the commercial performance of the individual assets, and the wider social and economic prosperity of the area.”
Barry Cox, Non-Exec Director at XPE Group Plc, commented: “This partnership celebrates a shared commitment to offer consumers a unique destination, one whose total is greater even than the sum of the parts. As consumers are becoming ever more discerning as to where and how they spend their time and money, bringing together the strength of our individual assets to create the strongest destination of scale in Glasgow makes total sense for our customers, our business partners, and for Renfrew.”
Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Finance, Resources and Customer Services at Renfrewshire Council and Chair of Renfrew Local Partnership, also welcomed the initiative, adding: “I welcome the creation of this strategic partnership between Braehead Shopping Centre, Braehead Arena and XSite. Individually, each is very popular and very successful, but together they create a destination unrivalled in Scotland. This collective approach creates more choice, scale and opportunity, and I am confident the partnership will fuel further success for Braehead and bring additional benefits to the local area through community engagement.”
Work is already under way to upgrade each site. XPE Group Plc is investing over £12 million in XSite, centered on a new K1 go-karting track. SGS UK Retail has signed up several new brands and renewed leases at the shopping centre. TDL Media’s ownership of Braehead Arena comes with fresh fit-outs that let it host up to 5,200 people for all kinds of events.
In addition to Braehead Shopping Centre, Braehead Arena and XSite, the area has become established as a hub for premium automotive brands, such as Ferrari, Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Harley Davidson and Ducati, and is also home to IKEA and Sainsbury’s.
Alongside the significant growth in housing, there has been major infrastructure investment including the newly opened Renfrew Bridge over the Clyde, are adding value to local residents and businesses.