Merry Hill mall enjoys record-breaking first-half footfall
The momentum continued in June as the centre also experienced a 3.7% uplift compared to the same month last year, as it continued a 12-month rolling increase of 3.3%.
'This growth across the destination significantly outperforms the super regional benchmark', which up until the end of May was tracking at +2.6%, as measured by Savills, operator Sovereign Centros from CBRE said.
What's more, the centre 'is now on track to exceed 15.5 million visitors in 2025, following a year of major investment and proactive asset management', it added.
The centre, which features more than 175 brands, has also benefitted from further investment from anchor tenants including H&M, and M&S for its newest store concept, alongside the England debut of Australia-based international retailer Harvey Norman.
The operator noted the positive trajectory was also boosted by several high-profile leisure attractions, including Hollywood Bowl and XF Gym.
Alistair Winning, asset manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, added: "From a leasing and asset management perspective, the first half of this year has been a reflection of the transformation Merry Hill has undergone over the last few years. We're seeing tremendous confidence from both new and existing tenants. This wave of investment, driven by our proactive asset management strategy, is creating a truly compelling destination that keeps visitors coming back time and time again, solidifying our position as one of the UK's top super regional destinations.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
8 hours ago
- Euronews
Ireland, Lithuania and Spain: Who will lead the Eurogroup next?
Ireland, Lithuania and Spain are vying for leadership of the Eurogroup on Monday, which chairs the monthly meetings of the 20 eurozone finance ministers and plays a key role in coordinating and influencing the Council's economic policy decisions. Over the past two decades, the Eurogroup has had only four permanent presidents: Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker (2005–2013), the Netherlands' Jeroen Dijsselbloem (2013–2018), Portugal's Mário Centeno (2018–2020), and Ireland's Paschal Donohoe. Since 2020, the position has been held by Donohoe, a member of the influential European People's Party (EPP). But for his potential third term, the Irishman is being challenged by the socialist finance ministers of Spain and Lithuania, Carlos Cuerpo and Rimantas Šadžius, who are offering an alternative vision for the next two and a half years. The vote on Monday will be held in secret. To win, a candidate must secure at least eleven out of twenty votes. Cuerpo offers a 'renewed' and ambitious agenda The Spanish contender, Carlos Cuerpo, is an economist with a PhD and previous experience at the European Commission and Spain's fiscal watchdog, AIReF. He has served as Spain's finance minister since late 2023, when he succeeded Nadia Calviño, who now leads the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank. Cuerpo is not the first Spaniard to seek leadership of this informal group. Calviño ran against Donohoe in 2022, and Luis de Guindos—now Vice President of the European Central Bank—also tried to secure the role during his time as economy minister under a Spanish Popular Party government. In his motivation letter to fellow ministers, Cuerpo laid out an 'ambitious' and renewed agenda aimed at strengthening the eurozone's long-term growth, completing the capital markets union, boosting the international role of the euro, and finalizing the banking union. 'The time has come to move from discussion to delivery. The credibility of our collective project depends not on what we say, but on what we achieve—together, and without delay,' Cuerpo wrote. Earlier this month, Spain—along with Germany, France, and Italy—presented a discussion paper arguing that although the Eurogroup has been effective during crises, it has often lacked decisiveness in other areas, particularly in advancing the capital markets union. As a Spanish socialist, the 44-year-old finance minister has also supported issuing new common debt to strengthen Europe's defence capabilities. He has called for doubling the EU's next long-term budget—from 1% of the bloc's GDP—to fund both traditional priorities, such as agriculture and cohesion, and new ones, including security, defence, and the green and digital transitions. Several diplomatic sources suggest the real contest is between Cuerpo and Donohoe. However, Cuerpo's political family is in the minority within the Eurogroup, and his more transformative proposals may face resistance from fiscally conservative countries like Germany and the Netherlands. Paschal Donohoe: 'predictability' in times of crisis Amid soaring trade tensions and a war on the EU's borders, Paschal Donohoe tells his 19 finance peers in a letter seeking their support that the global economy is at 'a pivotal juncture'. Despite all the challenges, the Irishman argues that the Eurogroup remains a source of predictability, stability and transparency. He also praised the achievements of recent years under his leadership, while warning that more work is needed. "The changing external environment gives us the impetus and imperative to progress on long-standing issues and deliver on our shared priorities," he said, promising to remain an honest broker in the group's negotiations. If he is re-elected, he plans to deepen the European capital markets, make progress on the digital euro, promote greater dynamism in integration, and continue to invest in security cooperation. 'An awful lot can happen in a number of weeks in the world that we're in, but I am encouraged by the support I've currently received,' the Irish finance minister told Euronews in a recent interview. Šadžius calls for a less concentrated capital markets union In the race for the presidency of the Eurogroup, Rimantas Šadžius is the wild card. Despite being a highly experienced finance minister from Lithuania, he faces two main disadvantages: he belongs to the socialist political family—meaning he competes for the same pool of votes as Carlos Cuerpo—and he is seeking the backing of smaller countries, a constituency Paschal Donohoe has long cultivated. Šadžius has served as a member of the Luxembourg-based European Court of Auditors, and has played a leading role in Lithuania's accession to the eurozone since 2015. He also chaired ECOFIN during Lithuania's presidency of the Council of the EU in 2013, a period marked by key decisions on the creation of the Banking Union. Diplomatic sources suggest Šadžius could attract support from EU member states closest to Russia's border, but he is not expected to gain enough votes to win the race. In his letter to fellow ministers, the Lithuanian candidate pledges to promote deeper integration of member states into the euro area, avoid overlaps with the European Council's agenda, ensure fiscal sustainability, and accelerate the rollout of the digital euro. Like his rivals, Šadžius commits to completing both the banking union and the capital markets union. However, he stresses the need to address the fact that the latter remains 'heterogeneous and more concentrated in Western and Northern Europe.'
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Fashion Network
Farm Rio extends Selfridges pop-up until late July
After its 'huge success' as a two-month Selfridges pop-up, Brazilian fashion brand Farm Rio is now extending its stay at the London fashion department store until the end of July. The 732 sq ft third floor space forms an immersive shop-in-shop experience, created in collaboration with the Brazil-based design studio Estúdio Campana, hailed as 'more than just a retail space'. As well as occupying two main entrance windows, there were also four additional secondary displays, all the areas that were transformed into art installations. Driven by a 'deep sense of purpose and shared values', it 'highlights the beauty of Brazilian heritage, commitment to nature, and the transformative power of art'. For Farm Rio's creative director, Kátia Barros, the venture 'has represent[ed] the realisation of a long-held dream: 'to have a tree inside one of the brand's stores.' For interior designer Humberto Campana, it 'honours… a commitment shared by Farm Rio that in 2024 celebrated 1.5 million trees planted across six Brazilian biomes through the '1,000 Trees a Day, Every Day' project.' The project wraps up the brand's journey in the UK, including the opening of its third and recent Farm Rio store in London at Carnaby Street and its first participation in the Chelsea Flower Show.
Fashion Network
2 days ago
- Fashion Network
Merry Hill mall enjoys record-breaking first-half footfall
It's been a good year so far for Merry Hill so far and helping the West Midlands mall maintain its position 'as one of the UK's top 10 super-regional destinations', is record footfall, reporting a 5.6% year-on-year increase for the first half of 2025. The momentum continued in June as the centre also experienced a 3.7% uplift compared to the same month last year, as it continued a 12-month rolling increase of 3.3%. 'This growth across the destination significantly outperforms the super regional benchmark', which up until the end of May was tracking at +2.6%, as measured by Savills, operator Sovereign Centros from CBRE said. What's more, the centre 'is now on track to exceed 15.5 million visitors in 2025, following a year of major investment and proactive asset management', it added. The centre, which features more than 175 brands, has also benefitted from further investment from anchor tenants including H&M, and M&S for its newest store concept, alongside the England debut of Australia-based international retailer Harvey Norman. The operator noted the positive trajectory was also boosted by several high-profile leisure attractions, including Hollywood Bowl and XF Gym. Alistair Winning, asset manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, added: "From a leasing and asset management perspective, the first half of this year has been a reflection of the transformation Merry Hill has undergone over the last few years. We're seeing tremendous confidence from both new and existing tenants. This wave of investment, driven by our proactive asset management strategy, is creating a truly compelling destination that keeps visitors coming back time and time again, solidifying our position as one of the UK's top super regional destinations.'
