Glasgow's Braehead unveils ambitious plan to "to amplify retail and leisure offer"

Fashion Network

23-06-2025

Shopping centres that are more than just malls and that are part of a wider district including leisure are among the most successful in the UK. So it's interesting that on Monday SGS UK Retail, TDL Media and XPE launched 'a strategic partnership to align the marketing, management and leasing of Braehead Shopping Centre, Braehead Arena and XSite, the adjacent regional leisure destination'.
Called Braehead Ambition, the partnership aims to 'add value for visitors, retailers and operators, working in collaboration to deliver a consistent and clear approach to the customer experience across the extensive Braehead estate'.
Joined up thinking at a host of retail-meets-leisure destinations has turned into a recipe for success at Liverpool One, Bluewater, London Designer Outlet and more. Such destinations are usually top of the list for flagship openings, attract visitors from beyond their local areas and also see their retail spend boosted by those visiting for other primary reasons apart from shopping.
As for Braehead, we're told that reporting to a board comprising SGS UK Retail, TDL Media and XPE Group Plc, the asset management and operational team includes Pradera Lateral, Savills, BWP Group, Lunson Mitchenall, BGP, and Metis. The owners and their advisors 'will work as one team to enhance and evolve the assets, and visitors, retailers, and operators can look forward to an even more enlivened, coherent and compelling experience, amplifying and expanding the natural trading synergy between adjacent ownerships'.
Braehead Shopping Centre, XSite and The Arena cover 1,450,000 sq ft and attracting a combined 16.3 million visitors a year (which is expected to grow to 17.6 million by the end of 2026). They offer shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment, along with live events, exhibitions, sport and extensive free parking. As well as the local population, the destination serves a growing catchment of 2.2 million people with over £6.3 billion of available retail and leisure spend.
'Braehead Ambition will ensure Braehead is always the destination of choice for consumers, and for retail and leisure businesses looking to open in Glasgow,' the companies said.
Claire Barber, CEO of SGS UK Retail, also said that '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.'
And Barry Cox, non-exec director at XPE Group added: '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.'