British Land has announced that The Body Shop and Claw City are set to join Drake Circus shopping centre and The Barcode. This builds on the recent opening of Skechers at the leading retail destination, and Black Sheep Coffee and Oh My Kimchi nearby.
Together, the five deals represent c.11,500 sq ft of leasing activity, strengthening the location’s retail, F&B and leisure offering and adding to a strong summer of occupier investment.
One of Britain’s best-known names in beauty and skin care, The Body Shop, has taken 1,175 sq ft at Drake Circus. The new store marks the return of The Body Shop to the destination and forms part of the company’s renewed investment in its physical estate.
Experiential leisure operator Claw City will also be opening a 2,000 sq ft location at The Barcode, bringing its new all-claw-machine concept to the destination. Dedicated entirely to the popular arcade game, the venue will offer a new interactive leisure experience for visitors and further diversify The Barcode’s line-up of entertainment operators.
These new lettings build on a busy summer at Drake Circus, including the recent relocation of Skechers on New George Street. The new 3,700 sq ft concept store provides an enhanced retail experience with more room for customers to browse and discover its latest footwear, apparel and accessories.
Black Sheep Coffee also made its Plymouth debut in September, taking 3,420 sq ft across two floors on Old Town Street. The opening marks the fast-growing coffee brand’s first location in the city and expands the range of food and beverage operators in and around Drake Circus.
Independent Korean food operator, Oh My Kimchi, also opened a 1,300 sq ft unit on Old Town Street in July. Relocating from a previous spot in Plymouth, the move provides the local operator with a more prominent pitch at the heart of the city’s retail offer.
This latest leasing activity reflects British Land’s ongoing investment in Plymouth and follows a summer of impressive performance at Drake Circus and The Barcode. Footfall at Drake Circus increased 7.9 per cent year-on-year across May to July, with more than 3.2 million visitors over the three-month period. The Barcode also saw footfall increase by around 3.6 per cent year-on-year across the same period. This has been supported by British Land’s active approach to asset management, introducing new brands and experiences while creating opportunities for existing occupiers to invest and strengthen their presence.
Nathan Reidy, Senior Asset Manager at British Land, said: “It’s been a really positive summer at Drake Circus, with Skechers investing in a new concept store and Oh My Kimchi and Black Sheep Coffee joining us on Old Town Street. We’re even more pleased to be building on that momentum with The Body Shop and Claw City now set to join the line-up.
“Experience-led leisure is increasingly important as it helps us appeal to a broader range of customers and creates new reasons for people to spend time at our destinations. That’s why we’re particularly excited to welcome Claw City and its new concept to The Barcode.
Drake Circus and the Barcode photographed on the 14th June 2023.
“Our approach is about understanding what works for the destination and actively managing the space to respond to changing customer and occupier demand. By continuing to invest in the right mix and creating opportunities for brands to grow, we can make sure Drake Circus and The Barcode continues to perform strongly for both our customers and occupiers.”