News Articles

Cwmbran Hits The Heights!

Cwmbran Shopping is celebrating after being recognised as one of the best performing high streets in the UK.
The Prudential-owned town centre came in at number three in the top ten list published by the Sunday Times.
Centre manager, Gerry Hutchings, said: “This is fantastic news for everyone in Cwmbran, and just shows how well the town is performing when compared to the rest of the UK.
“The town is thriving with shoppers coming from far and wide to visit our 170 shops and stores, and our 3000 free parking spaces are a real asset.”
The Synovate Retail Performance Research for the Sunday Times identified the top ten “high streets” in the UK who were bucking the national trend which has seen many failing in the tough economic climate.
The survey said the top ten were the most resilient in the country, with those at the top of the table even showing growth in footfall and spending over the past three years, despite the recession.
Gerry said total footfall in Cwmbran in 2010 was 17.2 million, which was an increase of 3.2 per cent on the previous year.
“So far this year, footfall is already 3.1 per cent up on last year’s excellent figures, with a total of just over 5.5 million shoppers visiting the town.”
And it’s not just footfall which has increased at Cwmbran, the centre itself is virtually fully let, with a waiting list of tenants queuing up for every available unit.
“In the last six months, we’ve had 12 new shops opening, including Primark, who took on a 45,000 sq m unit in the former Woolworths store, and had a record-breaking opening.
“By carefully balancing the mix of retailers in the town as we have done for many years, we believe we can continue to make Cwmbran a vital and sustainable shopping destination
“Cwmbran Shopping’s reputation is growing on the national stage and recognition in such a prestigious listing is wonderful news for the town centre and the area as a whole. We’re very proud of our team here and the town centre’s success is testimony to the hard work and commitment everyone has put in, and to the loyal support of our customers.”
Cwmbran Shopping has also been recognised as a safe and well-managed centre and has not only retained its certificate of registration to PAS 99 for integrated management systems, but has also won a RoSPA gold award for occupational health and safety for the third year running.