North Wales shopping centre left 80% vacant welcomes first new …

A shopping centre left 80% empty after the pandemic has welcomed its first new retail face for years. Canolfan Menai Centre in Bangor ^[1] has been hit badly by the retail downturn - with the loss of Debenhams a particularly damaging blow.

In April it was announced that developer Rob Lloyd had snapped up the shopping centre ^[2], which was developed back in 2007 by Cathco Property Group and cost £18.5m to build. Last month it was confirmed that The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) would be his first letting at the site - taking on the Select site after it closed.

TOFS has now opened in the city - creating nine retail jobs. It is their 184th store in the UK.

Regional Business Development Manager, Tom Houlton said: “TOFS is a national business made up of over 180 local businesses, so we’re really excited to be coming to Bangor and serving the local community. Our store will be run by local people in the heart of Bangor."

The Original Factory Shop (TOFS)

Rob Lloyd, CEO of Bearmont Group, said: "We are thrilled to welcome The Original Factory Shop to The Menai Centre and the Bangor community. Our immediate focus for the centre has been to attract new tenants and offer competitive deals while exploring new ideas to make the shopping experience more appealing for the local community and visitors.

"This expansion not only enriches the shopping experience for our valued customers but also brings new employment opportunities to the area."

References

^{^} Bangor (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} snapped up the shopping centre (www.dailypost.co.uk)
^{^} Llandudno hair salon and cafe bar have both been closed with 'heavy heart' (www.dailypost.co.uk)
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