The manager of Overgate Shopping Centre in Dundee has hailed the number of tenants renewing their leases and increasing footfall.
Around 10 retailers in the centre have extended their terms this year while a search for a replacement for the large Debenhams unit continued.
The centre currently has a handful of empty units, with negotiations under way for a retailer to enter the former Carphone Warehouse shop on the lower level, which also closed in 2020.
Centre manager Malcolm Angus said a significant amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to try to find a replacement for Debenhams unit this year.
The space has been empty for almost two years.
Debenhams entered administration in December 2020 and didn’t reopen in Dundee after the lockdown at the start of 2021.
Named: the shops extended Overgate leases
Mr Angus said: “This year we’ve had Barrhead Travel move into the former Swarovski unit on the lower level and DV8 move into Topshop at the end of last year. Menkind is another new tenant.
“But we’ve also had eight to 10 retailers extend their leases at the Overgate as well.
“For me it’s not just about new people coming in, it’s about cementing the shops we have here as well.”
Among the outlets who extended their leases at the Overgate this year were:
- Starbucks
- Greggs
- Claire’s Accessories
- QUIZ Clothing
- Lush
Festive footfall at Overgate
Mr Angus said he was “satisfied” at the levels of footfall in the centre, with the number of visitors well up on 2020 and 2021.
However, it remains around 18% lower than visitors in the run-up to Christmas in 2019.
“The last few months have been surprisingly positive. Footfall is on the increase week-on-week,” he adds.
“We are not hitting 2019 levels but well exceeding 20 and 21. There is a real appetite for people to get back shopping.
“We had 35,000 people in on a Tuesday – that’s the sort of figures we normally have on a Saturday.
“We are about 18 to 20% below 2019 and that’s directly correlated to Debenhams, which was roughly 20 to 22% of our sales.
“Overall we are quite happy, especially since we took a little bit with our car park being closed for two weeks with the Robertsons fire.
“The Royal Mail strikes may have also played a small part in people getting out to the town centre to do their Christmas shopping this year.”
Conversation