Christmas sales boom at Meadowhall despite return of mask wearing amid Covid surge
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Bosses at the mega-mall say the number of shoppers is still down but those that come are spending more, especially on luxury goods such as jewellery.
Jewellers Goldsmiths and Beaverbrooks have both revamped their stores - the latter with a Tudor watch concession - and upmarket watch companies Breitling and Omega are aiming to open standalone outlets before Christmas.
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Hide AdMeanwhile, compliance with mask wearing has improved since the summer when the centre was plagued by people claiming to be exempt because they had asthma.
WHAT ARE THE MASK REQUIREMENTS AT MEADOWHALL?
A requirement to wear them in shops - which applies throughout Meadowhall - came in again on November 30 due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. That was extended to the cinema this week after MPs voted for tougher measures.
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Centre director Darren Pearce said six Covid marshals were at the doors to check on exemptions and sell masks to those that forget - with proceeds going to charity.
He added: “I’m really pleased, sales numbers since August are up on 2019 in absolute like-for-like business including the travel sector.
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Hide Ad“We do have some challenges around the former Debenhams and the Topman/Topshop units but we have very active interest that’s progressing.
“We’ve also had 30 new brands opening new shops in Meadowhall this year.”
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE EXTENSION AND EMPTY UNITS?
Mr Pearce also said it was ‘common sense’ to wait until the latest wave of coronavirus settled down before making big plans for next year, including the long-planned extension.
“There’s no point speculating. But we are hoping and dreaming that our lives will get back to normal.”
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Hide AdHe also said their ‘Covid secure’ Christmas experience, the Santa Express, was a big success, selling 10,000 tickets before it opened.
He added: “It makes me really happy that people are having a nice time despite the challenges.”
Plans for a ‘leisure’ extension were announced in 2016 but have been downgraded and repeatedly delayed since.
Three large stores closed earlier this year: Debenhams, a combined TopShop and TopMan and a Miss Selfridge. They remain empty, despite co-owners British Land saying in September there was ‘encouraging interest’ in them.
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Hide AdBritish Land also hopes to move into warehousing next year to cash in on the boom in online deliveries.
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