Princesshay, Land Securities' new shopping center in Exeter, Devon, has won retail property organization BCSC's Supreme Gold award for 2007. River Island was named as Retailer of the Year while further Gold awards went to in-town schemes Marshall's Yard, Gainsborough and The Brunswick, London.
The Oracle, Reading picked up BCSC's Established Centre Gold award, Bullring's Peroni Boutique (Emporio) received a Gold award for income generation, while BOSS Orange Concept Store in Carnaby Street, London and the Leon outlet at Spitalfields picked up Golds for Shopfit and Design.
Princesshay received the highest accolade among the eight winners of BCSC Golds across all categories. The BCSC Golds are the leading accolades within the shopping centre and retail destination industry. They are designed to reward excellence in retail-led developments and recognize projects that generate improvements in the quality of the built environment; the awards also reward stores and operations within that environment.
These exclusive retail property industry awards recognise outstanding retail developments, retailers, income-generating projects and public partnerships in the UK and Ireland.
Comments Neil Varnham, Chairman of the eight-person BCSC Gold Awards Judging Committee and Director of Property Retail (Europe) at Henderson Global Investors:
"BCSC Golds Jury members were impressed by the range of innovative mixed-use schemes an increasingly common theme in urban development," he said. "This year I am delighted to say that several developments and shop-fits have achieved the level of excellence that the jury looks for in terms of design and originality."
A Supreme Gold Award category was created to recognize those achievements which have moved the industry forward most.
BCSC has run a Shopping Centre Awards programme for 23 years.
The judges offered the following comments on the award winners:
Princesshay is an elegant example of a retail-led mixed-use development - following the new urban agenda of 'streets and squares'. The scheme has delivered some 400,000 ft² (approx. 37,000 m²) of retailing and catering in a well-thought tenant mix plan, reflecting the ancient history of the site. Sitting above the retail are over 120 apartments, adding to the vibrancy of Exeter.
The Brunswick is an excellent example of a rejuvenation of a tired scheme originally completed in 1972. Respecting the constraints of private and public residential apartments above, the project has delivered some 200,000 ft² of a quality retail and catering offer set around a delightful square anchored by a Waitrose.
Marshall's Yard is an excellent example of a town centre regeneration scheme that has created a quality development involving the use of many listed buildings, adjacent to other sympathetically designed retail units. National and local retailers are housed in units of different sizes in a beautiful courtyard setting, with superb attention to detail throughout the scheme. In total there are some 200,000 ft² of retail, leisure and commercial space.
The Peroni Boutique is a clever concept conceived by the Bullring and Peroni. As part of a full advertising and promotional package, the scheme involved the fit-out of a small shop unit with a 'fridge' labelled Peroni and 'guarded' by an Italian male model; no customers were allowed in the shop. The recognition generated in terms of public relations and marketing was exceptional.
This scheme has matured exceptionally well over the last 7 years. The tenant mix remains fresh and the food offer around the river should be used by today's developers as a benchmark. Management and integration with the community has been maintained at a high level.
A superbly fitted restaurant consisting of an eclectic array of fittings and furnishings, allied to a wide ranging food offer and a quality customer service package. All-in-all a quite unique food offer for a wide customer base.
This Hugo Boss concept store integrates a very subtle design philosophy to reflect the products it
