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A 95% occupancy level at Buttercrane Centre has helped produce a bumper December for the popular Newry shopping centre, with footfall returning to better than post pandemic levels and exceeding Dec 2021 figures by 10%.
Centre Manager Peter Murray in his end of year review said ‘We welcomed five lettings in November bringing occupancy levels to 95%. These included Superdrug, Boots Opticians, Home, Ivy Lane and BPerfect. This, combined with an already attractive retail mix in the scheme, enhanced the overall appeal of Buttercrane both locally and regionally and yielded positive results.
“Our anchor tenants, Sports Direct, LIDL, and Primark are dominant value sector retailers and this has served Buttercrane well set against the backdrop of economic challenges for many homes, when many customers are actively seeking extra value for money.”
The Centre also offers a range of fashion stores including Dunnes DV8, Louis Boyd, Vila, VeroModa Yours Clothing, Jack & Jones and Quiz Clothing among others delivering fashion forward looks for style fans.
In light of the cost of living crisis this winter, Buttercrane look a number of steps to add value, including a free Santa Experience, running a £5k Giveaway throughout December in addition to supporting a local Food Bank and Charity Toy Appeal. In addition School Choirs and local musical groups were on mall to entertain visitors during December - all of these initiatives added to the appeal of Buttercrane across the Greater Newry Area region and further afield with ROI trade standing at some 17%.
“Cross Border trade has always an important element of Buttercrane business and this final quarter was no different, with some 17% of visitors coming from as far as Dublin. These visits are valuable to the Centre as families make the trip a special seasonal shopping expedition, often spending considerably. They really are the icing on top of the Christmas cake,” Peter adds.
Reflecting on performance Peter said that despite challenging circumstances, he believed Buttercrane has traded strongly throughout December. “We are fortunate to have achieved what I believe is a great mix of retail and service offering, which has proved very popular at this time”.
Looking forward to 2023, Mr Murray said that there will be continuing challenges for customers from the cost of living crisis, particularly in Q1, alongside operational cost increments for retailer, “however, Buttercrane remains resilient and confident.”
“We have two new national retailers agreed and due to open by Q2, so the outlook for the future continues to be positive for Buttercrane Centre,” he added.
