Bristol’s oldest retail centre, The Arcade in Broadmead, is almost fully let for the first time in many years having repositioned itself in the marketplace.
The relatively small shop units in the Grade II listed scheme, which is almost 200 years old, meant it lost popularity among bigger retailers in recent years as the trend was for larger stores. 
But over the past 12 months joint letting agents Bristol-based Williams Gunter Hardwick and Cardiff-based Oscar Clarke have repositioned The Arcade as ‘the heart of interesting shopping’ in Bristol city centre.
The result is that all but three small units out of the 24 in The Arcade are now trading or under offer – and many potential occupiers have been rejected by the agents so they can create the right tenant mix.
Williams Gunter Hardwick director Stuart Williams said: “We have deliberately sought potential occupiers with something different to offer and that has meant turning down the majority of offers we receive in order to achieve the right combination of outlets.
“Service occupiers and retailers seeking retail space to support their online and mail order operations have been favoured. It is about securing long-term occupiers who can grow their businesses and benefit from the variety of occupiers that differentiates The Arcade from the shopping elsewhere in Broadmead.”
The Arcade units typically have ground floors of around 200sq ft to 1,500 sq ft and most have basement and several upper floors.
“The quirky and unique feel of this busy, covered thoroughfare makes it a perfect home for certain types of occupier – some of whom are opening their first ever shop or more experienced operators also spotting the opportunity,” added Stuart.
New occupiers this year include hair and beauty specialists Beauty Zone and Kelly’s Nails, food and drink operators Taste of Napoli, Rollin’ Vietnamese and Wok Boxstix noodle restaurant.
The Arcade, built in 1824 as one of a connecting pair of covered malls, enjoys a particularly high footfall as shoppers use it as a cut-through from Broadmead to the Primark and Debenhams stores on The Horsefair.
The agents hope to announce completion of a letting of its largest vacant unit early in the new year to a retailer offering a service not currently represented in the thoroughfare.
