The Rock, Bury is pleased to announce that it has exceeded its footfall target of nine million by welcoming over 10 million visitors to the shopping and entertainment destination since it opened in July 2010.
The Rock has maintained a strong occupancy rate over the past year, despite difficult economic conditions, and is currently 89% let by area (up from 85% at launch). Latest take up includes three new signings, representing a total of 14,710 sq ft.
Ladies’ and men’s fashion retailer, M.I.C, has taken two units, totalling more than 3,570 sq ft, whilst hairdresser Toni & Guy has taken 1,560 sq ft of space, launching its new store at The Rock on 1st July.
In addition, the third signing comes from Simply Be, part of the N Brown Group, which recently announced it is taking its online brand to the high street. The Rock has been chosen as the location for Simply Be’s first ever ‘offline’ store and has taken a large unit of 9,580 sq ft at the scheme, which is currently being fitting out.
David Laycock, Centre Director for The Rock, commented: “The Rock’s retail and leisure facilities have enhanced the attractiveness of the town for nearby residents.
“We place a great deal of importance on Bury’s profile as a tourist attraction for the wider region. Bury’s now excellent retail and entertainment offer, combined with good transport networks and proximity to surrounding areas of natural beauty all make The Rock a great place to visit and we look forward to attracting new visitors to The Rock over the coming years.”
According to Drivers Jonas’ Town Centre Study, Bury’s strong retail offer and good connectivity with the conurbation core are key assets to be built upon in the future. The Bury Market, which is a major attraction for tourists, as well as supplying a unique retail offer for the borough’s residents, attracts on average 13 million visitors a year. Alongside other attractions such as the Fusiliers Museum, the Bury Art Gallery & Museum, the East Lancashire Railway, and The Met Theatre, Bury is an important element of the conurbation’s tourist offer and The Rock was designed to complement this existing offer.
Councillor Mike Connolly, leader of Bury Council, said: “Bury is a great place to live and work, and The Rock development has played a crucial role in giving employment opportunities to local people and bringing more visitors to Bury.
“The Rock has added to the Bury town centre offer, with Bury benefitting from additional retailers in a climate where other towns are seeing the High Street hit hard by the recession.
“The Rock is undoubtedly a key attraction in Bury, joining our historic famous market and brand new Fusiliers and Transport museums. With a new Premier Inn hotel opening later this month, we all hope people will be encouraged to stay in Bury even longer.”
Andrew Heyes, Bury markets manager, said: “Footfall on the market increased following the launch of The Rock by approximately 10-15% as people visited Bury to see the new attractions. The Rock and Bury Market complement each other in giving people great reasons to visit our town.”
The Rock celebrates its first birthday on 16th July with a day of summer fashion showcases and live music. The event will kick off at 11am and visitors will be treated to unique high-wire catwalk shows – the first of its kind in the UK – as well as a preview of the Ramsbottom Festival line-up, including performances from popular Manchester band, Kid British.
