St James centre boosts Dover footfall

The new St James shopping centre in Dover, with a retail line-up including M&S, Shoezone, Superdrug and Trespass, has helped boost footfall in Dover town centre by almost 60%.

The retail and leisure scheme opened in March and is set to welcome national clothing chain Next in July.

According to Springboard Footfall figures, complied for Dover District Council, footfall in the town centre, excluding the shopping centre, have increased by sharply since its opening, compared to data recorded at the end of January.

“These early figures point to a very encouraging start for St James, and underline our premise that the development would attract footfall to the traditional high street. Thanks to St James we have attracted new names to Dover, and ensured that brands looking to expand into larger, more modern premises, have stayed in the town,” said Cllr Keith Morris, Leader of Dover District Council.

The £53.25 million shopping destination is located on the A20, the main road leading to the Port of Dover. Its location means easy access to the 11.7 million passengers who travel through the Port of Dover every year, including 200,000 cruise passengers.

Additionally, over 650,000 tourists visit the town each year, and Dover has a residential catchment of 257,000 and a potential spend of £1.2 billion.

St James is 90% let or in solicitors’ hands, with a further 6,800 square foot in negotiations. Its owner, Legal & General Investment Management, Real Assets, said initial feedback from retailers has been encouraging.

The 157,000 sq ft development also houses Poundworld, Anytime Fitness, Costa Coffee, Card Factory, Carphone Warehouse, Greggs, the Food Warehose by Iceland, Bella Italia and Nando’s, as well as a Travelodge Hotel.

St James centre boosts Dover footfall

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