Outlet centre bucks trends in spending

Nov 6 2007 By The Journal

DALTON Park, the shopping centre built on a former colliery site in Murton, County Durham, has continued to buck retail trends over the last three months with sales up 7% and visitors 3% up on last year.

Spending per head is also up 4% compared to last year’s figures at an average of £15.50 per person.

Centre manager Jerry Hatch commented: “After a very challenging start to the year for retail and outlet centres in general, I am pleased to report a particularly strong second quarter in which our sales were 4% ahead of last year and footfall a positive 2% ahead.”

The centre, an ING Real Estate development managed by DTZ, is set within 55 acres of parkland with three walks, a picnic area and lake. Also in the pipeline is a
phase two leisure development planned to be complete by around 2010.

Its ethos is based around fashion brands selling previous seasons’ ranges at affordable prices. When production of stock is above requirements it is sold at factory outlet centres, and Dalton Park allows customers to have the first opportunity to see and buy this stock.

Brands include Nike, Cadbury, Professional Cookware, Fila, Ponden Mill, Joseph, Levi’s, Oasis and Reebok. There is also a Marks & Spencer Outlet and Next Clearance.

One of the newest retailers at Dalton Park is Cadburys Factory Shop which has been trading there since March 2007. Managing director Lyn Gethins, said: “For this initial three-month period we have exceeded our budget expectations. The siting of a Cadbury Factory shop in the North-East played a key part in our roll out strategy and I am delighted with our performance and look forward to continued success at Dalton Park.”

Regatta has been trading for just over a year. Melanie Jones, retail support manager at Regatta said: “After opening the store in August 2006 Regatta have had a very successful first half to the year, trading up on budget and exceeding expectations.”

Dalton Park attracts additional trade by staging lots of events throughout the year such as kids events, farmers and craft markets and a Nike football competition. There’s even been a Shakespeare performance and an American circus.

In addition there’s a children’s centre and nursery for the kids and a good range of eateries to encourage customers to stay longer.

DALTON PARK – THE HISTORY

From as early as 1838, the site of Dalton Park was a tip site for colliery spoil mined from the nearby Murton Colliery. After the closure of the Murton Colliery in 1991, the site lay empty until work began on Dalton Park in March 2002.

More than 600,000 cubic metres of colliery spoil was shifted in order to create space for the construction of the buildings and car parks of the retail outlet. All of the material excavated on site was re-used to create the hills and valleys of the parkland. Recycled organic waste was used to enrich the colliery shale so that the colonies of woodland, wetland and wildflower meadows could be established.

The lakes and wetlands provide a valuable habitat for wildlife, and help to clean the rainwater as it runs off the site prior to entering the Murton Dean, a stream which runs some 20m below the parkland.

On either side of the entrance road, colliery spoil has been sculptured into flowing terraces to form a gateway to the site. It is here, where the steps climb to the summit at Falcon Point, that the Sky Gate forms the entrance to the parkland.