Gloucester Quays is 10 years old

Lifestyle Outlets Gloucester Quays is celebrating its 10th anniversary, a major milestone in the regeneration's incredible success story.

Gloucester Quays was one of a number of strategic acquisitions made by Lifestyle Outlets, which had realised the potential value of its historic waterfront setting despite the area having fallen into disrepair. The outlet destination first opened in May 2009, just as the economic downturn was adversely impacting retailers across the country.

In 2010, Chapman Taylor was appointed by Lifestyle Outlets to identify opportunities to increase footfall and value through a strategic review of their existing retail assets, and to find ways of integrating the development physically and socially with the historic docks while providing improved connections to the city.

Following a comprehensive appraisal of the scheme and wider context, Chapman Taylor's masterplan created the new Leisure Quarter at the heart of the development, repurposing commercial space that had never been let since the centre opened.

Anchored by a 10-screen multiplex cinema with new restaurants configured below, the Leisure Quarter has transformed Gloucester Quays, and is now a popular destination throughout the day and evening. Since the cinema opened in 2013, Gloucester Quays has seen customer footfall increase from 1 million to over 7 million, with consumer spending rising by over 29%. In conjunction with the creation of 1,500 jobs, this has aided the continuing economic and social regeneration of the local area.

A key driver of the success of Gloucester Quays was the engagement of Lifestyle Outlets and Chapman Taylor with Gloucester City Council and the wider community.

More recently, our masterplan has informed the rationalisation of existing commercial units and a diversification of uses within the development, including the formation of new leisure space and flexible office workspace.

Gloucester Quays has embraced a year-round programme of public events which draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors (including the Tall Ships festival, Victorian and Christmas markets and food and craft markets). We have designed the public realm to facilitate and maximise the success of such events, including the creation of dedicated event spaces, coordinated site-wide lighting, customer seating areas and wayfinding signage.

We look forward to continuing our work with Lifestyle Outlets to help ensure further success for this popular development.