The Broadway in Bradford is one of the most highly anticipated retail openings of the year in the north of the country, with the development set to welcome shoppers on the 5th of November. This week, developer Westfield has confirmed that a further two brands have signed lease agreements for prime units within the £260 million centre, bringing the occupancy level to just over 70 per cent and further diversifying the already impressive tenant mix.
Family run specialist coffee business Love Koffee will be opening its first store in Bradford at The Broadway centre, taking up a unit on the Charles Street offshoot of the development. The space will be split over two levels, allowing the business to offer its full range of food and beverages whilst ensuring there is plenty of space for customer seating.
Brand representative and director of DJ&C Foods, Vikesh Patel, believes that the new store at The Broadway will allow Love Koffee to expand further throughout the local area.
He says; “Love Koffee is a family run business that is passionate about providing great coffee and a range of other food and drink.
“We’ve long recognised that Bradford is one of the north’s untapped opportunities for growth, with a young and quickly growing population, and we’re delighted that we’re able to tap into that potential through the development of The Broadway.”
Meanwhile, fashion footwear retailer Schuh will move into the Eastbrook Mall area of the development and will stock its full range along with showcasing a dedicated kids’ zone. Again, The Broadway store will be the first appearance made by the retailer in Bradford, demonstrating the development’s ability to attract national high street names to the city.
Head of store operations at Schuh, Phil Whittle, says; “The Broadway is the perfect location to open our first Bradford store, combining a fantastic city centre location with cutting edge design.
“We can’t wait to welcome Bradford’s shoppers through our doors for the first time on Thursday, November 5, and look forward to providing them with our great range of fashion footwear.”
The impact of The Broadway is already being felt throughout the city and further afield, as it has provided a significant boost to the local construction sector as well as encouraging more visitors to the wider region. This is only set to improve, as it is estimated that around 2,500 new jobs will be created in Bradford’s retail sector in the weeks leading up to the grand opening.
Commenting on the new lettings, Westfield director of leasing Keith Mabbett hinted that the centre’s occupancy rate may rise further in the very near future, vindicating predictions that the development will be fully pre-let before opening.
He said; “In recent months we’ve seen The Broadway gain great momentum, with Schuh and Love Koffee, both names new to Bradford, further testament to that momentum.
“The Broadway is now well over 70 per cent let, and I’m happy to confirm that we’ll be announcing further exciting names in the near future.”
