One of Britain’s biggest shopping centres has had a grand transformation

Step inside Lakeside Shopping Centre this summer, you might sense something’s changed. The Essex mall – one of the largest in the UK – has just unveiled a major upgrade and given one of its quarters a brand new identity. Found on the second floor, what was once Brompton Walk is now Brompton Arcade. 

Upgrades to the space include new seating, extensive planning and room for a programme of creative activations, such as revolving community art installations. The centre plans to fill its units with local, independent and experience-led brands to give them ‘greater visibility, operational support and access to Lakeside’s annual footfall of 17 million visitors’.

We don’t know who will occupy the units yet but Lakeside is inviting any indie brands that are interested to join it for an open day on June 30. Specifically, it’s looking for boutique or urban fashion brands, fitness or pilates studios, wellness concepts, Essex-born businesses, creative retail, workspace operators and community-led brands. If they get the thumbs up, the new tenants will be a stone’s throw from major brands like FLANNELS, Reiss and Beaverbrooks. 

Robert Jewell, the managing director of asset management at Pradera said: ‘Brompton Arcade represents an exciting new chapter for Lakeside, reflecting our ambition to create a destination that champions independent businesses and entrepreneurial talent. 

‘Through significant investment, we’re creating a renewed identity for the Arcade, one that combines unparallelled visibility with a strong sense of community and collaboration.’

Brompton Arcade’s makeover is part of a wider transformation programme at the shopping centre aiming to ‘expand the breadth of its offer in line with its super-regional status’. So, watch this space for more changes. 

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