AS retailers prepare for the roll out of the £100 high street voucher scheme, the management and letting agents at Newry's Buttercrane shopping centre say they are "feeling optimistic about the future of bricks and mortar retail in the city".
Following a multi-million pound investment programme over in the past 12 months, the centre believes it is well-positioned to survive in the decades ahead in the aftermath of the various Covid closures.
Centre manager Peter Murray said: “As the pandemic hit, we had embarked on an 18-month development and investment plan for the centre.
“As a result, we have delivered two new anchor stores in Sports Direct/USC, which has generated 65 jobs, and most recently Lidl, which has relocated from Bagnall’s Castle to a 26,000 sq ft new-build site in Buttercrane.”
To reflect the major improvements, Buttercrane Centre also commissioned a new corporate identity image to reflect it more accurately for the 21st century.
Criona Collins, head of retail agency at Lambert Smith Hampton said: “Buttercrane is a strategic site in the heart of Newry city and has been serving the people of south Down and south Armagh for over 30 years.
“The multi-million pound investment by Buttercrane Centre and Lidl NI has transformed the entire scheme, opening up its outlook on to the Dublin Road and significantly regenerating the Bridge Street area of the city.”
