Moorgarth celebrates a flurry of lettings at Reading’s Broad Street Mall

Asset manager Moorgarth Group has enhanced its tenant line-up at Broad Street Mall with more than 8,500 sq ft of lettings. From therapy and furniture, to beauty accessories and arts and crafts, five key deals have added to the mix of offer in Reading town centre’s favourite retail destination.

The range of tenants and breadth of offer underlines the scheme’s appeal as a retail and leisure destination and the owners ambition to broaden the offer within the scheme as a whole.

Therapists on the High Street has agreed a 10-year lease on a 1,900 sq ft unit at Broad Street Mall. The walk-in clinic will provide affordable sports therapy, through a range of treatments and services and this use really complements and supports the existing NHS drop in centre and The Gym.

The centre has also welcomed Beauty Xpressions, a retailer which has secured almost 2,000 sq ft at the scheme’s Unit 44 to provide hair and beauty products and accessories.

Meanwhile, at Unit 20, social enterprise Against the Grain has leased a 760 sq ft unit where it will sell refurbished furniture and the craftsmanship theme continues with the letting of Unit 53 to Jelly Leg’d Chicken Arts Centre.

As well as attracting new names, Reading’s Broad Street Mall is accommodating the growth of existing tenants. Home Fragrance Store has committed to a new lease and will move from Unit 44 to 24, where it will continue to draw in the crowds as a destination store selling Yankee Candles and Bomb Cosmetics.

Since Broad Street Mall was purchased by Moorgarth in 2015, it has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment. Incorporating an impressive tenant line-up including TK Maxx, New Look and Wilko, the scheme serves a catchment of around 1.7m people and attracts 7m visitors a year.

The new arrivals join a list of retailers and leisure operators to have committed to the mall in recent months, including menswear brand Brother2Brother and plus-size fashion retailer Yours Clothing as well as the new restaurant and bar offers in Queens walk opposite the new student halls of residence and opposite The Hexagon Theatre.

Moorgarth Group’s CEO, Tim Vaughan said: “This series of new lettings reflects the strength and depth of Reading’s Broad Street Mall. The centre is able to appeal to an array of different retail, food and drink and leisure tenants, keen to exploit its impressive credentials and strategic location and fortunately there is much more of this to come.”

Hicks Baker and GCW advised Moorgarth.