IT’S BEEN a staple of Reading, and this year it has marked its 50th anniversary.
Be it the Butts Centre or Broad Street Mall, it is one of Reading’s favourite places to shop.
And while the centre will be wallowing in some nostalgia, it is firmly looking to the future, ensuring it is fit for the next 50 years of retail.
At the helm is its new general manager, Steven Connolly. He joined just under two months ago and has been thrown into the deep end as the Mall prepares for its busy Christmas period.
But there’s no chance of Santa getting his beard stuck as he abseils in to turn the Christmas lights on. Sadly, the ongoing covid pandemic has meant the usual festivities have been put on ice, but the Christmas decorations are up for anyone looking for some seasonal cheer.
There will be golden jubilee celebrations to look forward to.
“We’ll be looking to do more of a celebration in the next year,” Steven promises. “The Mall opened in two phases, we’ll be looking to commemorate that with memories.
“We want to capture the memories of people who were in Reading at that time and perhaps were there for the opening. We will be looking for old photographs as well.
“But while we want to look back, equally it’s about looking forward. It’s about saying Broad Street Mall has been with you for 50 years and we’re going to be with you for another 50 years or longer.”
He promises: “We are that establishment that is not going anywhere, but is equally going to go there with you.”
That might sound paradoxical, but Steven says it’s about ensuring the core values of Broad Street Mall remain, while the centre keeps evolving to meet the needs of the present day shopper, whatever that need is.
After all, go back five, 10, 20, or 40 years and the range of stores was very, very different, and there was a food court where Wilko is now.
Other big changes in recent have seen Argos leave and The Biscuit Factory come in, as well as the launch of the NHS Walk-In Centre. The Mall never stands still.
“We are not changing from being the type of shopping centre that we are: absolutely in the heart of the community of Reading,” Steven promises. “We always have been and we always will be.
“We welcome the community, we welcome working with them and community groups. That is our way of being a good neighbour.”
Covid has affected retail everywhere, and we’ve seen some big names retreat from the High Street in recent months: Debenhams has left the Oracle, GAP is online only, and Top Shop, a main stay for teenagers since the 60s, has disappeared.
However, Steven is far from gloomy about Broad Street Mall’s place in the retail landscape.
“The opportunities are obviously the future for Reading and the Broad Street Mall. If you look at all the development that’s going on in Reading, you look at all the investment that’s coming into the town, you look at what Network Rail has done for the train station, it’s fantastic,” Steven says.
He feels that many London-based businesses will be looking at the towns and cities on the outskirts of the capital that have excellent transport links.
“IT doesn’t take much research to see that when you’re looking for that sort of outer circle, there’s few places that ae set up as well as Reading, from a public transport infrastructure to the road network, access to Heathrow and Gatwick,” he says about the bigger picture, before coming closer to his home:
“Broad Street Mall is a brilliant community shopping centre,” he continues. “It has the right range of stores and restaurants and cafes that a community shopping centre needs. It’s perfect for a town like Reading.”
Steven feels that the Mall’s offering complements the shops on Broad Street and in The Oracle really well, while the town has cultural destinations such as the Abbey Quarter, and Forbury Gardens.
“You’ve got a really nice linear arrangement that is already set up in Reading, which most towns would bite your right arm for,” he says. “We need to all work together to make the most of that environment, looking to the future, planning what the future of Reading could look like.
“I feel we’re at the start of that road, a lot of work has already been done and there’s the opportunity to be involved and help shape that future so that Reading can capitalise on its natural resources, for want of a better term.
“Broad Street Mall is firmly part of that long-term future.”
When the Mall was conceived, it was one of the first of its kind in the country, an indoor shopping environment with a solid mixture of stores, dreamt up in the post-war period and planned at the height of the swinging sixties.
“Reading was very much at the forefront when it took on the Mall, offering a shiny new future,” Steven explains.
Now, 50 years on, that future might seem space age, but Steven says the Mall’s owners are looking forward.
“It’s about changing consumer needs, which are evolving and will continue to evolve,” he says. “Our role is to anticipate some of those changes and start to deliver on them.
“Part of that is absolutely The Biscuit Factory, Spinner (mini-golf and bowling) and ThaiGrr. They’re great new tenants that support some of our longer-standing occupiers like Boswells and Headmasters that have been there for quite some time.
“We have a number of tenants here that have been here for some team and are evolving their businesses to match and exceed the expectations and needs of our customers.
“Most are really focused on the needs of the person walking in the door. That’s an important factor. Consumer interaction, that personal touch is critical if we are to be maintaining ourselves as this successful shopping centre.
“Everyone knows we can shop online, and we all do. Online is not going away, it’s getting that balance.
“The way you make a difference is by adding personality and make the interaction more one-on-one so it’s not impersonal. I think that’s something we can amplify and do more of.”
Steven adds: “The death of the High Street has been predicted for as long as I’ve been in the industry, but we’ve still got a very vibrant High Street. We all want to go out, we’re not hermits, we’re not going to stay indoors all the time.
“I think you can see that from the relief of people coming out the pandemic: they love the interaction, they love being with other humans and shopping in the real world.
“Yes, our needs are going to change from when we first start in 1971, but every business changes.”
While the big party for the Mall is on hold, Christmas is still happening. The Mall’s decorations are up and include some interactive features such as Angels Wings which are perfect for festive snaps.
Steven is pleased they are there given the stop-start nature of retail since March 2020.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible back into Broad Street Mall for their Christmas shopping.
“We want to reassure people that Broad Street Mall is as safe as it can be. We want to see you back shopping on the high street, and we want you to enjoy the environment for Christmas.
“We’ve got our angel wings, we’ve got a swing bench coming in as well. Just come in and enjoy, take your pictures, have a sit down on the bench.”
And the bench is special for Steven. “A bench is about putting an arm around a loved one, just maybe taking a moment to say, ‘It’s been a tough time we’ve all gone through, just sit here and have a little swing together’.
“Let’s just enjoy the moment.
“It’s important to remember we’re all human beings and, if you can, give someone a hug.”
Happy birthday, Broad Street Mall.
