Trafford Palazzo celebrates its one-year anniversary

In just one year, Trafford Palazzo in TraffordCity has transformed the retail and leisure landscape. Trafford Palazzo is now home to some of the UK’s best-known brands and has become a must-visit destination, offering diverse experiences and adventures for visitors of all ages.

Peel L&P acquired Barton Square in May 2021 following its £75m revamp in 2019, gaining a glass-domed roof, the installation of 33 intricately painted Roman inspired murals, 120 statues, a magnificent central fountain plus a new floor adding more than 110,000 sq ft of extra leisure and retail space.

Peel L&P’s acquisition of Barton Square and subsequent rebranding into Trafford Palazzo ushers in a transformational new phase for neighborhood TraffordCity. Spanning 500 acres, and conveniently located 5 miles west of Manchester City Centre, the £1.6 billion destination boasts one of the most important clusters of retail and leisure activity within the north of England. 

Trafford Palazzo's place in TraffordCity

With 300 of the most premium brands in retail and leisure as well as exciting sport, culture, and event offerings, TraffordCity attracts over 44 million visits a year.  A further £2.6 billion of investment is in the development pipeline over the next 20 years with exciting plans to create a world class £250 million health and wellbeing resort – Therme Manchester, a new £50 million surfing facility to be called Modern Surf and a new residential and community at Trafford Waters.

Following the acquisition of Trafford Palazzo, located in the heart of TraffordCity and linked to the Trafford Centre via a bridge, the new owners set out to create a new inspirational and aspirational brand to complement the grandeur of the building and its décor. 

Diverse and inclusive experiences

Trafford Palazzo represents not only a new identity but a unified purpose and vision to evolve the brand into a completely unique and standalone retail and leisure destination offering diverse and inclusive experiences and adventures.

The brand name reflects the Italian-themed aesthetics and signals an innovative approach to align the company’s philosophy and commitment to making a social and economic impact on the communities and businesses that operate within Trafford Palazzo.

Lettings and Partnerships

Since Peel L&P acquired the site, the team has introduced a new placemaking and lettings strategy which has already started attracting several leading brands to Trafford Palazzo. Plenty of more exciting partnerships are in the pipeline for Trafford Palazzo along with ambitious growth plans for the next year.

Four new flagship occupiers have been secured, letting over 58,711 sq ft of space to brands such as: NERF Action, fast-food restaurant Archies, state of the art bowling alley King Pins, and entrepreneur Steve Pilling’s new Italian restaurant, Matterello. 

NERF Action and Archies is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023 and will be the first NERF Experience site in the UK spanning 25,000 sq ft of space at Trafford Palazzo. 

King Pins will commence the fit out of their brand-new flagship venue in September with planned opening in March 2023. The unique site will feature 15 lanes of state-of-the-art tenpin bowling, six lanes of duckpin bowling, a focal point bar serving 20 different beers and a substantial cocktail menu. The venue will also host a 26-metre digital screen across the bowling lanes, the first of its kind in the UK. This is King Pins’ first venture, highlighting the attractiveness of Trafford Palazzo.

Italian restaurant Matterello launched in May 2022 taking 2,454 sq ft of space. The food and beverage provider serves authentic Italian cuisine as well as offering a selection of experiential events such as on-site pasta making classes. Dishes on the menu include marinated squid, fetuccine plus a variety of delicious desserts.

44million visits per annum

The success of the lettings strategy at Trafford Palazzo is reflective of the opportunities the wider TraffordCity neighborhood presents. The TraffordCity destination currently records 44 million visits per annum, of which 44% of customers make up the top affluent customer acorn groups, has an audience of 11 million within a 45-minute drive time and with a further £2 billion investment in the development pipeline is set to become the UK’s foremost retail and leisure destination and world class destination offering.

Primark at Trafford Palazzo takes the highest proportion of turnover of all branded only stores across Trafford Centre and the wider TraffordCity estate, drawing visitors from other destinations and attracting standalone visitors. (Source: CACI 2021).

Events and placemaking

The Peel L&P team has introduced a series of memorable experiences and meaningful activations within Trafford Palazzo attracting an average of 100,000 visitors a week. 

Kicking off with a launch extravaganza that featured a full weekend of activations with aerial artists, live performers and statues plus the Trafford Palazzo Show which saw powerhouse vocalists from opera to pop, energetic dance performances, a stunning orchestra of strings, mesmerising acrobats and performers take to the stage.

The spectacular backdrop of Trafford Palazzo has since provided the space to host several family-focused events across the school holidays, including an Easter Extravaganza, a bespoke month-long wellness event which attracted and featured over fifty wellness brands, a full program of activity to celebrate the Queens’ Jubilee, a Christmas Winter Wonderland and a jam-packed summer schedule. 

In addition, a series of charity and fundraising activations have been held within the mall with the support of the wider Peel L&P team. 

A platform for local talent and entrepreneurs

As part of this extensive events program, Peel L&P has also given a platform to local, young, aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners with free pop-up opportunities. Pop-ups and events have seen businesses such as Manchester Gymnastics, Feel Good Club and The Juice Hub take over the grand mall space with spectacular showcases, free giveaways, and tasty treats.

What’s next?

Peel L&P has a reputation and a legacy for leading transformational regeneration projects, creative placemaking and unlocking social and economic opportunities for local communities and businesses. Key projects and track record includes The Trafford Centre, MediaCity, Liverpool & Wirral Waters and Peel NRE’s Protos energy and resource hub in Cheshire.

Trafford Palazzo will be no different. The level of investment in activations and events, community engagement, tenant and occupier engagement remain unrivalled and as part of one of the UK’s most exciting and forward-looking neighborhoods, Trafford City, the scheme is certainly one to watch.

The ultimate ambition is for Trafford Palazzo to become a hallmark for quality products and memorable experiences, combining the best in retail, leisure, and entertainment – just like the bustling, Italian squares that provided its inspiration.