Local operators crack The Rock
Hammerson and HBOS's retail-led scheme in Bury town centre has attracted a restaurant and a beauty spa from the surrounding area.
Oriental buffet restaurant, Flaming Dragon, has taken 7,800 sq ft in the leisure quarter, including a balcony overlooking the entrance to the leisure foyer.
Flaming Dragon joins Pizza Express, Frankie & Benny's, Nando's and independent bistro, Barista.
The Beauty Spa will take 1,116 sq ft within St John's Gardens and will offer treatments that include the latest cosmetic craze – Garra Rufa fish spa – a pedicure treatment where small fish nibble at the hard skin to leave feet feeling soft and smooth.
David Laycock, centre director of The Rock, said: "It is encouraging to see the level of interest in The Rock growing. We had our busiest month in October and this continues to grow as we gear up for Christmas. To reach the four million visitor-mark within just five months of opening is testament to the high calibre retail and leisure offering we have created for Bury and the increasing footfall level is proof of the hunger for such a scheme in the region."
Surveyor Nolan Redshaw was instructed by The Rock earlier this year to attract local and regional occupiers to join the scheme, which was the only new shopping centre to open outside London in 2010.
Steve Manifold, surveyor at Nolan Redshaw, said: "The Rock is a great destination for high street brands and provides a fantastic yet rare opportunity for local and regional businesses to sit alongside big names such as M&S, Next, Topshop and H&M and The Beauty Spa is the latest independent retailer to take advantage of the huge footfall that these big names are attracting to Bury.
"We are preparing a range of smaller units which will be ideal for local market oriented retailers. These units are currently being fitted out ready for occupation next year."
