Kingland Crescent creates unique retail opportunities for some of the county’s most innovative, entrepreneurial businesses
Development is underway to transform Poole’s Kingland Crescent into a thriving new high street, with the first of ten new retailers set to open their doors in the coming weeks. The regeneration of Kingland Crescent is part of an ambitious and unique initiative by the owners of Dolphin Shopping Centre, Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets (Legal & General).
Owing to changes in consumer trends, the UK retail sector has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. Traditional retailers have had to respond or risk being left behind. As part of an ambitious national strategy to reinvent retail, Legal & General is committed re-imagining its retail assets, future-proofing them for the long-term. The redevelopment of Kingland Crescent is the first step in Legal & General’s long-term plans for the area which will see innovation and investment in the neighbouring Dolphin Shopping Centre.
As part of these ambitious plans to reinvent Poole’s retail offering, Legal & General is working with local independent businesses to deliver a tailored retail solution that works for them. Legal & General has committed to provide 10 retail units to start-up and independent businesses with no rent or business rates to be paid for two years. This is to kick-start an unparalleled shopping experience which brings together the cream of Dorset’s most innovative young retail entrepreneurs in one exciting environment in the town centre.
Confirmed retailers set to open at Kingland Crescent next month, include:
- HUX Custom Surfboards and Café
- Greenslade Fishmonger
- Grounded Coffee – A coffee shop with an on-site roaster
Confirmed retailers due to open in the new year are:
- ånd Fragrance – A flagship store for renowned perfumer Simon Constantine (previously of Lush Cosmetics)
- PEN Gallery
- Restored Retro – A mid-century modern restored furniture shop
- Wild Roots – Houseplants and interiors specialists
- Viper Gin – A gin bar and shop
Denz Ibrahim, Head of Retail and Futuring at LGIM Real Assets, said: “Our town centres have always played a huge role in how people live, work and play and tomorrow the focus will be on how we successfully blur the boundaries of these environments to curate spaces which re-connect people with place. As owners, investors, urbanists and creatives we have a responsibility to ensure our retail places are future-proofed and dynamic, giving our partners and customers what they want; social connectivity and discovery.
“Our ambitious plans for The Dolphin Centre and Kingland will deliver a market-leading curated series of environments jam-packed with hand-picked brands, programmed events and content all sourced from the locale all with amazing people, stories and products. We believe, to make retail places relevant and to support UK high streets, we must focus on localism, the public realm, services and ever-changing programmability.
“Our chosen brands and retailers are ambitious, bold and creative, supporting our mission to create a future ready Poole town centre.”
Executive Creative Director of Kingland, Hollie Newton, added: “I couldn’t be prouder of everyone involved in the Kingland project. There’s no reason why our high streets have to look so sad, Dorset has enough brilliant entrepreneurial companies to fill the town centre 10 times over, and Kingland is an opportunity to showcase a selection of the very best the county has to offer. Young people who have taken the pandemic as an opportunity to rethink, grow and even start new endeavours.
“Our priority for Kingland has always been to create a high street that people actually want to go to. It might look achingly cool, but in many ways it’s a return to the high streets of the past – alongside places to eat and drink, Kingland will be a place to shop for weekly groceries (expect another shop announcement soon), the best local design, and even perfume, that Dorset has to offer.
“Long live local.”
Within the next 12 months, further units are set to open at the brand-new high street as part of the next phase of the scheme. Legal & General is to also develop a street market at Kingland which will comprise 20 independent vendors. Additionally, plans are already in progress to bring an annual programme of 300 local events to the new retail space.