Page 32 - February 2020

Edinburgh St JAmES SEt to kick

off rEtAil’S roAring twEntiES

new decade provides time for both reflection and projection. It is therefore no surprise that we have secured some of the world’s
We have to learn from what has come before but also ensure most exciting and in demand brands from W Edinburgh and Everyman
that we are prepared for what is on the horizon. Here at Cinema to Zara, H&M, Next, and John Lewis. Confidence in Edinburgh
A Edinburgh St James, we have tried to do both. St James and the city as a whole has also inspired a host of brands
to make their Scottish debut including Mango, Bershka, Stradivarius,
Launching in 2020 is exciting and daunting in equal measure, but I Pull&Bear, The Alchemist, & Other Stories, Miele’s Experience Centre,
believe that we are extremely well positioned for sucess. as well as new operators, Roomzzz Aparthotel and New Eidyn, a
Native land residential development.
At 1.7 million sq ft, Edinburgh St James is a game-changing development
not only for Edinburgh, but the UK as a whole. Our development To complement these unique shops and brands and create an
will completely redefine retail-led mixed-use regeneration in the UK irresistible draw, the finished development will have a number of
through the scale, innovation and quality of its offer, repositioning the public squares, that will double as event spaces participating in the
city of Edinburgh as one of the most exciting, forward thinking and burgeoning event calendar of the city, which will ensure that Edinburgh
sought after destinations for retail and leisure operators in Europe. St James, and our brands in particular, are at the heart of the action.
The fundamental difference between our scheme and more
traditional retail developments is that Edinburgh St James offers
a mixed-use environment that is socially, culturally and physically
integrated into the city. The retail element is only one part of the
overall ambition. There have been shopping centres that have added
other uses peripheral to the retail offer, but our project sets out to
create a piece of the city with uses that work together to enhance the
whole to a far greater degree than they can achieve individually.

What’s more, we are also looking at how you truly integrate online
retail into the scheme whilst addressing the need for convenience
amongst online shoppers. Taking inspiration from earlier innovations
like click-and-collect, we have some exciting, industry-first plans to
make Edinburgh and the project fully digitally integrated.

Indeed, building a destination means creating somewhere that the
best and most exciting brands want to be. Edinburgh St James is
attracting the biggest names by enhancing the city’s already unique
charm with innovative, new approaches to creating a destination.