FACT FILE
where shopping is bliss
www.thecentremk.com
Welcome to thecentre:mk, the premier regional shopping destination between Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham and London. Within the pages of this fact file you will find key information on Milton Keynes and thecentre:mk - our key statistics, catchment area, marketing strategy and our successes. This guide is intended to give you an overview of thecentre:mk and Milton Keynes both now and in the future. Milton Keynes - the facts ...........................................2 Milton Keynes (strength of offer) ...............................3 thecentre:mk - the facts .............................................4 Awards .......................................................................4 Environmental Awareness ..........................................4 Catchment Area .........................................................5 Fact File produced: August 2011
Analysis of Catchment Population .............................6 Research, Analysis and Footfall..................................7 Marketing Strategy ....................................................8 Tenant Mix..................................................................9 Collaborative Marketing ..........................................10 Retail Mall Units .......................................................11 Motor Industry .........................................................12 Promotional Space...................................................13 Events ......................................................................14 Advertising Opportunities, Sponsorship Opportunities...........................................................15 Supporting your Promotion .....................................16 Lettings ....................................................................17
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Milton Keynes - the facts Milton Keynes is regarded as one of the most successful ‘New Towns’ built since the war. The new city will turn 45 in 2012 and never fails to elicit some kind of reaction from the general public. Here are some key facts about Milton Keynes. ■ Milton Keynes is the centre point between London and Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford. ■ The official estimated population for Milton Keynes in 2011 is 245,000 (Source: Milton Keynes Population Bulletin 2010/11) ■ By 2026, Milton Keynes’ population is expected to grow by 22% to 298,430 ■ It is the dominant regional destination for leisure and retail between London and Birmingham ■ There are over 11,000 businesses in the new city. (Source: Office of National Statistics (ONS) Business Register and Employment Survey) ■ Milton Keynes is home to the UK Headquarters of such companies as Argos Ltd, BP, Mercedes Benz UK Ltd, The Open University, Scania (Great Britain) Ltd, Volkswagen Audi Group UK Ltd, Network Rail, Red Bull, Amazon, Santander, Suzuki GB Plc, World Vision, WD-40 Company Ltd, Nissan Technical Centre Europe and Spinal Injuries Association ■ 75% of business in Milton Keynes consider the city to be their UK Headquarters (Source Invest Milton Keynes) ■ In the most recent Chamber of Commerce Training and Enterprise survey of Chief Executives, 75% stated that Milton Keynes was a good, very good or excellent location for their business ■ More new businesses are formed in Milton Keynes than anywhere else in the south east (Source Invest Milton Keynes) ■ 28,000 more homes are planned by 2026 (source: MK Council Core Strategy) ■ Milton Keynes was named the fastest growing city in the UK (Source: Centre for Cities Outlook Report 2011)
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Central Milton Keynes is the hub of the city, offering retail, leisure and business solutions for the growing population. Anecdotal comments from businesses and customers visiting Central Milton Keynes cite the following as the key USPs:
Central Milton Keynes - Strength of Offer ■ Over the past few years Central Milton Keynes (CMK) has been transformed and is now one of the leading retail and leisure destinations in the UK ■ thecentre:mk is in the heart of a thriving centre which comprises:■ Over 300 shops including 4 department stores ■ Over 40 places to eat and drink ■ Europe's largest indoor real snow ski slope ■ The most successful theatre outside London ■ An art gallery which takes its place within the national network of independent contemporary art galleries ■ 16 screen cinema ■ Woburn Safari Park ■ Campbell Park hosts many of Milton Keynes’ major events and festivals ■ The National Bowl Milton Keynes (which has hosted groups Take That and Foo Fighters) ■ 24 lane bowling alley ■ When combined with the theatre, theatre district and the gallery, Central Milton Keynes is one of the most exciting and vibrant city centres anywhere in the UK. ■ Together, thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place and Xscape offer over 1.79 million sq feet of retail space and attract 50 million visitors per year. ■ The estimated value of the CMK economy is £5.2 billion pa.
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thecentre:mk - the facts ■ thecentre:mk is the 3rd largest standalone mall in the UK, after Westfield London and Bluewater (based on VENUESCORE) ■ 1.3 million sq ft net internal area (NIA) ■ There are over 200 retail units anchored by: John Lewis Partnership (252,197 sq ft) Marks & Spencer (143,334 sq ft) House of Fraser (72,203 sq ft) Next (33,500 sq ft) Boots (68,129 sq ft) ■ thecentre:mk enjoys around 27 million visits per annum ■ Middleton Hall offers offers a varied programme of events throughout the year in the 1800sq m fully serviced events arena. These include wedding fairs, motor shows, an indoor beach in the Summer and the award winning Christmas display ■ There are 20,000 car parking spaces in Central Milton Keynes, 6,000 of which are adjacent to thecentre:mk. The centre owns approximately 1,100 of these spaces. The majority of car parking spaces are controlled by Milton Keynes Council and operated with a sliding scale of charges. For more information on the spaces and charges, visit: http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/mkparking/home.asp ■ thecentre:mk is committed to the future. In July 2010 part of the £20 million enhancement programme was completed with the creation of Destination Dining housing 4 restaurants ■ Throughout the centre a technology platform with interactive touchscreens and digital poster site advertising is in place. In 2010, 12.8 million button presses were recorded on the touchscreens, a 2.4% increase year on year ■ An intranet system enables retailers to supply job vacancies and store offers directly to the touchscreens, and all this information automatically synchronises across the website and Apple iPhone Application via a single upload. Since its launch in November 2010 the free App has been downloaded 6760 times.
Awards thecentre:mk regularly benchmarks itself against the industry and has a proven track record of outstanding performance, underpinning its desire to be the best shopping centre possible. The BCSC Gold Award for Best Established Centre was awarded to thecentre:mk in 2010. In 2011 thecentre:mk was recognised for groundbreaking sustainability initiatives, being ranked 15th in the UK as one of The Sunday Times Best Green Companies. Two further awards were for Best Small Firm with Higher Environmental Impact and Outstanding Environmental Performance. One of the staff members was awarded the Sceptre Award for Young Achiever. The centre is a founder member of the National Skills Academy for retail and holds Investors in People Accreditation.
Environmental Awareness thecentre:mk smashed government recycling goals ahead of its 2012 target and new bins now cater for up to eight tons of waste a week in its bid to raise on-site recycling levels from 60% to 75%. A number of green initiatives across all aspects of the business sees management working with retail partners. Systems implemented in the centre management offices promote the sustainability of light and water usage, helping to reduce the overall carbon footprint by 12% year on year.
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Catchment area ■ thecentre:mk is fully established as a regional shopping centre, which is a hybrid of an Out of Town and Town Centre. ■ Including the wider Tertiary area, the total Milton Keynes catchment has a population of approximately 1.76 million. ■ Regular customer research undertaken by thecentre:mk has revealed that in May 2011 the average journey time was 22 minutes ■ 3 international airports are within a 1 hour drive ■ By 2031 it is anticipated that Milton Keynes will be the 16th largest city in England, bigger than Newcastle and Brighton ■ 97% of visitors come from within one hour’s drive time (population 7.7 million) 39% travel up to 10 minutes 30% 11-20 minutes 16% 21-30 minutes 5% 31-40 minutes 7% 41-60 minutes thecentre:mk dominates the region, attracting shoppers from its wealthy catchment.
Catchment Kettering
Rugby
Wellingborough
M1
Northampton M1
St Neots
Cambridge
Sandy
Bedford
Banbury
Milton Keynes Bicester
Dunstable
Luton
Aylesbury Tring
Oxford M40
Catchment
Letchworth
Hitchin
Stevenage
A1 St. Albans
Watford
Population
Drivetime
Core
302,950
15 minutes
Secondary
374,340
30 minutes
Tertiary
1,087,110
60 minutes
Primary = core + secondary catchment* population 677,290 Total catchment population
1,764,390
Source: RETAILNATION and PersonicX Geo – Javelin Group Report 2011 and Exit Survey 2011 *Catchment
Harlow
M1
population is defined by spend
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M25
14.7 miles (crow-fly distance from MK to Bedford) 17.95 miles shortest road distance
Analysis of catchment population In June 2011 thecentre:mk engaged Javelin to undertake a catchment study using their proprietary RETAILNATION data alongside Where Britain Shops research model, together with 9 years’ of thecentre:mk Exit Survey results. The Javelin catchment concentrates on a 0-30 minute drivetime and identifies Northampton, Luton and Bedford as key shopper areas. ■ Milton Keynes has the 6th most affluent shopper profile out of the Top 50 retail venues in the UK (and the 3rd highest vs. major standalone malls) ■ 53% of Primary catchment residents are within top 2 PersonicX Geo affluence bands compared to 37% in the UK overall The exit survey from May 2011 revealed the following: ■ 69% of visitors are female ■ Average age: 46 years ■ 37% are over 55 ■ 57% are over 45 ■ 33% between 35 and 54 ■ 27% are under 34 ■ Socio-economic groups: AB 29% ABC1 69% C1C2 54% DE 17% ■ Predominantly married, family orientated ■ 29% have children ■ 68% travel by car endorsing the centre’s regional attraction and pull ■ Average distance travelled 11.3 miles
■ Higher incomes than the national average Local workforce: Full time (30+ hours per week) 39% Part time (5-29 hours per week) 16% Full time Housewife 9% Full time Student 6% Retired 25% Unemployed 4% Other 1% ■ 93% of visitors have a favourable impression of thecentre:mk and say it is easy to find their way around ■ Two thirds cite thecentre:mk as the most important reason to visit central Milton Keynes ■ Average basket spend in May 2011 was £66
Source: Javelin RETAILNATION Report 2011 and May 2011 Exit Survey.
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Research and Analysis on thecentre:mk visitors A comprehensive research programme is undertaken throughout the year to measure the impact of the marketing and promotional activities as well as track thecentre:mk's performance. It measures thecentre:mk against recognised industry benchmarks alongside other comparable centres and national surveys:■ Footfall ■ Retailer sales/turnover ■ Catchment analysis ■ Effectiveness of marketing initiatives and objectives ■ Customer demographics ■ Customer attitudes and shopping habits including selection and number of shops ■ Advertising effectiveness and brand awareness The research programme is designed to support the tenant mix and letting strategy by providing up to date information on the centre’s performance.
Footfall ■ thecentre:mk attracts around 27 million visits per annum ■ Average dwell time in thecentre:mk is 1 hour 41 minutes ■ During Summer 2010, over 1.2 million people visited the indoor beach in Middleton Hall ■ 3.6 million people visited thecentre:mk during the Christmas Show in 2010 ■ On Monday 27 December 2010, the busiest day of the year, 142,000 people visited thecentre:mk
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Marketing Overview Over £1m is invested in an annual marketing programme which is evenly funded by the joint owners and retailers. The main objective of this marketing strategy is to attract more people from a regional catchment, increase customer frequency, increase dwell time and basket size. A combination of all elements of marketing disciplines are used – Advertising, PR, Promotions, Sponsorship and quantitative & qualitative research. Supporting the multi media campaign is the 'infopod' system, which is one of the most advanced in the UK, allowing shoppers to get up to the minute information on promotions, events and stores, incorporating the latest in digital advertising, and helping customers navigate around the centre. The installation of this state of the art technology system is another phase in the £20million investment towards enhancing the centre. The Bliss shopper reward programme is a powerful loyalty mechanic that underpins all communication for the brand, which carries a new strapline ‘where shopping is bliss’.
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Retail Marketing - Tenant Mix ■ A comprehensive analysis identifies the opportunities in each merchandise group. These ‘gaps’ illustrate the opportunity for incoming retailers to achieve significant levels of turnover. ■ It also identifies prospective retailers to meet the market gap and ranks them in order of best suitability to meet the needs of the customers within the catchment. This ultimately provides a tenant mix which attracts more customers, increases spend and impacts positively on retailers’ profitability. ■ thecentre:mk provides a balance of popular high street names and independent retailers to create a favourable tenant mix and offer customers variety and choice. Here are the stores thecentre:mk has welcomed over the past two years L’Occitane Pandora Kurt Geiger Jessops Phase Eight Thomas Sabo Carluccio’s YO! Sushi Cafe Rouge Nando’s Dwell Jones Bootmaker
Brigitte Bijou Swarovski Jamie’s Italian Bravissimo Pepperberry Lipsy Kuoni Pulp CEX Eurochange Poundland Deichmann Shoes
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The Great
Collaborative Marketing
British Country
FAIR
■ Destination Milton Keynes is a successful marketing initiative designed to reposition Milton Keynes. This collaborative advertising initiative for the city aims to change people’s perceptions, and focuses on the transformation of the city centre's total proposition which has been significantly enhanced over the past few years. ■ thecentre:mk has played a pivotal role in initiating, designing and implementing this collaborative marketing campaign for Milton Keynes. Destination Milton Keynes has gone from strength to strength involving more "partners”, and with thecentre:mk driving forward the relationship with local authorities and key stakeholders.
Join in the new city celebrations at our classic Country Fair from 9 April. It’s time to make merry in traditional country style with a fun filled calendar of Easter and Country Fair activities taking place all around Milton Keynes. Maypole • English folk dancing • Classic fairground rides • Country fayre • Craftspeople at work There’s something for everyone to enjoy.
www.destinationmiltonkeynes.co.uk
Destination Milton Keynes and Amazing MK plus thecentre:mk, Midsummer Place Shopping Centre, Xscape, MK Dons, 360 Play and Bletchley Park have come together to host exciting ‘Country Fair’ events to celebrate everything that is amazing about Milton Keynes.
Great British Fair press advertisement
■ As a result promotional activity involving cross marketing initiatives is strengthening the brand, increasing its exposure cost effectively and geographically where there is still considerable opportunity to increase our market share. ■ thecentre:mk also works closely with its neighbour Midsummer Place Shopping Centre on a regional TV advertising campaign to promote both centres all year round.
Hoardings
Summer press advert
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Retail Mall Units Retail Mall Units (RMU) in thecentre:mk generate maximum exposure for your brand and create spontaneous purchases. State-of-the-art design expertise is available to assist in creating the ideal retail environment. Some of our operators are the longest trading RMU vendors in the UK and a wide ranging tenant mix strategy nurtures the following: ■ Unique offerings from small businesses and sole proprietors ■ International brands ■ Large Blue Chip companies Please contact Louise Hardwick on 01908 247 223 or
[email protected]
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Motor Industry Around 21 million of thecentre:mk’s 27 million customers arrive by car, proving the popularity of thecentre:mk as a regional destination. Being in the heart of the UK’s automotive sector, the following marques all have their Head Offices in Milton Keynes – Suzuki, Lexus, Saab, VW, Landrover and Mercedes. thecentre:mk offers the perfect venue to promote motoring products. ■ All on one level, thecentre:mk offers easy access and a flexible layout that’s perfect for car shows ■ The centre has an excellent track record of successful shows in Middleton Hall. The region’s largest motor shows take place here. ■ Marques including Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Volvo, Honda, Ford, Saab, Nissan, Audi, Morgan, Seat, Vauxhall, Hyundai and Aston Martin have all successfully launched or previewed new models at thecentre:mk
For more information on the Motor Show, please contact Beverley Lumsdon on 01908 398120 or
[email protected]
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Nintendo DS Brain Training
Captivated by LG’s 3D imagery
Experiential Marketing With an extensive record of successful promotions, a wide range of promotional areas and around 27 million visitors a year, thecentre:mk is the place for brands to reach their target audience, and offers: ■ A choice of promotional areas on the malls, ranging from 9 sq m to 33 sq m ■ Easy one level access ■ The right space for the right customers ■ Full service and marketing support packages Successful promotions have been held by L’Oreal, M&S, Monarch, Le Mans, Toyota, Xbox, Nivea, T Mobile, Thomas Cook, LG, Nintendo, Cadbury’s, Gillete, BBC and numerous other major brands. ■ Orange saw a 1000% uplift in sales of Windows phone handsets as a result of a promotion outside their store. (Source: Neon Communications) ■ “We needed to make the impossible possible – driving 16 cars through a busy shopping centre for the launch of the Nissan Leaf. thecentre:mk were fantastic to work with and helped us deliver an experience that no motoring journalist would forget and over £1 million press coverage” William Bicknell, Chilli Sauce. For more information, contact Rob Taynton on 01908 398112 or
[email protected], or Veronica Munday on 01908 398144 or
[email protected]
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Filming BBC’s Question Time live in Middleton Hall
Wallace and Gromit roadshow
Events The original events space in a shopping centre, Middleton Hall offers an 1,800 sq m events venue, fully serviced. It is regularly used for motor shows, home and garden shows, collectors' fairs, food shows and filimg of TV programmes. This venue is also perfect for B2B events, as was demonstrated by the hugely successful Nissan Leaf Press Launch in which motoring journalists were able to drive the cars inside the centre. Following the recent redevelopment of Queens Court there is now also an attractive external space in which to host specialised markets and entertainment. For more information contact Beverley Lumsdon on 01908 398 120
[email protected]
Art market in Queens Court
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PR launch of the Nissan Leaf electric car Photo courtesy of Chillisauce
28 digital six-sheet advertising panels
Advertising Opportunities Advertising opportunities at thecentre:mk are a really attractive proposition. As customers are three times more likely to respond to an advert in a shopping centre than the high street*, advertising in thecentre:mk is the effective way for brands to reach a target audience; and with point-of-sale adjacencies, gives an excellent ROI. Advertising packages or tailor-made campaigns are available. Choose from in-centre banners or digital posters – whether static or moving designs. For more information contact Robert Taynton on 01908 398 112 or
[email protected]. For information on digital posters, contact Maureen Ossawy of JCDecaux on 0208 326 7722.
Sponsorship Opportunities With hundreds of popular events and promotions taking place at thecentre:mk throughout the year, there is an event to suit everyone, providing the perfect sponsorship opportunity. We work with our partners to ensure every event has the maximum possible impact. ■ Award winning, bespoke shows ■ Unique and wide ranging events throughout the year ■ Exceptional PR opportunities ■ We attract families from all over the UK, because nowhere else celebrates Christmas like thecentre:mk For more information, contact Robert Taynton on 01908 398 112 or
[email protected]
*Source JC Decaux - 15 -
Supporting your promotion It is possible for us to greatly enhance the impact of promotions and therefore the ROI. Here are just a few of the leading brands who have been to thecentre:mk in recent months – Nintendo, BBC, Nivea, Flora, Clarins, Sky, Samsung, Panasonic, Mercedes, Sony, LG, Lego and Andrex - many of whom are revisiting in the coming months. They enjoyed the benefits of the following unprecedented level of marketing support: ■ Digital advertising using either six sheets or 42” screens (42” screens located in 28 main mall, high density and high visibility locations) ■ Featured on website – 858k visits per annum ■ Touchscreen presence (total button presses in 2010 across all pods: 12.8 million, 1.3million on busiest pod) ■ Social media platforms - our marketing team can develop ideas for inclusion ■ Professionally recorded tannoy announcements ■ The services of our PR professional At thecentre:mk we are committed to achieve excellent ROI for promotional activity – it’s what we do, and we aim to do it well! We go the extra mile to earn business and that’s what brings brands back again and again. Contact the team on 01908 398100 .... and let’s start talking
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where shopping is bliss www.thecentremk.com
