Two new retail concepts by Overgate, Dundee aimed at expanding and diversifying the centre’s shopping proposition, as well as further strengthening support for the local community, have delivered strong first quarter results.
They form part of an ambitious strategy to bring a refreshing new perspective on what shopping centres can and should provide for their communities, enabling management to turn a quick trip to the shops into a totally unique experience.
Since its launch in November 2021, Overgate’s Market initiative – which offers local independent brands and micro businesses the opportunity to trade from the centre for a highly accessible fee starting at £20 per day up to a maximum of £40 per day depending on availability - has had over 130 market bookings.
All Market traders have reported revenue growth for their enterprises, attributable to the high footfall, prime location exposure Overgate is offering them.
Small local independents ranging from quirky gift specialist Misty Moo to homegrown fashion brands including Isolated Heroes and Made You Look, and beverage producers such as Highland Moon have hailed the positive business impact generated by the Market opportunity.
One such trader, Harris Brown, Founder of Highland Moon said:“My Market pop-up in Overgate has been a great success and incredibly helpful for my business.
“I launched Highland Moon in 2020 just as the first lockdown began. My original plan was to just sell into bars and restaurants, however the arrival of Covid and the shutdown of hospitality led me to remarket the product.
“Having the opportunity to occupy a prominent position in such a busy shopping centre environment allowed me to reach out direct to new consumers and significantly increase the general public’s awareness of the Highland Moon brand.
“My Highland Moon market within Overgate allowed shoppers to see the product, to sample it, and to hear my story in person. This was the first time I had ran a pop-up and I could not have anticipated the positive impact it would generate for my business. As a result of Overgate’s accessible daily fee I was able to run the Highland Moon market for 14 days in December 2021, including five days in a row leading up to Christmas.
“The overall experience definitely exceeded my expectation and the market provided me with a lifeline to sustain the business while hospitality was locked down. Thankfully hospitality is now open again and Highland Moon is starting to expand, with over 20 bars across Scotland now selling the products. I do plan to return to Overgate again this summer though to run another market as the opportunity is so good.”
Maintaining strong relationships with the local community has been an important focus for Overgate for many years and now with the launch of Gather – a newly-created space specifically dedicated to hosting events – this engagement is being strengthened further.
In what is clearly a reflection of significant demand for such a space, over 150 events are already planned within Gather, spanning 19 local organisations. These include Dundee Pride for LGBTQI+ History Month, Women’s Business Station Empowerment Programme, Nilupul Lunchtime Meditation, Tai-Chi and Mindful Living, Dundee Women’s Festival Comedy Writing Workshops, Oor Wullie Exhibition with The Archie Foundation, and Young People's Services Drop-in with Hillcrest Futures, to name a few.
There is no hire fee for using the Gather space with Overgate committed to covering the utilities costs.
Market and Gather have been created as two strategic retail marketing concepts supporting Overgate’s new HOPE strategy. This HOPE strategy focusses on four pillars; Health, Opportunities, Partnerships and Education.
Reflecting on the first quarter of the new initiatives, Metta Ramsay, Community Manager of Overgate said:
“The creation of both our Market initiative and also the Gather unit is fundamentally in response to our awareness of the role Overgate plays at the heart of the community.
“Dundee has a wealth of small, independent and highly interesting local businesses but too often the costs associated with a city centre shopfront are prohibitive and shoppers miss out on seeing these traders’ unique products. Our Market idea was launched as a bold step to address this recurring issue, and to create an accessible opportunity for all, that would otherwise continue to exclude small business owners. At the same time, we are committed to presenting the best possible shopping experience for our customers, with the vibrancy these independent traders bring to Overgate very much complementary to our existing tenants. Whilst it is still early days, the first quarter feedback and results of Market is certainly cause for optimism and we have a busy few months ahead.
“The response to Gather, which only opened a few weeks ago, has been nothing short of remarkable. We did anticipate there would be demand for such a space, but to have more than 150 events booked in already, and over 19 key community organisations engaged, is a big vote of confidence in the initiative, and underlines the power of partnerships within Overgate.”
SDI (Dundee 2) Limited
The Overgate Centre, Dundee is owned and managed by Legal & General, the largest commercial property company in the UK.
