davieG Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 The Shires shopping centre has today made a dramatic decision to change its name - to the Highcross Quarter - after more than 15 years in the city. Developer Hammerson, in charge of the £350 million extension of The Shires, says it decided on the change because it wants the new development to be 'more than just a shopping centre'. It believes the name Highcross Quarter will help lure thousands more shoppers to Leicester and catapult the city in to the UK's top 10 shopping and leisure destinations. The old Shires and the new development will be rebranded as Highcross Quarter from 2008. Mark Prescod, marketing manager at The Shires, said: 'After nine to 12 months of research, we believe the new name ties in with what we want the development to represent. And nobody actually knows why the centre is called The Shires at the moment. 'We don't want this to be just a shopping centre. This needs to reachout to the people who don't come to Leicester. 'We are more than just a shopping centre. We have restaurants, a cinema and apartments. We want it to appeal to aswide an audience as possible. We want it to be the premier shopping and leisure destination in the East Midlands.' Business leaders and retail experts approved the name and say it will fit in with the new image of the city, currently in the middle of £4billion of regeneration. Councillor Roman Scuplak, deputy city council leader and regeneration spokesman, admitted people might not warm to the new name immediately. He said: 'I'm sure any new name takes time before it gets accepted. Maintaining the existing Shires name is likely to conjure up images of the current Shires rather than the new, exciting development. I'm sure that after a period of time people will appreciate the name change.' Professor Paul Dobson, retail expert at Loughborough University, said: 'I think it is a positive move. What they are trying to do is show that this is more than a new development . 'It is more than just another Shires. It is central to the regeneration of the city and the start of a new experience. 'It will cause some confusion among customers at the start, but in a year or two, they will get used to it and forget about The Shires. 'It is a bold move and it is the right signal to send out and will be seen as a new era for the city.' John Nicholls, chief executive of Leicester Regeneration Company, which is overseeing the redevelopment of a vast area of the city, said: 'It fits in nicely with the regeneration in the city.' The name was chosen to symbolise the city's heritage, its future image and the location of Highcross Street, which runs across one end of the development. Hammerson recently tested five possible names on 406 shoppers in the High Street and The Shires. The other names in the running were The Forum, Soar Central, West Central and the 'placebo' name' Arndale. About 88 per cent of respondents said Highcross Quarter was quite good or very good. Shopper Amanda Chadwick, 77, of Braunstone Town, said: 'Highcross sounds quite nice, but Idon't like the Quarter bit.' Jitendra Shah, 50, of Rushey Mead, said: 'I don't like it. People are used to The Shires.' Highcross Quarter was chosen from more than 200 possibilities which were whittled down to a shortlist of four. The £350 million extension, which is expected to open in autumn 2008, will include eight flagship stores, 40 other shops and 2,000 new parking spaces.
Maybes Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 i couldnt care less. It will still have shops so ..........
Janx Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 its a crudhole anyway.... if you want decent shopping...come to Leeds! or Manchester atch!
Cat Burger Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 I like the 'quarter' bit. I think a change of name is a good thing!
Phube Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 I like the 'quarter' bit. I think a change of name is a good thing! Yeah, but say Highcross Quarter out loud a few times, it's a bit of a mouthfull!!
City_4_Life Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 Personally i dont care, just as long it has some good shops.
Tomassi Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 ''oh mother lets have a darshing cup of tea i say'' ''No i will have to pass im afraid dear son, as i have to engulf the new shopping centre in the city of Leicester'' ''oh that jolly good highcross quarter''
Phube Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 Personally i dont care, just as long it has some good shops. Always a very personal decision! What's a good shop??
City_4_Life Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 Always a very personal decision! What's a good shop?? A shop that i like.
Nationwider Posted 14 July 2006 Posted 14 July 2006 Shopping centres are sh*t. Shopping is sh*t. Knock it down and put nice trees there instead. I'd rename it Coatsworth Park. Join me in Coatsworth Park.
macbeth Posted 15 July 2006 Posted 15 July 2006 Shopping centres are sh*t. Shopping is sh*t. Knock it down and put nice trees there instead. I'd rename it Coatsworth Park. Join me in Coatsworth Park. make that the "Sandercock Shangri-la" (I like alliteration) in memory of Torquay Uniteds finest export to us and i'd be on board :thumbup:they could donate some of their (recently deemed too dangerous) palm trees
Deathside Posted 15 July 2006 Posted 15 July 2006 I guess Leicester needs something to fill the local news column?
Rincewind Posted 15 July 2006 Posted 15 July 2006 Yeah, but say Highcross Quarter out loud a few times, it's a bit of a mouthfull!! my thoughts too. A tongue twister. It's not even where the Highcross is. Quarter is sometimes associated with a squalid and unsavory part of a City. How did they arrive at the name? The other names that were top choices are no better. The other names in the running were The Forum, Soar Central, West Central and the 'placebo' name' Arndale. The Forum - A theatre. Soar Central - A daft and wet name. West Central - A contradiction in it's name. Arndale - Sounds like a Cumbrian village or a place in a TV soap. .
macbeth Posted 15 July 2006 Posted 15 July 2006 i like soar central.........they should put the fish market there
Ultra Posted 16 July 2006 Posted 16 July 2006 Yeah, but say Highcross Quarter out loud a few times, it's a bit of a mouthfull!! my thoughts too. A tongue twister. It's not even where the Highcross is. Quarter is sometimes associated with a squalid and unsavory part of a City. How did they arrive at the name? Because another part of the city is being renamed "St Georges Quarter". It's all pretty irrelevant as most people with cars will continue to shop at Fosse Park anyway..
Knighton Matt Posted 16 July 2006 Posted 16 July 2006 Because another part of the city is being renamed "St Georges Quarter". It's all pretty irrelevant as most people with cars will continue to shop at Fosse Park anyway.. The new John Lewis will be a big pull though Leicester has been crying out for one for years and apparently it's going to be one of the biggest in the country...
Ultra Posted 16 July 2006 Posted 16 July 2006 But I'm old enough to remember the old Lewis's in Humberstone Gate.. Can't see how the new one is going to attract people back.
Knighton Matt Posted 16 July 2006 Posted 16 July 2006 But I'm old enough to remember the old Lewis's in Humberstone Gate.. Can't see how the new one is going to attract people back. It will it's amazing the number of people who go to Nottingham/Milton Keynes/Peterborough just to shop at John Lewis! Can't see what all the fuss is about myself but I'm guessing with my disposable income I'm not exactly their target market!
jumbo mills Posted 14 April 2007 Posted 14 April 2007 it is always going to be known as the shires.. it is easier to say than the highcross quarter
Phube Posted 14 April 2007 Posted 14 April 2007 it is always going to be known as the shires.. it is easier to say than the highcross quarter Just like you'll always call them Marathons??? People always say this about name changes, but in the end people forget the 'old' name and you'll just look silly!
Flynny Posted 14 April 2007 Posted 14 April 2007 I'm calling it the Shires for as long as I can remember to, just to be obtuse.
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