http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2010/04/21/capitol-centre-shopping-for-new-tenants-as-it-fights-back-91466-26283007/

is the article.

It won't be JD as they have the old USC store (and are paying £600k a year for the privilege!).

I hope its not SportsDirect.com, and JJB isn't much better. But I can't think of any other "big player" who would take on a permanent lease.

I reckon its actually a short-term let to a local operator.

JJB were upstairs in the old Queens West building (formerly Marments) which is at the moment covered in scaffolding for reasons unknown to me. Could it be that the upper floors (particularly now that TK Maxx have bailed out) are being converted from retail to something else and JJB will move to Capitol?

didn't it used to be a food court many years ago

Is the Queens West shopping centre lurking behind JJB as some sort of Marie Celeste of shopping centres? There was the food court at the top of the longest escalator in Western Britain and several floors that stubbonly remained 75% empty. Somewhere is an Athena with several thosand posters of a tennis players arse. A goldmine awaits a Cardiff Indiana Jones.

Very odd place for apartments!

well the prudential building next door is being converted as well

Prudential? Do you mean the Principality?

That would be a good move, both for them and the city centre in general.

Perhaps they can stick a couple of cretins outside a la Hollister. They could stand around in track suits with their hands stuffed down their trousers calling each other 'bruv' and 'bra' (depending on whether they are Llanrumney boys or Ely boys.)

Incidentally, when did it become acceptable for 16 year old boys to walk around with their hands down their trousers? Has anyone else noticed this totally unacceptable trait? It seriously makes me want to stuff their face into a piping hot Greggs Steak bake.

ive noticed them in newport as well, i do think there are actually pockets in the trousers but its still a daft place to put them in the first place! I am very tempted to shout pervert at them when i drive past (...very quickly).

Wizard

the trend of showing your kecks to the world stems from a fashion in american prisons whereby passive males would advertise themselves by walking round with their trousers lowered thus showing their pants.

I'm not sure the young men of Cardiff who are so haute couture realise the origins of their fashion. Either way, it looks dreadful.

give me a pair of slacks and brogues any day of the week.

Well you learn something new everyday.

It's the jailhouse ho look!

Might I recommend that sartorial accessory aka 'the Bib'?

Available from all good gentlemen's outfitters.

Thats the 3rd reasoning I've heard for that fashion. I've also heard it was a show of solidarity to your friends who were in prison as they weren't allowed belts and also that the baggy clothes culture came the fact that lots of inner city youths wore hand me downs from their brothers and so wearing massive clothes made people believe that you must have a massive older brother.

I agree it's an objectionable fashion. Almost as bad as the skin tight Farah's of my yoof that tended to bunch your meat and two veg up for all to see. Coupled with white socks and tassled loafers it was a veritable horror show.

Good news from icwales -

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/04/28/bright-future-stored-up-for-cardiff-arcades-91466-26330734/

In brief - the Borders unit is let to retailer unknown at this stage but should be open in next few months. The unit opposite is to be let to luxury British jeweller Azendi. Never heard of them to be honest.

Unit in Royal Arcade to be let to local retailers specialising in vintage stuff.

Excellent news! Seems that Cardiff has done well for Jewellery shops since SD2!

The jewelry shops have been some of the best performs in SD2 (along with Cult, and the relocated Karen Millen etc), with the partial exception of Folli Follie. TBH I think their orange colour scheme is a bit OTT for many people, putting them off entering the shop. The shop is also so small that it offers a somewhat intimidatign store environment.

I mentioned a while ago that whilst Queen St was our version of Oxford St the Hayes would be like Regents St. It was a bit tongue in cheek but it does seem that the Hayes is almost uniformly higher end than Queen St.

Hugo Boss compared to River Island, Jamies Italian compared to Burger King, Molten Brown compared to Superdrug, Reiss compared to Next, John Lewis compared to BHS etc etc.

It will be interesting to see who will go in the Borders unit - it's huge. I'd love it to be Hamleys. I think it would really drive footfall in that area. It might also encourage the remaining empty units on the SD2 side of the Hayes to be let as well.

I'm doubting whether it will be Hamleys - SD2 will be fighting to keep them I'm sure. I agree that the historic facade would be more suitable and befitting such a well-known brand than a mall store, however.

It could be Urban Outfitters as someone has mentioned earlier. They are keen on Cardiff and it will offer the only large frontage still available on the Hayes.

If its signed, sealed, delivered, why won't they say who it is?

Rest assured, when it's announced, I'm sure it'll be an 'exciting' retailer.

I had to laught at SD2 with Pandora and Kamigata-Aveda being "big new names". They're decent tenants, don't get me wrong. But I can't see people being too excited about them.

Where do they get these names from?

Pandora Kamigata-Aveda sounds like some kind of 'sloane ranger' type.

I can't wait for these exciting new retailers to open!

Talk of the arcades turning a corner may be premature. Walking down Morgan Arcade earlier I noticed that Amplivox (hearing aid sales) had moved and De Keyser (womens fashion) was closing down.

I make that 7 units empty even with the 2 units facing the Hayes having been let.

De Keyser probably reflects as much Mr De Keyser being not that great at actually running stores (although he is pretty good as a fashion supplier). He was behind J4 jeans UK who went under within 4 weeks of opening their first store.

Sports Direct..

Where are/were they based currently?

They have a huge unit in SD2 fronting Hills St. It's an absolute shit tip in there I have to say. Like a holding pen for the type of yoof that like to put their hands down the front of their kecks (see other post) and wear highly flammable synthetic sports wear.

This is going to be a second unit, I'd guess. Perhaps they've done so well in SD2 that they feel a second store would be a good idea.

The SportsDirect owner is a real old fashion "stack it high, sell it cheap" sorta guy. He bought Lilywhites (whose main store is in Picadilly) and its gone from a midmarket store with a wide range of sports, to something pretty much the same as any other SportsDirect. Overly crowded, trainers stored in boxes on the main shop floor. So theres no chance of the store being a bit "nicer" than normal given the very prominent Queen Street Frontage.

I think behind the scenes the owners of the Capitol must be getting quite desperate. SportsDirect really isn't the kind of store that fits their supposed mix of independent and high street fashion, accessories and beauty brands.

I wonder what length lease they've signed for?

Anybody else worried how this:



may look with Sports Direct's usual "CLOSING DOWN SALE" plastered all over it

Mufilicious, you raise a good point!

Urban Outfitters would have done excellently there, Queen Street is where they should be aiming to set up shop rather than (if they are) holding out for a unit on The Hayes or in SD2. Alas were just stuck with yet another horrible sportswear shop. Supply and demand I guess. Such a waste of what IS the best unit in the Capitol.

Hopefully they'll split the unit up and only take the bottom floor because I'd hate to see that wonderful glass atrium that used to house the jazz and classical music become a stockroom for boxes of purple velour tracksuits with 'juicy' written across the backside in plastic diamonds and an array of cheap plastic Fila and Donnay trainers, all to the 'N-Dubz' back catalogue.

Speaking of sportswear, any news on whats happening with the old Gilesports? Wasn't it going to be a Waitrose a while back?

Tragic news from St. Mary's Street: McColl's Bargain Booze has closed.

Looks like licensed premises really have reached saturation point there.

I had a look in Sports Direct in the Capitol too. It's every bit as horrendous as you'd imagine. They haven't bothered with anything as trivial as refitting the shop, just dumped all their stuff inside and opened up.

The only visible change they seem to have made is to block out all the windows on the Churchill Way frontage with adverts. Great.

Spillers records is shutting its current location at the end of June, possibly to find a new shop:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/southeastwales/hi/people_and_places/music/newsid_8680000/8680932.stm

Could they move inside one of the arcades? Rents would be quite a bit cheaper I would hazard, and there is still a fair bit of space up for grabs. I'm not suprised its leaving the Hayes and its not a great pity if it finds somewhere else central to locate. But if it were to disappear from the centre altogether, it would be a bit to the city's credentials as a place where independent stores can succeed (a reputation which is already thread-bare given the well-publicised problems in the arcades).

Speaking of independents - Floyds on St Mary's Street looks like it's closed

There's a note in the window saying that they are closed due to a fire in the basement, and they will reopen following repairs.

Ah that's god news then - I was on the other side of the road so I couldn't see what it said in the window!

That happened a few months ago:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8573882.stm

Shows how often I go to that end of town !