Upsatirs in the capitol seems an odd place for it - especially when you consider the neighbouring cinema has been vacant for the best part of 10 years!

Abercrombie & Fitch, Hamleys or Harvey Nichols would be perfect in the habitat unit :) A&F i wish :L

The unit on he corner of St Mary St and Caroline St(opposite Kitty Flynns) is now occupied by PureSport. Not sure if this is a temp shop looking to take advantage of the current run on Welsh rugby shirts/Xmas or permanent.

A new place called Pasta Pot has opened in Guildhall Place. Was previously occupied by a sandwich place called Scoffs that was almost always empty whenever I went in.

Best state to eat their stuff in. I went in recently and found the meat they're using had a spongy, slippery texture nothing like actual chicken; I suspect it's what they call "recovered" meat. Scary.

Skateboard shop called Route One has opened in the big corner unit in Morgan Arcade. Good to see that one let.

An opticians has opened in High Street arcade and another skate shop plus American Express is due to open soon.

Pure Sport has moved permanently to the unit on the corner of Caroline Street and St Mary Street which means their former unit next door to what was the Hard Rock cafe will be vacant shortly. Unlikely to be a licensed premises if SWP get their way.

Route one has been in the arcade for years...it must have just moved? So still another empty space one imagines?!

Is this a new AmEx? or just a replacement for the queen st one? If so...still another empty space.... :(

Route One are still using both their new and their old store. It might suggest that after Christmas they might opt for one or the other, or keep both.

It's a replacement for the AmEx in Queen Street which is closing. IIRC there is planning application to turn the Queen Street store into a restaurant of some sort.

Sports Direct has closing down sale signs in the capitol centre..

The store looks a state and was hopefully temporary until the capitol got something else in?

All their stores are a state. It's like one of those auctions held in the back room of a pub specializing in flood damaged goods in their outlet in SD2. I know they say 'pile it high, sell it low' but Sports Direct have taken this at its most literal.

Didn't know route one had another outlet in Morgan Arcade. The shop they have just opened in the big corner unit looks pretty good so would be suprised if it is temporary.

As someone said earlier AMEX are moving from Queen Street, that unit looks like being a 'restaurant'.

I would guess that this unit would be the new gym, don't think any of the little units on the 1st floor would be big enough.

Sports Direct In St Davids is an absolute eye saw and should be out! Looks awful to visitors to the centre cos its such a mess! could have been an awesome fashion store of some sort but nope its uch as soon as you enter!

Since we are all putting the boot in the SD2 Sports Direct store, I'll repreat the often expressed opinion on this board that it would have been so much nicer if that unit had been split into several smaller units with active frontages on Hills Street. I don't see this happening any time soon though.

I guess you can imagine the running machines in the new gym in the Capitol Centre looking out over Queen Street, with the gym having its own external entrance independent of the Capitols opening hours on the ground floor. If correct, the swap of Sports Direct for this sounds like a step up.

What's with all the sweet shops popping up. There is one in the Queens arcade, one in St Davids and one on Queen Street. I've just walked past the capitol and there is another Americandy shop going where that cheapo clothes shop was (called looks). They all look incredibly tacky too. Thankfully, I love sweets.

Application to split NSU5/6 in the Capitol into 2 smaller units and to install a new shop-front. This is the old United Colors of Benetton unit which is "Under Offer" according to Shop Property. I'm not sure if both of the new units are under offer or just one of them.

Hopefully a bit of good news for the Capitol. It must be a permanent tenant - you don't do major work like this for a temporary letting (unless you are incredibly desperate, perhaps!).

You can't polish a turd

Actually in terms of turd polishing we aren't doing that badly in Cardiff over the last few years. Both the Atrium and the RWCMD were refurbs of really big turds that have come up gleaming.

I'm hoping for something similar with the Millenium Plaza if/when it gets turned into a Convention Centre. A turd of a newer vintage maybe but a turd all the same.

The Capitol centre's turdiness is of quite some magnitude however so the polishing required is likely to be significant.

I think the general approach in Cardiff hasn't been to polish - that implies taking back layers - but instead to somehow wrap it up in a way that it no longer smells as bad. Think of the re-cladding on Atrium, or Admiral House, or Stadium House, or for that matter, a few years ago, the Capitol Centre.

I don't dislike the Capitol Centre actually. Its Queens Arcade I dislike the most with its strange layout and its horrible fixtures and fittings. I find the Capitol quite classy in some ways, and find it a real shame that its fallen on such hard times.

I agree about Queens Arcade. The internal layout is really strange. I always feel slightly squiffy with all the sloping floors and the internal fitting are the definition of tat.

Capitol - inside - is actually quite nice. However the outside is just unremittingly god awful. The beige bricks topped by exposed concrete, the half arsed po-mo touches, the silly iron bits, the entrance to the car park, the failure to recognise the scale of the buildings surrounding it or even to follow the street pattern. I really despise the building and would happily see it demolished tomorrow.

I was in Queen's Arcade the other day and the occupancy rate seems to have improved - albeit that many of the new tenants had "short-term" written all over them. Agree about the horrid design though.

Blimey, have looked on that Shop Property website and most of The Capitol's units are on there including Austin Reed. Add in the Internacionale unit and things are really looking grim.

Think a re focus towards leisure may be the only answer.

Anyone know what's happening with All Star Lanes?

Two articles on WalesOnline about retail in Cardiff.

The most shocking is:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2011/11/21/impact-of-st-david-s-2-sees-sharp-drop-in-footfall-at-neighbouring-queens-arcade-91466-29810945/

I wasn't aware that almost 1/6 of Queens Arcade (in terms of space) was empty, and that a further 1/4 was occupied by temporary units. Footfall has declined by around 20%. And at least one retailer, Argos, wants to downsize.

In summary, it paints quite a worrying picture, especially because Queens Arcade directly joins St Davids, and could be expected to see an increase in footfall as customers coming down from the parking in Cathays Park use it as a short-cut to St Davids.

I agree that the images we have of the proposed extension don't look that great (although I don't think it looks as bad as some people seem to feel), but it does seem that the centre needs some work to keep it going. One concern could be that the extension planned is not bold enough; that a more comprehensive and ambitious remodelling and extension is needed to turn the tide. Perhaps.

Theres also another article about the arcades which has a rosy title but then a pretty downbeat text, especially from the landlords, Curzon. Thankfully that Ozstreicher guy at Crane's isn't mouthing off again...

Maybe it's the case that Cardiff is not big enough to support 3 big malls plus 2 very strong shopping streets in Queen St and the Hayes?

I think there is something in that although in the case of Queens Arcade I also think that people just don't like shopping in there. The layout is downright weird. It just feels odd. It was odd when it was built with the escalators going straight onto the street and then the re-furb to the Queen St entrance just compounded matters by making the downstairs claustraphobic.

I'm not concerned. SD2 totally shook up retail in Cardiff, and SE Wales generally, and add to that the recession and you have an environment that will see some streets and malls increase footfall, and some decline.

Generally we know that visitors to the city are up, and retail wise the city seems to be doing fairly well, but within that some streets and malls will inevitably see a decline.

As Karl said, Queens Arcade is a little weirdly layed out.

One thing I'd happily see vacate there though is the post office. I think it's embarrasing that the central post office in the capital city of Wales is on the groundfloor of a crappy mall, wedged into a unit that used to house Madhouse Jeans (or whatever it was)

Royal Mail don't seem to be run well generally, but it doesn't surprise me in their lack of pride in their estate.

It doesn't build public support (unlike say the BBC, which seems to take these things seriously)

I completely agree about the Queens Arcade; the layout is terrible! Also considering there are so many empty units and poor quality shops is it any surprise that footfall is down? I'm pretty sure if Queens Arcade had the internal layout of the Capitol the situation would be considerably better!

Regarding the independents/arcades - a few of them would have made a couple of quid more off me if they bothered to open their advertised hours! I was doing some Christmas shopping on Sunday and despite stating they opened 12-4 the two shops I wanted to go in were both closed at 12, 1 and 1:45 when I went to check.

New cafe called Taste has today opened in High Street. The fitting out has taken months and yet they have today just opened - no leaflets, no balloons, no offers, no sandwich boards, no nothing. It always amazes me when businesses plough huge amounts of money into a venture and then don't bother marketing it.

Around the corner the facade of the Model Inn - soon to be Brains first stand alone restaurant - has been transformed. It looks a lot better and more in keeping with the age of the building.

A beauty salon with cosmetic surgery premises upstairs has just opened next to Dempseys on Castle St. A chance for Jantra to get those moobs sorted out.....

PS. I have also been told by an admittedly unreliable source that Tesco's are going to open in the Capitol centre shortly.

Could be a turbulent 2012 for retail in general. I've read that Blacks, Millets, Thorntons, Past Times, La Senza and HMV - all of whom have a presence in the city centre - are on the brink. Clintons cards also struggling and of course Barrats/Priceless Shoes have gone into admin.

Harvey Nichols has chosen Liverpool One in which to launch a new concept, small format store. The fashion store will occupy the 22,000-sq ft former Habitat store in Peter’s Lane, Liverpool One’s fashion hub, opening in Autumn 2012.

Very interesting! Could Harvey Nichols possibly pick up the Cardiff habitat for a small concept store?
Would be a lovely addition to the city especially the Hayes!

It seems ideal for HN to go in that unit just like in Liverpool...

What do we think?

That would be a great use of that lovely building.

I must stress however that Scouse girls spend an absolute fortune on designer labels (as well as sunbeds) and that south Wales girls certainly do not in comparison. Most major top end labels have stores in Liverpool as there is a huge market for them.

Who knows though, it could work.

Anyone heard anything about who might be sniffing around?

I've heard nothing about the unit. I saw the Harvey Nicks story as well and concur with Simon's analysis, unfortunately (although perhaps its a good thing Welsh women-folk seem to be less flash with the cash).

When I was back at Christmas, looking up the Hayes whilst walking from the Library, the old Habitat unit really does stand out so should be prime space. I wouldn't be surprised if it were split in to a couple of units. And then we might get something like Anthropologie or Banana Republic (mid-market enough to find Cardiff appealing I think), and Jack Wills (to keep the teenagers happy, although I think the brand has lost some of its lustre).

Fred Perry to open on the Hayes...

Replacing Azendi On The Hayes! Can Not Wait For This Brilliant Addition To Cardiff :-D Very Very Pleased

Not quite city centre but it looks like Coffee No 1 are opening in Pontcanna (see todays Echo). I think thats a good move for them. I was wondering when we would see a few openings since Brains took them over. I expect to see a few more during the course of the year in the city centre, the Bay and possibly some of the plusher burbs.

It looks like Baskin Robbins and Cafe Gelato - both in Castle St - have closed down. You'd think that would be a great pitch opposite the castle but apart from the gift shop nothing seems to thrive down there. The units under the Angel hotel have been empty for over a decade now.

Both ice cream parlours closing simultaneously is bad news.

You're right - that stretch has always struggled despite its seemingly prime location. You would have thought that being 'bang opposite the castle' would be a selling point and result in greater footfall and custom. Alas tis' not.

I suppose we lag way behind our peers (Edinburgh and Dublin)in absolute tourism numbers so the tourist footfall is much lower than it could be, and traders can't rely on locals to spend there because they have an aversion to walking more than 50m away from the main shopping drags.

I remember that. That was a few years ago I think. In the interim they've painted and renovated the whole outside so it's not as if Barcelo are not investing money in the Angel.

It's an odd one - there are lots of guesthouses in Cathedral Rd so you'd think there would be quite a lot of people walking past on their way to town. CAP/Milstad is round the corner, it's near bus stops, opposite the castle etc.

To be fair, that Cafe Gelato place was horrible. Badly lit and just generally uninviting. Baskin Robbins looked like it was plucked from the 80's and was always staffed by a bloke in a full suit, odd.

BR was open today....

Vitality Boutique thingymabob open on Castle St too...not sure if been mentioned

Also not sure if mentioned: Costa in the bay is now 'Terra Nova Coffee Shop', no doubt due to takeover of Coffee#1...although still serving all coffee as Costa (but food C#1-esque). Probably just using up Costa Stock. They use Terra Nova coffee stamp cards as opposed to C#1 or the Costa loyalty card.

The newsagents in Pontcanna is up for lease.