6 days ago
North Wales shopping park secures major new retail lettings at empty units
A retail park has secured lettings for two large empty units. Island Green Shopping Centre in Wrexham had lost a number of brands in recent years, with occupancy falling to near 70%.
But Focus Estate Fund has now bagged lettings at the former Wilko and Asda Living stores. The units have been taken by Trade Outlet, a growing discount retail chain offering a mix of household goods, electricals, homewares, and general merchandise.
The brand will occupy over 45,000 sq ft combined, breathing new life into long-vacant anchor space and "broadening the value offer at the centre". Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Maxim Skolnick, general partner at Focus Estate Fund, said: 'At Focus Estate Fund, we specialize in turning around retail assets by identifying value-added potential and unlocking it through active management and strategic repositioning. Island Green is a clear example of this strategy in action.
"When we took over the scheme, it was facing significant challenges — several major voids, declining footfall, and underutilized potential. Today, all key units are re-let, the tenant mix is stronger, and early indicators show the centre is regaining its traction.
"This turnaround wouldn't have been possible without the excellent work of the teams at Estama and Barker Proudlove, and our in-house asset management team. There's still more to come — we're continuing to build on this momentum to deliver the strategy at its full potential.'
Alex Butler, managing director at Estama of Island Green, added: 'These lettings are a big win for the scheme and the town. We're expecting a solid uplift in footfall as the new stores open, and the leasing momentum puts us in a strong position to complete the final phase of the asset plan.'
Occupancy at Island Green has increased from 71.4% to 98.7% since Focus Estate Fund took ownership of the scheme. The centre is seeing increased activity; according to data from Euro Car Parks, the number of cars at the shopping centre rose by 23.8% compared to the same period last year.
A spokesperson added "With the final major voids now let, this upward trend is expected to continue into the second half of 2025 as the new stores open. With the final major voids now let, this upward trend is expected to continue into the second half of 2025 as the new stores open."
