Shock and challenge at ‘unknown’ shopping mall that ‘has everything’

Speaking to the ECHO, Brendan said he was surprised to hear the news over the weekend. He said: “We arrived at work on Saturday and were told the GPO had suddenly closed.

“I always thought you looked busy. It was more of an afternoon and evening type of place. Going into festive season like Smiffy’s, you’d think they’d get through the festive period before closing. “This shows how instantaneous decisions like this are.”

While Brendan is concerned about the number of recent closures at Metquarter, he puts these incidents down to broader issues. He maintained that Transalpino was still doing well, but said it could be difficult to compete with the combination of online shopping and rising operating costs while many people’s wages are falling.

He said: “At Metquarter we have recently lost Kids Cavern, GPO, Costa, Hugo Boss and another aesthetic store. We’re missing foot traffic. But the whole high street is suffering. I think it has changed the way people shop during covid.

“We’ve been on Bold Street before. You’d think there would be a hustle and bustle on Bold Street, but everyone goes there to eat. Many people pass by on their way to work. We have to compete with Amazon, but I use it myself. “You can order at 19:00 in the evening and it will be there at 10 in the morning.”

Metquarter has certainly changed over the years. While brands such as Hugo Boss and Costa left, the first floor was taken over by the Liverpool Academy of Music (LMA), Everyman Cinema and GPO until it closed. When the ECHO visited Metquarter this afternoon there were as many students as there were shoppers.

On the ground floor, husband and wife Alan and Deb Leyhye were drinking coffee at Antonio’s Caffetteria Dantonio, a traditional Italian café. The couple knows the owner of the house well and enjoys coming to Metquarter, but they feel something is missing.

Deb, 70, said: “To me it’s really beautiful but it doesn’t look very crowded. “Not a lot of people come here, and I don’t think people know what’s in here until they walk in.”

Alan added: “We used to go to some of the old shops – clothes shops, jewelers and now they’re all gone. I thought they were good. There’s still nice shops here, everything is spotless, there’s security. There’s security. Maybe everyone’s going to Liverpool ONE instead.” ”

In its statement regarding GPO’s closure, Metquarter argued that the shopping center was still “an important entertainment and dining destination in the downtown area.” A spokesman added: “When combined with other existing units in the building we can create an even larger offering going forward. We believe this location is perfect for ambitious operators looking to deliver quality restaurant and leisure concepts and various discussions are currently ongoing.”

This more positive perspective is also shared by Bethan Flannagan. The 32-year-old Everton player runs Buy By Bethan, which produces personalized clothes, as well as All Over the Shop, which brings together young fashion creators in the city.

Bethan was surprised to hear that the GPO was closing. He said: “It was a complete shock to be honest. I was here last night; Me and someone else I worked with went there and the shutters were closed. I think this is a very good idea and looks like it would work in other parts of Liverpool too. “I went there a few times too and the food from many of the vendors was really good.”

Metquarter offered Bethan the chance to open a temporary store in a vacant unit, and Bethan was happy to accept, although she thought it might be overlooked compared to other shopping centers in the city. Bethan said: “I remember the Mac opening when I was at school and being so excited to come. I think it’s a lovely building too. It’s got a really upmarket look and there are a lot of independent businesses here based in Liverpool.”

“It’s just trying to bring traffic back. It seems weird because there are people you talk to and you say, ‘He’s at Methquarter’ and they say, ‘I don’t know who that is.’ These are people my age or older who are Scousers. “I think more people should try coming here and maybe there will be an opportunity for other things to go on.”

“I noticed that Metquarter has a really nice community spirit among the tenants. It’s such a shame to see empty shops on the high street, but it does present good opportunities for creatives like me who, with the high cost of living right now, can’t afford to rent a place.

“It’s nice to get out and meet people and chat and that’s why I have an open door policy when I work here. I want to be able to come in and chat. Sometimes people come in and say hello to my dog.

Similarly, Tribal Society’s Adam Cummings says Metquarter has helped his business greatly. The 32-year-old, who hails from Old Swan, says he now earns 10 times more from his Liverpool store than from his Chester store or website, thanks to a combination of regular social media updates, viral stunts and simple offers.

The brand is known for giving away a large portion of its stock for free every few months; This creates huge queues and encourages people to come to his store, which opened in October 2021. The company is currently secretly planning another one for Black Friday on November 29th. location.

He said: “Thanks to the GPO, we couldn’t get anyone who was there to come. Things like Blackstock Market and Chester Market have shown that this can work.

“In retail you have to keep up with the times. We sell one-size-fits-all clothing. We started selling these sunglass chains for 2 liras each and 5 liras for three. We have now sold over £50,000. There was a chap here the other day who started with these and was now looking to buy one of our £100+ coats.

“Metquarter has always helped us. I could understand complaining if it was a mess, but it’s spotlessly clean and there’s always security at the door. When we moved here we had about 4,500 followers on our social platforms. “We now have over 100,000.”

It looks like Metquarter’s stores are looking to the future rather than anxiously looking back. Transalpino’s Brendan added: “These are just worrying times for the high street. As places suddenly close and head into the festive season, more people are left without help.

“We’re always trying new things and making progress. We have a new series with Jamie Webster and I’ll be going on a European tour with him soon. I grew up in retail and markets, now the internet but we’ll stick with that.”