13 years of changes at shopping centre
SINCE it opened in 2009, St David’s Dewi Sant shopping centre in Cardiff as we know it today has undergone a lot of changes.
Connecting the original shopping centre with St David’s Hall and The Hayes, St David’s 2 – or St David’s as it’s now most commonly known – has become the cornerstone for retail shopping in Wales.
Spread over 100 units – made up of nine large stores, 90 smaller shops and the John Lewis department store – the two-tier shopping centre or the 967,500 sq ft of retail space has made it the third busiest shopping centre in the UK. John Lewis was the first Welsh branch and is the second largest outside of London.
As well as retail space, the development also includes The Hayes apartments, bars and restaurants and 3,000 car parking spots. But in the 13 years since it opened, there have been several changes to the centre, with some brands leaving and others taking their place. As the country starts to bounce back after the coronavirus pandemic, and shoppers return to cities, some changes have been made to one of Wales’ biggest shopping centres in recent years. With Covid pressures owing to some brands shutting up shop, and others being able to expand, there have been some changes to the centre in 2022.
Helen Morgan, centre director of St David’s Cardiff, said: “Retail is a very dynamic industry which gives us the
opportunity to evolve to bring our guests brands they love and create a line-up of stores which is unique to St David’s, cementing our reputation as a top shopping destination.
“We’re constantly working to open new, exciting names at St David’s whether it’s designer brands, high street favourites, Welsh independents or delicious dining experiences and are proud to see the latest arrivals join the line-up – with a promise of more to come.”