CWMBRAN Centre has become one of the most popular retail destinations in Wales – with an average of 15 million people visiting every year.

It’s the largest shopping centre outside of Cardiff, with around 170 shops.

South Wales Argus reporter Brooke Boucher visited to find out the secret of its success.

Shoppers and business owners of the Cwmbran area had a lot to say about why they believe the centre has been so successful.

Craig Swarbrick, 44, from Cwmbran said: “It has free parking, nearly everything is undercover and there are less homeless people.

 

“It’s an overall cleaner environment. The atmosphere is good as they spend the money wisely, they have always made an effort.”

Mark Edwards, Retail Director at Specsavers Cwmbran said: “There is free parking and a massive range of places to park, and a massive range of shops.

“I won’t go to Newport shopping, I stopped about 15-years ago. I don’t feel safe there.

“Cwmbran has always developed and spent money on infrastructure, something Newport has failed to do.”

Many shoppers commented on the vast number of different retailers available in Cwmbran – especially independents.

Adam Brown, one of the owners of Brown Bear Coffee House said: “The centre has a massive mix of retailers, and Cwmbran likes to support independents and we get lots of support from the community too.

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“We have been able to build good relationships with other retailers and they help us with goods.

“It feels like a community.

“Every shop supports one another, even those that might be viewed as competition.

“We chose to start this business in Cwmbran as we knew we’d be proud to say that we had a shop on the Cwmbran High Street.”

Jane Charles, owner of K&J Crafts said: “There are never any problems here, everyone knows you and wants to support your store.”

Adrian Charles, co-owner at K&J Crafts said: “We’re pro Cwmbran. It’s a relaxed place to shop and it’s better for independent shops.

“We engage with all the events and try to get the community together by holding crafting classes.”

One of the highlights for shoppers about Cwmbran Centre seems to be the free parking, with over 3,000 available.

Becky Gardener, 64, from Pontypool said: “Free parking makes a massive difference. Also, there are nice coffee shops and an overall good mix of different shops.”

Evie Copeman, 18, from Cwmbran said: “There’s loads of different shops, free parking and it’s always clean.”

South Wales Argus:

(Evie Copeman, 18, from Cwmbran)

Gail Evans, 52, from Cwmbran said: “Love the free parking and the coffee shops.”

Rhys Hemmings, 25, from Blackwood said: “I like the free parking here, and that it never feels overly crowded.”

Chris Evans, 56, from Pontypool said: “I love the free parking and that everything is here, in one place. There’s a decent number of independent stores and there’s a lovely cinema here too.”

Hayden Evans, 24, from Pontypool said: “There’s a good mixture of shops here and is way cleaner than Newport City Centre.”

The safety and cleanliness of Cwmbran Centre was also mentioned frequently, as well as the efforts to keep Cwmbran Centre looking as lovely as it can.

The centre is private, so they themselves pay for the maintenance and cleaners. They also have their own on-site gardeners with a private area for growing flowers to display in the mall.

Janice Fairclough, 74, from Thornhill said: “The staff are lovely here, and they pay close attention to detail, such as the lovely flowers and hanging baskets around the centre.”

Charlie Davies, 16, from Griffith said: “The staff are always lovely here, and it’s so clean. The bus fares are also really cheap, and I often see security around, so I do feel safe.”

South Wales Argus:

(Charlie Davies, 16, from Griffith)

Matt Brown, 22, from Henlly said: “It’s way cleaner here when compared to Newport City Centre – it’s better!”

Hannah Sead-Alm, 25, from Abersychan said: “It’s not intimidating here, it feels homely and safe.

“It’s cleaner than most city centres. It also has the best butchers and I enjoy the events that are held here.”

Amanda Pritchard, 44, from North Hill said: “It’s all undercover, there’s free parking and it feels safe.”

David Evans, 55, from Cwmbran said: “It’s clean and very friendly.”

Megan Jones, 21, from Newport said: “It’s got everything you need here.”

Rikki Teml, Cwmbran Centre Manager, takes great pride in the happy and returning shoppers that Cwmbran City Centre continues to have.

He said: “There are very few empty shops, and we currently have three new High Street retailers and three independent shops opening very soon.”

Mr Teml organises community schemes, such as Autism Awareness training and Dementia Friend training, to those who want to learn some new skills.

“All the staff that work in Cwmbran City Centre are trained under these schemes, and because of what has been learnt from them, we are able to better accommodate to those with these disabilities.

“For example, we have no audio in the malls between certain hours of the day, 10am-12pm, to make the centre autism friendly.”

Every year, Cwmbran Centre puts on a variety of events, from open days to the popular beach attraction that is held there every year.

He added: “Just recently we held the ‘Fashion Boxed’ event that showcased some clothes from the retailers in Cwmbran, and people loved it.

“We’ve had people tell us that they come here specifically for the beach, and then come back again because of how much they enjoyed their experience here.”