100 | UK Enterprise Awards 2023 Apr23447 Best Community Shopping Centre 2023 - The Guineas Newmarket We often spotlight single organisations, offices and firms within this programme, but – relatively speaking – we rarely showcase markets and shopping centres. There’s a plethora of reasons for that, mainly that the complexities involved with judging multiple parts of a whole is quite difficult. Any failings on one part will impact another immensely. So, it is significant then that The Guineas Shopping Centre stands apart in this, with parts that are more than the sum of the whole coming together to form something quite extraordinary. As a community-based shopping centre in Newmarket, Suffolk, the Guineas also benefits from a location that seems well-suited to its offerings, with visitors benefitting from a strong equestrian industry – Newmarket, after all, is often called the ‘headquarters of horse racing’. It would be remiss, however, to put the centre’s success down to simple luck, or being in the right place at the right time. A simple look over its operations would soon dismiss such a conclusion, as Ross explains in more detail. “We have a dedicated team at the Centre, with 35 years of experience of site between a team of 6. The Centre Manager has been in the role for 15+ years but at the centre for over 20 years therefore has a wealth of site knowledge. Our marketing strategy includes engaging events that grasp the public’s imagination such as the recent T-Rex dinosaur event and a visit from Titan the Robot. “The centre has 47 retail units ranging from independent retailers through to multinationals, 10 offices and a medical centre. Our mission is to offer a safe, secure and inviting location for all patrons of the centre which we achieve by ensuring our staff are approachable and maintain a high level of customer service. The team at the Guineas is small and as such we work extremely closely together to achieve the highest standards that our clients, managing agents, all stakeholders and visitors would expect from a shopping centre team. We pride ourselves in “going above and beyond” our individual job roles to achieve the high standards we set ourselves.” Naturally, as aforementioned, the last couple of years have been devastating for physical, brick and mortar establishments, with a double hit between Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Success, then, demanded innovation and creativity, and a willingness to ‘re-write’ the rule book. “The Guineas has a lot of “essential retailers” therefore remained operational throughout this time. There was a steep learning curve for all involved in property management during this time and we were no different. Having to “rip up” the rule book and re-write it as we moved in and out of lock downs and the subsequent recovery since. We are happy to report that footfall in the shopping centre continues to grow back towards prepandemic levels,” Ross adds. The Guineas Shopping Centre has a history of innovation, adaptability and no small amount of forward thinking when it comes to developing its services and operations. Moving forwards, the centre is looking to incorporate greater levels of sustainability, as Ross explains in his closing comments. “As a company, sustainability is high on our agenda and we are embarking on several initiatives to achieve our goals in this area, from the small ideas such as the introduction of a biodiversity garden area through to exploring the possibility of solar PV and changing all lighting to LED. On an annual bases we engage on several charitable activities which include supporting East Anglia Air Ambulance, One Great Day, Marie Curie and others. 2023 will see some of these initiatives come to fruition.”) Company Name: The Guineas Shopping Centre Contact Name: Ross Mckittrick, Manager Address: 10 Rookery House, The Guineas, Newmarket, CB88EQ Web Address: www.theguineas-shopping.co.uk Contact Email [email protected] Telephone Number: 07581003182 The Guineas Shopping Centre has thrived through the efforts of its team and ethos. In a world with dramatically reduced foot traffic through cities and town across the UK, the Guineas has stood strong, flourishing despite all odds stacked against it. We spoke with Manager Ross Mckittrick to find out more. “ We always look to hire outgoing, respectful and engaging people. Through training and development we then maximize the potential of each individual whilst incorporating them into a small but dedicated team. ”
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