Talking Investment: Continued investment is the key to Derbion’s success

It’s been a busy 2025 for Derbion, with a host of new arrivals and store upgrades, not to mention new developments such as the Eastern Gateway and progress made on its ambitious Master Plan.

Here, in a wide-ranging Q&A, managing director Beth McDonald reflects on another productive year.

How has the year been for Derbion and what have been the highlights?

2025 has been a significant year for Derbion. From new arrivals and store upgrades from existing retailers to delivering a jam-packed events schedule and contributing to citywide regeneration, it’s been incredibly busy!

2025 truly has a lot of highlights, but for me personally, it has been exciting to see brands select Derbion for either their first location or flagship store for the East Midlands, including Crew Clothing and Victoria’s Secret, firmly cementing Derbion’s place the leading retail destinations in the region.

Announcing the arrival of Primark was another major and exciting milestone for us this year, and we’re excited to see the development work progress throughout 2026.

Working closely with key stakeholders, including Derby City Council, to drive forward strategic city-wide projects, such as the recent completion of the Eastern Gateway development, was another highlight of the year.

As was the transformation of the Eagle Market space into a new community sports destination.

The introduction of Social Sports Society, which has been incredibly popular since opening, alongside the imminent arrival of Flo Skatepark, massively expands our leisure offering and offer the people of Derby something completely new and exciting to enjoy.

Finally, supporting our local community continues to be a core focus for us, so continuing to grow our community led initiatives, such as Derbion Cares, volunteering with local projects and causes and the increasing the use of our Community Hub, is something I am also proud of this year.

What new names have you managed to attract this year?

This year, we’ve welcomed 215,919 sq ft of new lettings and some brilliant brands to our ever-growing line-up, including Crew Clothing, Seasalt, Social Sports Society, LUKE 1977, and Victoria’s Secret.

We’ve also seen 35 brand promotions and pop-ups, including the return of Jo Malone London for the festive period.

And the excitement doesn’t stop there as we’ve just announced that customer-favourite Wingstop will be opening in February 2026, and there are plenty more openings coming in Q1 next year that we can’t wait to share.

In addition to new arrivals, which retailers have been investing in their stores?

We’re proud that so many of our retailers have shown such confidence in the centre, as well as Derby, by investing and expanding their stores this year.

Together, existing retailers have invested more than £1.6 million in store upgrades throughout 2025, including Chopstix, Zizzi, MOSS, Pandora and Footlocker, to name a few, which is just incredible.

This level of investment from such a wide range of brands really highlights Derbion’s appeal to big names and reflects our shared vision of providing exceptional retail experiences to our visitors.

The announcement of the relocation of Primark is quite a coup – how do you see this impacting Derbion?

Primark is an iconic brand and one that we know our shoppers love, so we’re incredibly excited for them to open at Derbion in 2027.

We’re expecting a really positive impact. Primark is a big draw, so we think it will bring new visitors to Derbion who might not have come before.

And, of course, once they’re here, we’re sure they’ll then explore our other brands, eateries and leisure operators too, so we see it as incredibly exciting and positive.

The retail landscape remains challenging. What has been key to Derbion attracting these big names?

There are a few reasons, but it really comes down to proving that Derbion is a destination of choice.

We spend time listening to our retailers and working closely with them, using insight to stay agile and respond to both retailer and customer needs.

At the same time, continued investment across Derby city centre, such as new openings this year like Valliant Live and Derby Market Hall and new city centre residential schemes, helps drive footfall and forms a key part of our conversations with prospective tenants.

And Derbion has been evolving too. Over the last few years, we’ve invested more than £3.6 million into our food and beverage offering, alongside ongoing development of key areas within the centre, ensuring we continue to deliver a vibrant and engaging experience for visitors.

We’re also continuing to invest in the feel of the centre – from upgraded facilities like our Burrows Mall and Copecastle toilets to a brand-new children’s play area, which will open in early 2026 – reinforcing our commitment to creating a better experience for both customers and tenants.

How important do you feel a vibrant retail/leisure offer is to creating vibrancy in a city like Derby?

It’s incredibly important. Shopping isn’t just about retail anymore; it’s about experiences.

We want to create a destination where more people want to come and spend their free time, which means offering an exciting, carefully curated mix of retail, leisure, and food and beverage brands, along with events to enjoy all year round.

Derby city centre is currently undergoing an exciting evolution, with the recent openings of Valliant Live and Derby Market Hall, as part of a wider effort where all city centre partners are working together to create a dynamic destination for both residents and tourists.

At Derbion, our focus remains on creating a vibrant retail and leisure destination that not only benefits the wider local economy but also enhances Derby’s overall retail offering.

Does what is happening elsewhere in the city (for example, major city centre residential schemes) have an impact on the decisions you make and that of your operators?

Absolutely. What happens across Derby is really important to us, and being right in the heart of Derby means we play a key role in contributing to the city’s vitality.

We always consider wider city centre developments and decisions in our long-term planning, and our brands do the same when evaluating the potential of their stores.

How pleased are you with the Eastern Gateway project?

Contributing to the ongoing revitalisation of the city centre is a key priority for us, so we’re really pleased the Eastern Gateway project has completed this year.

It’s a transformative step forward for Derby, further enhancing the vibrancy and appeal of the eastern side of the city centre.

The recent opening coincides with the recent opening of community sports operator Social Sports Society and the imminent arrival of Flo Skatepark, and introduces a new entrance that will provide locals with direct access to Flo’s skateboarding facilities once it opens.

We’re confident that the newly transformed area, now named Derbion Square, will offer a welcoming and inclusive space for visitors, and we look forward to seeing its positive impact on the community.

What is the current status of Derbion’s master plan? Could you explain the motivation/ambition behind this?

The Derbion Masterplan is a framework for the long-term development of under-used land that aims to complement and support the existing centre and its position within Derby.

It acts as a starting point for exploring future opportunities over the next ten years and beyond.

With a robust pipeline of citywide development, we are committed to ensuring Derbion remains at the heart of this growth.

This includes attracting new investment opportunities, strengthening Derby’s reputation as a destination city, and giving people even more reasons to visit.

We’re really pleased that plans for Bradshaw Way Retail Park have been approved by Derby City Council, and the Eagle Quarter development has been recently endorsed and approved in principle by the planning committee, with plans now in the final stages of agreement.

In terms of CRM, what has Derbion been up to?

We’re passionate about supporting our local community, and this year has been no exception.

Through initiatives like Derbion Cares, our ongoing work with community groups and our charity partnerships, we’ve been able to offer support and make a difference.

Now in its fourth year, our Derbion Cares charity programme has supported six fantastic organisations.

This year, we’ve been working with Over The Wall Camp ahead of its new headquarters opening next year, and we look forward to continuing our support until our 2026 charity is selected.

Our community hub has played a key role this year, hosting a school uniform initiative that supported 280 children.

Additionally, our renowned Hatch competition has helped regional small businesses grow since 2019, and this year we were delighted to welcome The Studio by Tania Purdy to the centre after winning as well as welcome previous Hatch winner 1NE back into Derbion as a permanent store.

How does Derbion view its place within ‘Team Derby’ – and what are your thoughts on the city’s ‘live, work, play’ strategy?

As a major destination in the city, we know we have a role to play within Team Derby to help drive footfall, confidence and community spirit.

The city’s ‘live, work, play’ approach is the right one – it’s all about creating a balanced, people-focused environment.

We do our part by offering exciting shopping and food and beverage experiences and leisure opportunities that ultimately encourage people to spend their free time in the city centre.

Finally, what are Derbion’s plans in 2026?

We’ve got another busy year ahead. In 2026, visitors can look forward to new store announcements, including a number of openings in the first quarter of the year alone, further store upgrades, more events to enjoy all year long, and much more.

In addition, we will be continuing to invest in enhancing the customer experience, including the introduction of a new play area for families.

Further refreshes are also planned across the centre throughout next year to ensure it remains a welcoming destination for our visitors.

We’ll also be working closely with key stakeholders across the city to make sure Derbion plays a central role in the wider vision for the city centre, as well as working hard to ensure the centre meets the evolving needs of shoppers.