About Braehead

In October 2007, seven new retailers signed up to take units including Holland and Barrett, Three Store, The Works. Swarovski, Bite and Starbucks. Superdry will also open their first stand-alone store in Scotland at Braehead and Tie Rack has relocated to a bigger unit in the lower mall.

Such is the confidence in Braehead, the Marks and Spencer's flagship store there has recently undergone a refurbishment costing in excess of £20 million that includes a new deli and home technology department. Other retailers like Next and O'Brien's are also investing in their Braehead operations with a refurbishment programme.

Braehead's general manager, Peter Beagley said: "Our retail line up, occupancy figures and the fact that we are this year's Shopping Destination of the Year prove that we are the best. But we are not resting on our laurels, as we will be investing even more in the centre to make sure we get even better for both retailers and visitors.

"We are confident that the good experience people have when they come to Braehead means we will continue to attract visitors to the centre in the numbers that have been coming since we opened eight years ago.

"We are more than just another shopping centre. We are a family-friendly place where visitors can enjoy a whole host of leisure activities like Xscape and its new cinema, our ice rinks, the giant Arena which hosts sporting events, exhibitions and pop concerts and the popular children's activities and entertainment we provide. There is also an amazing range of cafes, bars and restaurants to suit all tastes."

Peter added: "One of the things that people constantly comment on is how comfortable, safe and secure they feel when they come to Braehead. "Getting to Braehead is no problem with easy access just off the M8 motorway and we have 6500 free car parking spaces for shoppers.

"There's now even quicker entry and exit after we installed the new high-tech series of traffic lights which automatically adjust the length of time they are at green depending on how many cars are queuing at a junction.

"And for those who want to travel by public transport, Braehead has its own bus station.

"We are continually improving what we have to offer our visitors and have no doubt that the Braehead experience is one they will come back to time and time again."

Top award for Braehead and Renfrew Riverside - judges praise ‘Mixed-Use Development of the Year’

Braehead and Renfrew Riverside have won one of the most prestigious accolades in the UK property industry - the Mixed-Use Development of the Year in the 2008 Scottish Property Awards.

The judges praised the high quality ‘mix’ of retail, leisure, business, community and residential facilities created since planning for the first phase of development at Braehead began nearly 20 years ago.

Braehead and Renfrew Riverside now host the Braehead Shopping Centre, Ikea, Glasgow Audi, Xscape, Porcelanosa, four business parks, two hotels, a growing residential community and a wide range of public facilities including a seven acre public park. Construction has also just started on a new Porsche Centre and a new HQ for GAP Group, the UK’s fastest-growing independent plant hire company.

To date over £600m has been invested by the private sector at Braehead and Renfrew Riverside, generating 4300 jobs on-site. The regeneration of Braehead began with the Braehead Shopping Centre, which now attracts more than 20 million visitors a year and is widely regarded as a leading example of ‘retail-led mixed-use regeneration’.

The success of Braehead was the catalyst for the development of Renfrew Riverside, which is bringing a wide range of new residential, leisure, business, community and recreational facilities to this fast-growing area of Renfrewshire.

Organised by the UK’s leading property publication, Property Week, the Scottish Property Awards celebrate the achievements of Scotland’s property industry.

Commenting on the Award, Richard Cable, Development Director with Capital Shopping Centres, the owners of Braehead and the lead partner in the regeneration of Renfrew Riverside, said: “Winning the Mixed-Use Development of the Year is a reflection of many years of hard work by everyone involved with Braehead and Renfrew Riverside. We are proud to have played a lead role in the regeneration of a key stretch of the River Clyde and look forward to bringing more investment to the area in due course”.