Much-loved high street brand to remain in the Alhambra

The future of retail at the Alhambra Centre continues to strengthen, with high street favourite Savers agreeing a move to a new prominent home in the centre and four more national retailers renewing leases on their units.

Popular high street retailer, Savers, has agreed a new lease with Barnsley Council, which will see them move to a new ground floor location in the former Bodycare unit.

Part of the AS Watson Group, Savers retails in over 500 stores across the UK and Ireland. The move will see them relocate from their current first-floor unit to a more visible position on the ground floor, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Barnsley and supporting the ongoing transformation of the Alhambra.

The announcement comes alongside further positive news for the centre, with national retailers EE, Poundstretcher, The Works and Iceland all signing agreements, providing certainty for customers and demonstrating continued confidence in the centre's future.

The move comes as part of the revolutionary ‘Health on the High Street’ development, transforming the first floor of the Alhambra Shopping Centre into a health and wellbeing hub, bringing more convenient healthcare services to thousands of residents.

Matt O’Neill, Executive Director for Place at Barnsley Council said: “It’s fantastic news that Savers will remain part of the Alhambra Shopping Centre’s future.

“Health on the High Street brings support closer to where Barnsley people live, shop and spend their time. By diversifying the offer for residents, it boosts footfall to our town centre and helps keep Barnsley thriving. The commitment shown by these much loved, national retailers demonstrate that they see a positive future here and recognise the opportunities being created through our investment in the centre.

"Savers' relocation to a prominent new ground floor unit is particularly welcome and will help strengthen the day-to-day retail offer for visitors. Together with our wider regeneration plans and Health on the High Street project, these commitments are helping to create a sustainable, vibrant destination that continues to serve our communities for years to come.

“This is a vote of confidence in our town centre by the private sector and we are in discussions with a series of other businesses to occupy the units we are freeing up in the centre".

Clare Jennings, Savers’ Property Director said: “We’re excited to be moving to our new ground-floor store at the Alhambra Shopping Centre. The move marks an exciting next chapter for Savers in Barnsley, giving us a more prominent location within the centre. Our team is committed to offering customers a wide range of health, beauty, and household products at great prices, and we look forward to welcoming both new and existing customers through the doors and continuing to be part of the Barnsley community.”

Our collaborative health and wellbeing hub aims to reduce pressure on existing healthcare facilities, improve access and quality of care and attract even more visitors to Barnsley town centre, boosting the local economy. By attracting an estimated extra 150,000 footfall each year, the wider hub is expected to generate at least £1.5 million in additional visitor spend.

The new health and wellbeing hub was made possible after the Alhambra was bought by Barnsley Council with support from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to create a mixed-use centre, including the health and wellbeing hub alongside retail and leisure.

Creating a Healthy Barnsley is a key ambition of Barnsley Council and its partners. It’s our aim that:

• Everyone can enjoy life in good physical and mental health.

• Fewer people live in poverty, and everyone has the resources they need to look after themselves and their families.

• People can access the right support at the right time and place and are able to tackle problems early.

• Our diverse places are welcoming, supportive and adaptable.

We’re also working with partners including Barnsley Premier Leisure and the South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust on phase two of the hub, which will include a range of other health and wellbeing services including a gym and wellbeing centre and mental health services.