Rochdale Riverside scheme bucks the trend with record visits

Rochdale Riverside is celebrating a bumper year, which saw visits hit almost 1 million people.

Visitor numbers to the complex in the heart of Rochdale town centre, have steadily climbed since its opening in early 2020, with 933,000 visits recorded last year.

Footfall between August & December last year, a period when retailers operating with no interruption, was 538,000, a 59% jump from the same period the year before, with 338,000 visits in 2020, when similar covid restrictions were in place.

High street favourites including Nandos, New Look and Dunkin Donuts opened last year, which helped to pull in more shoppers and Loaded Burgers also opened their doors in the first few weeks of this year.

Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for regeneration and communications at Rochdale Borough Council, hailed the success of the development: “Rochdale Riverside is something the council, RDA and Genr8 have been developing for a number of years and none of us could have predicted that its opening would have coincided with an international pandemic.

“Despite this incredibly challenging backdrop, the scheme has gone from strength to strength, with a further seven occupiers signed and now operating since covid hit. 

“The fact that it’s thrived in the way it has shown that major operators and high street names see Rochdale as a really attractive prospect for investment and will help us attract even more businesses and opportunities into Rochdale as we continue to build a better borough.”

The scheme has also created 455 permanent jobs, with almost 70% of these being Rochdale residents. 

In addition to M&S and many others, the scheme has also brought in names that have never had a presence in the borough before, including a large, two-storey H&M and a Next store. 

It has also brought a cinema, to the town centre, for the first time in almost three decades, while Puttstars mini golf and restaurants like Heavenly Desserts and Crust Pizza have also bolstered the town centre’s leisure offer.

Rachel Byrne, Rochdale Riverside manager, said: “We’re delighted with the popularity of the Riverside scheme and it will only get better, with more units expected to open this year.

“Being such a flexible space, Rochdale Riverside now hosts events like the regular vegan and artisan markets and the Christmas lights switch-on, which also help to bring people in to support the Riverside scheme, along with the wider town centre and its large business community.”

The site is currently 92% occupied and talks are ongoing with further potential occupiers. 

The development, which generates £1.3m per year in business rates revenue, will cover its costs for the foreseeable future.