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NEWS RELEASE
March 24th 2015
Hammerson’s HART monitor reveals 4.6% sales uplift
Hammerson, the UK’s leading retail property specialist by market capitalisation, reveals that
sales across its UK shopping centres increased 4.6% year on year over the four weeks to 14th
March 2015.
Data from HART, Hammerson’s Retail Tracker*, which monitors sales activity across its
shopping centres to reveal the shifting heartbeat of consumer spending patterns, indicates
strong sales momentum right across its regional portfolio in recent weeks.
Mother’s Day was a key driver of sales performance in the final week of the period, with
sales increasing 9.4% against the prior year. In the seven days to 14th March, HART data
revealed:

Cards and gifting sales increased 78.4%: benefitting from the timing of Mother’s
Day, which fell two weeks earlier than in the previous year. Sales of Mother’s Day
chocolate selection boxes were up over 100% at Union Square, Aberdeen.

Jewellery continued its strong performance, with sales up 37.9%: charm bracelets
and high-end luxury watches were in demand at the Bullring, Birmingham and the
Oracle, Reading, whilst diamonds and pearls were on the shopping list for customers
at WestQuay, Southampton.

Sales of health and beauty products spiked 25.1%: Perfumes by Chloé and Michael
Kors were particular favourites at Croydon’s Centrale shopping centre as shoppers
stocked up on luxury fragrances to spoil much deserving Mums.
Commenting on the results from HART, CEO David Atkins commented:
“Whilst the timing of Mother’s Day undoubtedly delivered a trading boost across our
shopping centre portfolio, it’s pleasing to note that sales across the four week period as a
whole increased by nearly 5%, as the uptick in consumer sentiment continued to impact
purchasing decisions right across the UK.
“Unsurprisingly HART data demonstrated strong sales across our destinations for key gifting
lines, including chocolates, jewellery and beauty products. However, the shift to more
luxury and aspirational brands within the sales mix, as shoppers trade up to treat both
themselves and others, supports our view that customers are feeling more confident about
the outlook. And with a consumer-friendly boost in last week’s Budget announcement, we
expect this trend to continue.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About the Research:
*The Hammerson Retail Tracker (HART) uses sales data from a range of over 850 retail units
across Hammerson’s UK shopping centres (comprising Brent Cross, Bullring, Cabot Circus,
Centrale, Highcross, Silverburn, The Oracle, Union Square, Victoria Quarter and WestQuay)
to provide an up-to-date look at sales performance, revealing the shifting heart beat of UK
consumers’ spending habits and retail trends.
For further information, contact:
Lindsay Noton | Head of Corporate Communications | Hammerson plc
Hammerson plc | 10 Grosvenor Street | London | W1K 4BJ
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7887 1111 | Mob: +44 (0) 7792 256 078
Email: [email protected]
Josephine Corbett | FTI Consulting
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7887 1063 | Mob: +44 (0) 7703 329 964
Email: [email protected]
About Hammerson:
Hammerson is a FTSE 100 company with a portfolio of retail property in the UK and France of
around £7.7 billion, including 22 prime shopping centres, 22 convenient retail parks and
investments in 15 premium designer outlet villages.
Each year, over 170 million shoppers visit the following shopping centres owned by
Hammerson in the UK: Brent Cross, North London; Bullring, Birmingham; Cabot Circus,
Bristol; Centrale, Croydon; Highcross, Leicester; Monument Mall, Newcastle; Silverburn,
Glasgow; The Oracle, Reading; Union Square, Aberdeen; Victoria Quarter, Leeds; WestQuay,
Southampton.