Coopers Square

Coopers Square is an indoor shopping centre in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The centre began operating in 1970 under the name Burton Shopping Centre and was formally opened by HRH Princess Alexandra. Its development formed part of the modern retail restructuring of Burton-upon-Trent, replacing or incorporating elements of older town-centre spaces and creating a concentrated shopping destination in the middle of the town. A substantial redevelopment was completed in 1994. The project enclosed the centre with a roof, modernised its retail environment and introduced the Coopers Square name. The renamed centre takes its identity from Burton's brewing heritage and the historical association of the town with coopers, the tradespeople who made and maintained wooden beer casks. The redevelopment also altered the arrangement and appearance of several surrounding pedestrian routes. Fennel Walk became Dame Paulet Walk, while features connected with the area's earlier history were incorporated into or preserved around the new scheme. The doorway from Dame Paulet's Almshouses was retained on the side of the building after the almshouses' former site was redeveloped. Coopers Square is organised into five principal mall areas: Underhill Walk, Swan Walk, St Modwens Walk, Dame Paulet Walk and Cooper's Square. Its reported retail floor area is approximately 35,766 square metres, or about 384,980 square feet. The centre also provides approximately 800 parking spaces, using both a ground-level car park and a rooftop car park. These facilities support its role as a principal comparison-shopping and services destination for Burton-upon-Trent and the surrounding area. The tenant mix has included national retailers, department and variety stores, fashion chains, health and beauty operators, mobile-phone networks, food outlets and local or specialist services. Retailers listed in published descriptions of the centre include Primark, Marks & Spencer, Next at Home, H&M, New Look, River Island, JD Sports, Clarks, Boots, Superdrug, WHSmith, Waterstones, Holland & Barrett, Card Factory, Pandora, Vision Express, Timpson, Greggs and a range of telecommunications and consumer-electronics stores. The exact tenant line-up changes over time and should not be treated as a permanent directory. The site has also experienced individual store changes reflecting wider retail-sector conditions. In 1996, Sainsbury's moved from an existing centre unit into a newly built premises across the road. The former Sainsbury's space was subsequently divided for other retailers, including BHS, JJB Sports and Au Naturale. After BHS closed in 2016, the former BHS space was redeveloped for a Next at Home store, which opened in October 2017. In the food-and-beverage area, Ronnie's Patisserie replaced Patisserie Valerie after the latter's parent company entered administration in 2019. Coopers Square is therefore best understood as a property and retail-place brand rather than a payment processor or a consumer-goods manufacturer. Its value proposition is based on convenient central shopping, a broad national-chain tenant mix, pedestrianised internal malls, parking provision and integration with Burton-upon-Trent's town-centre retail environment. The centre is owned by Grosvenor Group, although individual shops are operated by their respective tenant companies.

Coopers Square originated as Burton Shopping Centre, an indoor retail development in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. The site opened in 1970 and was inaugurated by HRH Princess Alexandra. Its creation provided the town with a modern, concentrated shopping environment and became part of the evolution of Burton's central commercial district. The centre underwent a major redevelopment during the early 1990s. The work was completed in 1994 and included the installation of a roof over the shopping area, transforming the centre into a more fully enclosed retail complex. The redevelopment also brought a new name: Coopers Square Shopping Centre. The name reflects Burton-upon-Trent's historic brewing and cooperage associations, linking the modern retail scheme with the town's industrial and cultural identity. The redevelopment changed the arrangement of parts of the surrounding pedestrian network. Before the project, the route now known as Dame Paulet Walk was called Fennel Walk. The area also contained historical features associated with Burton's past, including Dame Paulet's Almshouses. When the site was redeveloped, the original almshouse doorway was preserved and installed on the side of the building. Another local reference was the Burton Cooper statue, which had stood at the entrance to Saint Modwens Walk on the High Street. Historical design details reportedly included rubbish bins shaped like beer casks, reinforcing the centre's connection with Burton's brewing heritage. Coopers Square is divided into five named mall areas: Underhill Walk, Swan Walk, St Modwens Walk, Dame Paulet Walk and Cooper's Square. The shopping centre has a reported total retail area of 35,766 square metres, equivalent to approximately 384,980 square feet. It provides around 800 car-parking spaces through a ground car park and a rooftop car park. These facilities, together with its central position, support the centre's role as a key shopping destination for Burton-upon-Trent and nearby communities. The tenant history illustrates the changing structure of British high-street retail. In 1996, Sainsbury's transferred to a newly constructed unit across the road. The vacated premises were divided among several occupiers, including BHS, JJB Sports and Au Naturale. BHS later ceased trading in 2016. The former BHS space was subsequently redeveloped for Next at Home, which opened in October 2017. Other listed occupiers have included Primark, Marks & Spencer, H&M, New Look, River Island, JD Sports, Clarks, Boots, Superdrug, WHSmith, Waterstones, Holland & Barrett, Card Factory, Pandora, Vision Express and a number of mobile-phone operators. Food and beverage provision has also changed over time. Ronnie's Patisserie replaced Patisserie Valerie after Patisserie Valerie's parent company entered administration in 2019. This change reflects the centre's continuing adaptation to tenant closures and changes in the wider retail market. Coopers Square is owned by Grosvenor Group. It is a property-based retail destination rather than a conventional product manufacturer or financial-services company. Its brand is expressed through the physical centre, its name and heritage references, the mix of shops and services, and the convenience offered by its enclosed malls and parking facilities. Tenant listings are time-sensitive because stores and operators can change as leases expire, retailers restructure or new businesses enter the centre.

• 2019

  Patisserie Valerie is replaced

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Ronnie's Patisserie replaces Patisserie Valerie after the latter's company enters administration.

• 2017

  Next at Home opens

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The former BHS premises are redeveloped for Next at Home, which opens in October.

• 2016

  BHS closes

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The BHS store occupying part of the former Sainsbury's space closes during the retailer's wider collapse.

• 1996

  Sainsbury's moves to a new unit

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Sainsbury's relocates across the road, and its former centre unit is divided for other retailers.

• 1994

  Major refurbishment creates Coopers Square

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  A substantial redevelopment is completed, adding a roof to the centre and changing its name to Coopers Square Shopping Centre.

• 1970

  Burton Shopping Centre opens

  [1]Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The indoor shopping centre opens in Burton-upon-Trent under the name Burton Shopping Centre and is formally opened by HRH Princess Alexandra.

A centrally located, mainstream enclosed shopping centre serving Burton-upon-Trent and its surrounding communities through a broad national-retailer mix, pedestrianised malls and substantial parking provision.

• Enclosed shopping centre · 1970

  Coopers Square Shopping Centre

  The core offering is the enclosed shopping-centre environment itself. Coopers Square provides a covered network of pedestrianised internal malls in central Burton-upon-Trent, with retail units occupied by national chains and other businesses. The centre combines shopping, food, personal services and convenience facilities, supported by ground-level and rooftop parking. Its reported retail area is approximately 35,766 square metres.

• Fashion and general retail

  Retail and fashion tenant mix

  Coopers Square has hosted a broad range of fashion, footwear, department, variety and home retailers. Published tenant descriptions have included Primark, Marks & Spencer, H&M, Next at Home, New Look, River Island, JD Sports and Clarks. The mix is designed to serve everyday mainstream shopping needs rather than a narrowly specialised luxury segment, although the actual occupants vary over time.

• Services and food

  Services, technology and food outlets

  The centre's wider offer includes pharmacies and health-and-beauty retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and Holland & Barrett; telecommunications operators including EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three; service businesses such as Timpson and Vision Express; and food outlets including Greggs and Ronnie's Patisserie. These occupiers broaden the centre beyond comparison shopping and provide everyday services to visitors.

• 2019

  Replacement of Patisserie ValerieOther

  Background

  Patisserie Valerie's company entered administration, affecting its presence at the centre.

  Action taken

  Ronnie's Patisserie took over the relevant café and patisserie location.

  Aftermath

  The centre retained a patisserie and café offer despite the departure of the former operator.

  Source

• 2017

  Next at Home opens in former BHS spaceProduct launch

  Background

  The BHS store closed in 2016 as part of the retailer's wider collapse, leaving a significant unit within the centre.

  Action taken

  The former BHS premises were redeveloped for a Next at Home store, which opened in October 2017.

  Aftermath

  The project returned the large unit to retail use and updated part of the centre's tenant mix.

  Source

• 1996

  Reconfiguration after Sainsbury's relocationStrategy

  Background

  Sainsbury's moved from its Coopers Square unit into a newly built premises across the road.

  Action taken

  The former supermarket space was divided into units for BHS, JJB Sports and Au Naturale.

  Aftermath

  The change diversified the former supermarket footprint and allowed the centre to accommodate several retail concepts instead of one large operator.

  Source

• 1994

  Enclosure and renaming of the shopping centreStrategy

  Background

  The original Burton Shopping Centre required a major modernisation to create a more contemporary town-centre retail environment.

  Action taken

  The centre was refurbished, a roof was added over the shopping area and the property was renamed Coopers Square Shopping Centre.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment established the current enclosed-centre format and connected the property more explicitly with Burton-upon-Trent's brewing and cooperage heritage.

  Source

1. 1Coopers Squareen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Coopers Square official websitecooperssquare.co.uk