A forgotten Welsh shopping center where traders finally find hope

The historic market doors have closed on the Rhiw shopping center in Bridgend which is, to put it kindly, looking tired. But things may be on the rise, traders hope.

Once the bustling center of Bridgend town, Rhiw is empty for days. The historic market doors are closed, shop windows are empty, and the lights are out in many establishments.

The streets on both sides are full of life, shoppers enter restaurants and shops throughout the day. However, Rhiw is mostly used as a way for people to get from one end to the other without stopping at the few shops left inside.

Some larger chains such as TG Jones and Card Factory take up space alongside independent shops such as Antiques Etcetera and Left of the Dial Records. However, some of the independent shops there are struggling and the one thing they all want is more people in the centre.

But other shackles have also been removed. The game, which was the last Sports Wales store, joined Sports Direct in Waterton last year.

Hannah Cleave, 26, who visits Bridgend town center from Wick, said: “It’s gone.” He added: “It needs to support itself and things people want to go to.”

Her husband Matthew Cleave, 28, says: “I would like to see the market back. Keep up to date with Bridgend news by subscribing to our newspaper here

Last week, Bridgend County Borough Council announced it had bought the Rhiw shopping center for £5.37m in what is expected to be a “game changer” for the town.

The council said the purchase brings “new market opportunities, new services and new development of public spaces,” as well as addressing “structural issues” of the facility.

The council also said that its plans for what to do depended on what people wanted and that existing traders would be “consulted on proposals and supported on any future changes”.

We asked Rhiw shop owners how they would like to see the money spent and why they think it has come to this.

Eileen Schofield runs Cookmate at the Market Hall, which replaced Bridgend Market when it closed in September 2023 after the RAAC found its roof. Now Mrs. Schofield and others in the market have taken it.

Renovation plans are said to include reopening the market, but Mrs Schofield feels it is too late. “None of us are going to go back because they put us in here, but last year, before Christmas, they said they didn’t have the money to keep us in here.

“So, the four of us here that were in the market, we created a small company, and we found it ourselves.

There is one main thing Mrs Schofield wants the money to do: “bring more people”. He said: “They will have problems with it. The parking lot is terrible because the parking lot is full before 9 o’clock in the morning.”

Tim Wood of Peter Wood Butchers said the town needed a bigger car park to accommodate customers. He said: “People want to go shopping in their cars. “It’s all over the city shops. We are struggling with parking. We need a bigger parking lot badly.”

He said he believed the council buying Rhiw was “very good”. “What I’d like to see is less foot traffic downtown. More traffic downtown.”

He added that the council should make the shopping center “a busy place with a variety of shops as opposed to the big high street names”, and he was concerned about the size of some units standing empty, such as the former Select which is now an empty 2,336 sqft store.

“Some of the larger units need to be smaller so that people don’t have to pay such high fees,” said Mr Wood.

Mrs. Schofield thinks that even though the sections are separate, it can be difficult to get businesses there. “I don’t know how many empty units there are now, and some of them, like the doors next to where Select was, are big, they would have to divide them. But then who are they going to go in there? Because people are not going into business.

People don’t shop the same way they used to.

Nicola Rawles, Mrs Scholfield’s business partner, agrees. He said: “The age of customers has changed because we see more older people than younger people and their perception of leisure time is different from ours.”

Michelle Chambers, 70, of jewelery store Masfina, admitted that online shopping was affecting shopping habits but some new “unusual” shops would help bring in people.

Mrs Chambers called Rhiw a “fantastic shopping centre” and said it was “devastating” when private businesses saw online comments about the town centre.

“Of course parking is also a problem,” he said.

A council spokesman said: “The purchase of Rhiw shopping center by Bridgend County Borough Council is a huge, exciting opportunity to deliver long-term regeneration for the town centre.

“This is just the start of a long process, and we intend to start by looking at Bridgend’s town center plan to see how we can increase the benefits and take advantage of new opportunities that were previously unavailable.

“The purchase of Rhiw, which has been made possible using a significant financial contribution from the Welsh Government, means that the council is now able to secure the center for sale to developers, manage any circumstances where the RAAC may have an influence on its structure, consult with existing traders and other key partners, and ultimately control how the site will be used for the benefit of all residents.

“In the meantime, we want Rhiw to continue to operate as a shopping centre, and existing businesses will be kept up to date with developments and supported with any future developments.”

Rachel Bell, center manager at Rhiw, said: “Rhiw shopping center has been at the heart of Bridgend town center for over 50 years and continues to serve as an important and popular destination for shoppers and businesses alike.

“Currently we have a 76% occupancy rate and in the past few years we have welcomed more than seven businesses in the shopping area.

“The recent acquisition of Rhiw as a cost-saving measure by Bridgend County Borough Council has opened the way for new investment as well as the opportunity to create new shops and facilities. We will work closely with the council to ensure a successful transition and will be fully informing all existing Rhiw businesses.”