PRESS RELEASE - May 08
RETAIL THERAPY PAYS OFF FOR LEEDS STUDENTS
Research undertaken by students from Leeds Business School, part of Leeds Metropolitan University, will help to shape Leeds’ largest city centre regeneration project.
Students took part in a project set by the Leeds Partnership, a joint venture between Hammerson plc and Leeds-based Town Centre Securities plc, which is delivering the £800 million, 100,000 m2 retail-led Eastgate Quarters scheme.
The project involved researching consumer behaviour by interviewing a wide range of consumers and then evaluating their findings. Throughout the project the students looked at varying aspects of retail marketing, consumer trends, buyer behaviour and the influence of shop design.
Over 60 students took part and the Leeds Partnership selected the work of eight students to win a £300 prize following presentations of their findings. The winning team comprised Liberty Hutchinson, Dian Liao, Carolyn Tag, Sarah Taylor, Yousif Ullah, Gareth Winnard and Will Yau, all currently studying Business Management, Marketing and Public Relations in Leeds.
Rob Hancox, assistant development director at Hammerson plc comments: "Eastgate Quarters will completely transform Leeds’ retail offering and breathe new life into a substantial part of the city.
"Working with Leeds Business School is a fantastic way of involving the local community and projects such as this will help to shape the development as we move forward. The winning students thoroughly deserve their prizes and worked extremely hard."
John Temperley, senior lecturer at Leeds Business School, added: "This project involved students studying retail modules at undergraduate level. The key feature was that it allowed students to combine academic and employability skills, meaning they were able to apply theoretical knowledge to an exciting new development. That they were able to deliver their market research with such a high level of professionalism is a credit to them."
Eastgate Quarters will be anchored by a John Lewis and a Marks & Spencer store. It will include over 100 retail units, a new restaurant district and up to 600 new homes. It is anticipated that construction of Eastgate Quarters will begin in 2009, with completion in 2012.