Member Article

Business Improvement District soon to open in Manchester

Manchester’s first Business Improvement District (BID) is set to launch later in April, after retailers pledged to fund a campaign to boost shopping in the city.

Over a five-year period, £1m of customer service campaigns and promotional initiatives will run through the “Heart Of Manchester” BID, aimed at increasing footfall and retail spend in the city centre.

The BID encompasses an area from King Street to the Arndale Centre, as well as St Ann’s Square, New Cathedral Street, Market Street and a section of Deansgate.

Retailers at both ends of the spectrum, from high end to high street, will be covered including around 380 businesses, and only those with a rateable value of over £50,000 or more.

Simon Binns was appointed as the Manchester BID’s manager on Wednesday after 12 years as a business journalist in the city and experience in the football industry.

He commented: “We want to keep Manchester one step ahead and the BID will ensure we do this by allowing us to plan and deliver events and activity that will make the city centre even more attractive to visitors.

“I will be working on behalf of the retailers to ensure the BID activity has a direct impact on their bottom line and that it reflects the ambitions and aspirations of Manchester city centre.”

Jane Sharrocks, general manager of selfridges exchange square and chair of the BID company, added: “The BID seeks to celebrate Manchester, to make it a more engaging and accessible place to visit and in which to do business.

“We want to strengthen the brand and build on our reputation as the UK’s best regional destination for shopping.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .