Owners of Northampton shopping centre preparing to open string of brand new 'micro shops' at site

The owners of a shopping centre in Northampton are planning on opening a string of brand new ‘micro shops’ at the site.

The Grosvenor Shopping Centre owners, Evolve Estates, are giving budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to to set up their own mini businesses inside a vacant retail unit – here’s how.

An Evolve Estates spokeswoman said: “Micro shops are an affordable, flexible space for independent businesses and entrepreneurs to open a retail or studio space without the constraints of a traditional shop lease.

"Anyone signing up for a retail pod will pay an affordable weekly rent that is inclusive of utilities, plus VAT. Pods start from a discounted rate of £80 per week for retail and from £200 per week inclusive of water and electricity for the food pod.

“Pod design is important and you can decorate the pod how you wish.

"Our licences are flexible. You can sign up for a minimum of six months but can also terminate your licence (after three months) with one month’s written notice. You just clear your shop fit and give us the pod back the way you found it."

Types of businesses that open micro shops include barbers, florists, coffee shops, bakeries, threading, photography, vinyl records, charities, galleries and sweet shops, the spokeswoman said.

Evolve Estates, a national commercial property and investment company, snapped up at The Grosvenor Centre at the end of January for an undisclosed fee from previous owners Legal and General.

The spokeswoman said: “There's lots of things happening at The Grosvenor shopping centre, the asset managers are filling the voids and trying to move people around to make it a bigger, better place for people to go shopping.”

Evolve Estates has introduced its micro shops concept to other areas in the country where it owns property including Ipswich, Margate and Penicuik.

The spokeswoman added: “It's just a really amazing concept that we've we've worked on for the last few years.”

Ipswich’s MP, Tom Hunt, praised the idea when he visited micro shops in his town. He said on his Facebook page: “This is exactly the kind of project we should be getting behind, and has come about because of the owner of the building.”

Click here to apply to open your very own micro shop at The Grosvenor Centre.