A few years ago, the then-called Castle Mall was emblematic of everything that was going wrong with the traditional shopping centre.
Filled with empty units and void of visitors, Norwich’s first 'mall' was haemorrhaging customers to online shopping, and looked set to follow in the footsteps of the dozens of centres that have closed down since 2018.
But behind the scenes, a crack team was hard at work on a reinvention that would bring the centre back from the brink after years of struggle.
Now, five years after relaunching as Castle Quarter, the venue has recorded record footfall, increasing its 2022 figures by 8.8pc.
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In comparison, footfall in the rest of the city has only gone up by around 1.2pc in the past year, which means the increase at the centre is more than seven times higher than Norwich as a whole.
Centre boss Robert Bradley said the transition away from traditional retail and towards “full day experiences” had been a roaring success, with the venue now at the heart of the city's leisure and entertainment scene.
He said: “There's a cost of living crisis going on but people are still spending on leisure.
“People were locked down for two years because of Covid and now they want to go out and enjoy themselves.
“Nightclubs aren't doing as well as they used to because people aren't drinking as much, and instead they’re out in the morning and looking for activities and experiences.”
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Competitive leisure, food and beverage, and community services now account for 50pc of Castle Quarter’s offering, with tenants like mini golf venue Putt Putt Noodle and sports arcade Boom Battle Bar reporting a successful 12 months.
Mr Bradley said: “Things change and to be successful now you have to be ready to adapt - fast.
“It’s no longer about stability. The era of 20 year leases is done.
“Now it's all about the speed at which you can reinvent yourself.”
THIRTY YEARS OF REINVENTION
Castle Mall opened on September 23, 1993, after almost four years of construction and 13 years of planning.
The £145m centre included an Argos, Disney Store, Virgin Megastore, food court, and Boots - which is still open today.
The centre was sold to The Mall Fund in the 2000s and was renamed to The Mall Norwich.
Things started to go downhill for the venue in 2005, when Chapelfield shopping centre opened.
Not only did the new centre poach customers, but also some of the mall's biggest tenants, including the Disney Store and H&M.
In 2012, the centre was sold again to InfraRed, which changed the name back to Castle Mall.
The centre got a new dining quarter in 2015, called the Timberhill Terrace.
In mid 2019, the centre was renamed to Castle Quarter, launching a new era - and fresh focus - for the venue.
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