5 people stand in the doorway of a glass fronted store smiling towards camera. On the far left is a woman with long blonde hair and dark glasses, wearing a short summer dress with black leggings, next to her is a taller woman with dark brown bob haircut in a long sleeve blue top and blue jeans. Next to her is a taller man with dark, short, curly hair wearing a light polo shirt, next to him is a woman with long, dark, curly hair, long sleeve floral top and dark trousers. On the right hand side is a shorter woman with blonde hair, wearing a short sleeve white blouse and blue jeans.

Sook launches in Gateshead Metrocentre offering retailers bi-hourly rental and tailored customer opportunities

Sook, the award-winning start-up is celebrating the launch of its fifth space in Gateshead’s Metrocentre, one of the UK’s largest shopping and leisure destinations, offering businesses the opportunity to reach the right customers at the right times.

Sook is helping businesses streamline their retail models with its ‘bi-hourly’ rental model so they can operate in places their customers are visiting and at times they are buying.  By using its footfall data and heatmap analytics, Sook analyses performance and gives businesses information to inform decisions, including the most profitable times to open.

The Sook space uses modular furniture and digital displays to make the process as quick and as simple as possible. The ability to design a space remotely and quickly means companies can avoid expensive design and set up costs whilst creating bespoke spaces for their brand.  Offering several slots over a day, Sook enables multiple businesses to use its space within 24 hours, helping communities to engage with more brands.

Companies can use the Metrocentre site in whatever way they choose, giving a much wider range of businesses a chance to take up retail space in the centre. Case studies include everything from workshops to fitness classes to product launches and everything in between. The Gateshead store has a fantastic selection of brands already lined up, including Enterprise Nation, the UK’s leading small business network and business support provider, and the Women’s Business Station, the social enterprise group who work with women to help them start their business journeys.

John Hoyle, CEO of Sook, said: “I believe that retail needs to be flexible and work around the need of each individual business. It needs a sustainable model which lets companies run the business at bespoke times to maximise profitability.

“Metrocentre hosts a fantastic array of shops, restaurants and leisure attractions and we’re delighted to be opening our fifth space alongside them.  We have an exciting pipeline of openings coming up and look forward to helping businesses change the way communities are engaging with their stores.”

Tom Nuttall of Sovereign Centros, Leasing & Asset Manager for Metrocentre, commented: “The world of retail is constantly evolving and this innovative new concept from Sook will provide opportunities to a range of businesses to use the centre as a testbed for their products and services.  It will provide retailers with an opportunity to showcase their products to a new audience and the digital screens and inventive store layout will provide a state of the art backdrop to a range of occupiers.

“The introduction of Sook is a welcome addition to our malls and is one of a number of new initiatives that will be introduced over the coming months as part of a new asset management strategy for the centre.”

The new space opens alongside Sook locations in London, Cambridge, and Edinburgh. It opened this week on Monday 13 September in Metrocentre’s Upper Red Mall.

For bookings and further information, please visit www.sook.space