After House of Fraser shut up shop for the last time in April 2024, Cavendish House, a central Cheltenham icon, looked a bit lonely. Thankfully, the popular Promenade shopping destination has had a new lease of life with pop-up traders moving in for at least the next 12 months.
A busy ground floor at Cavendish House
The idea to turn the Canada Life-owned Cavendish House space into an indoor mini market came from Harry Khan of AB Properties, who took over the lease earlier this year.
The venue has almost 30 new occupants, including clothing stalls and plant stalls, as well as jewellery, homeware and crafts outlets. In even better news, there are plans to convert the former Caffe Nero space into a food court, as well as talk of turning the second floor of the building into a performing arts space.
The indoor market set to last for at least a year
At present, the indoor mini market will be at Cavendish House for at least 12 months, but, according to Harry, there’s the option to extend the lease for another year or two. The businessman added that he wants to promote small businesses in Cheltenham as they so rarely get the chance to find a space on the town’s High Street.
Since the closure of Cavendish House, retailers along The Promenade and Regent Street say footfall has dropped somewhat, so vibrant new shopping space will hopefully invigorate the area.
An “accessible space” for small businesses
One of the new retailers enjoying the space at Cavendish House is Sian Mortiss of Bramble and Bloom Flowers. After starting her business last summer, Sian was selling her bouquets and flowers at places like Cheltenham Farmers’ Market and in pop ups at Montpellier’s Neal’s Yard.
Having her own space in Cavendish House, says Sian, is ideal for a small business like hers because it gives her an accessible, stable and affordable space to run and grow her enterprise from.
