Gloucester Quays Retail Park brings padel debut to the city

Peel Retail & Leisure has announced the launch of The Padel Club at Gloucester Quays Retail Park, bringing the booming leisure activity to and indoor centre in the city for the first time.

The Padel Club invested £1m to create the expansive indoor venue at Gloucester Quays Retail Park, which includes 9 high specification courts, with the highest quality surfaces and sports LED lighting. Covering 43,577 sq ft, the site serves as a social space for padel enthusiasts, incorporating a wellness-focused restaurant and bar to foster a greater sense of experience and community.

Padel is an innovative form of tennis played in an enclosed space about a third the size of a typical court, and is the fastest growing sport in the world. The launch of The Padel Club broadens the leisure offer within Gloucester, also supporting the evolution of the tenant mix within the Retail Park and top 10 UK outlet Gloucester Quays, next door. Its addition to the city showcases the value of a connected approach between the two destinations, which work in harmony to serve as a day-out experience for visitors from further afield, as well as a key city centre environment for local workers and residents.

Mark Whittaker, Managing Director – Peel Retail & Leisure, commented: “The popularity of padel has risen exponentially, and no doubt there will be plenty of people that live in, work in, or visit Gloucester that love the sport. Operators like The Padel Club will have had lots of options in the region for opening a new venue, so we wanted to make sure this is something we could bring to the city before anyone else. Gloucester Quays Retail Park, by virtue of its location, accessibility, and connection to Gloucester Quays outlet next door, is a perfect location for padel, and having it here will benefit the millions of visitors we already have each year while also appealing to a completely new clientele.”

Hannah Thomas, General Manager at The Padel Club Gloucester Quays, added: “The reason padel has taken off in the UK is because it is more than just a sport or a fun way to exercise, it also brings a real sense of community and is one of the most accessible activities around. Gloucester is a great place to expand the presence of padel in the south west, given its sporting background, and Gloucester Quays Retail Park has provided us with the best possible site to reach the broadest demographic of people we can. If you haven’t tried padel yet, come along and see how addictive and enjoyable it is. If you are a padel enthusiast, we cannot wait to see you on the court!”

The Padel Club provides a popular function for visitors to both Gloucester Quays Retail Park and leading outlet Gloucester Quays, which itself is repositioning its tenant mix to include more leisure. It also represents the second time Peel has worked with the operator, with an 11-court venue due to launch within Trafford City later this year.