Castle Quarter signs first Korean supermarket in Norwich

Castle Quarter, Norwich’s social, leisure and lifestyle destination, is to be the home of Norwich’s first dedicated Korean supermarket, Itaewon, following the arrival of new food retailers at the scheme. 

Itaewon has taken unit 12 at Castle Quarter, totalling 1,664 sq ft, on a new ten-year lease. Increasing numbers of Korean students choose to attend the University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts, with the new supermarket aiming to bring the products and a taste of Seoul to the city.

Two further names have also been signed at the destination as Castle Quarter expands its grocery retail offer. Vegan butcher Vishcakes and Vibs, already a supplier to the Hank’s Dirty restaurant in the scheme, has agreed a six-month trial for a 792 sq ft store, while Candy Galore has taken 1,462 sq ft space on a one-year lease.

While retaining its traditional strength in retail, Castle Quarter has pivoted towards social, leisure and lifestyle, with additions including Boom Battle Bar, Putt Putt Noodle and Escape Hunt, as well as ‘market hall’ style street food concept Castle Social. Hank’s Dirty has recently graduated to a full restaurant at the scheme, while Vue has committed to a major refurbishment of its eight-screen cinema in 2024.

Castle Quarter has recently seen record footfall, with visitor numbers for the year to date 10.7% higher than the same period in 2022, comparing favourably with both the East of England Region (5.2%) and the UK as a whole (4.8%). Turnover for the year to October 2023 was 22.4% above the previous 12 months. Average dwell time has increased, and trading hours extended, following the opening of more social and leisure operators.

Will Ashdown, asset manager at RivingtonHark, said: “The arrival of Itaewon, the first dedicated Korean supermarket in Norwich, is a real sign of the diversity of occupier we have sought to bring to Castle Quarter, and will serve a growing demand in the community. 

“Food retail is a key part of the overall offer of any city centre location, and these new arrivals cement Castle Quarter’s position as Norwich’s leading destination. Together with the leisure, dining and entertainment options on offer, we are given people multiple reasons to visit, and this is reflected in the recent trading success of the scheme.”