Business & Technology
Westgate’s new boss to bring ‘world-class’ brands to Oxford
Clare Martin has taken over the position of centre director from Brendan Hatton who has moved on in the business after 25 years.
Mrs Martin has been at the Westgate since 2018, working in various roles including the deputy to the former boss.
An Oxfordshire local, she brings a wealth of experience in the retail, food and beverage, and leisure sectors to the role.
Speaking exclusively to this newspaper in her new role, Mrs Martin emphasised the importance of the Westgate being a “destination” rather than the traditional shopping centre.
“For Westgate, it’s about making it relevant to everybody,” she said.
“We have got a really broad retail offer, and that includes things like lifestyle and leisure – we’re a big destination.
READ MORE: Tip closed from today as householders told to go elsewhere
“And we’ve also got really unique USP here at Westgate such as the roof terrace, an extensive leisure offer. We’re building a really strong family offer like Lego which is thriving.”
Mrs Martin has been credited with being instrumental in bringing brands such as Sephora, The Beefy Boys and Flight Club to the city.
Sephora, Lego, The Beefy Boys and Fight Club are all first venues in the city and Oxfordshire, with the new centre director aiming for the Westgate to bring “first-in-region offers”.
“You have got to come to Westgate to shop this sort of offer,” she added.
“They are unique and they’re good for the city because they bring people to Oxford who wouldn’t come otherwise.”
Community is also a focus for the new boss where “everyone is welcome”, she said, including hosting Pride, Sobell House Hospice’s 50th anniversary and the full takeover for Dancing Oxford.
Westgate also works with Aspire for accessibility, it supports local charities, sponsoring the Oxford Climate Awards and raising £1.7m in social value.
Over the decades, the Westgate has seen some significant change, not least the £440m facelift in 2017.
And Mrs Martin is hoping to make her own mark on the centre after 25 years of the former boss.
She said: “The centre is in a different position.
“Brendan saw it through a massive transition and a huge redevelopment phase, so that was his legacy.
“This is now my opportunity to drive it through that next future, and that is definitely about bringing world‑class brands to Oxford as well as to Westgate, definitely about delivering those big goals.
“I think we’re already better than Bicester Village, but we’re different to Bicester Village.
“And we have to have – a bit like the Covered Market or Gloucester Green – our unique identities and reasons for people to visit us.
“We don’t have to necessarily crossover. We can all celebrate success by being individual. I think that’s really important for a place like Oxford.”
Port Meadow Convenience Store, in Godstow Road, Wolvercote, was closed in 2024 after Oxford City Council officers found rats there.
The officers immediately issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice which said the shop “poses an imminent risk of injury to health” as “there is evidence of a serious rat infestation throughout the premises”.
But now, Wolvercote residents have said they have already noticed a vast difference in the shop sayings its great the new owners are “cleaning up and getting rid of the old stock”, and calling the only shop in the area a “great opportunity”.
The new owners took over the shop earlier this week and plan a complete revamp of the premises.
Rajmeet Singh, the new owner of the shop, said: “We wanted to introduce ourselves properly as the new owners of the shop.
READ MORE: Thames Water fixing more than ‘1,000 leaks weekly’ amid strict hosepipe ban
“We are excited to start making improvements for our local community.
“We know there may have been things in the past that could have been better, and we want you to know we are listening.
“We have already started making changes, including improving cleanliness, removing old and expired stock, and bringing in new products and new ideas.”
The new owner said they have lots of plans to improve the shop and will work hard to make it better everyone.
Reviews of the convenience store under the previous owners note that “many items are past their sell by date”, “fridges are left open and temperature is not maintained to keep food fresh”, and “they make up their own prices”.
Other reviews also called the place a “disgrace”.
Tackle Club in Kidlington (OX5 1JD) is having its opening party tomorrow (Saturday, August 8) between 10am to 5pm.
The event will include a barbeque, some free beer and live music, with the owners hoping anglers and others from the around the county attend.
READ MORE: Leading Oxford cocktail bar ‘will return’ after company’s liquidation
Born out of their shared love of fishing, the owners of Tackle Club hope that the shop will inspire a love for the sport in younger generations.
Sam Harris, 37, said: “We are all trying to get more youngsters involved and get them off their TVs and catching some fish.”
Stocking all fishing equipment – apart from for sea fishing – the shop will be open from 8.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday, and 10am until 5pm on weekends.
Betfred has confirmed plans to shut 132 betting shops from September, blaming higher taxes and wider economic uncertainty for the move.
The Warrington‑based bookmaker said the closures would affect just over a tenth of its UK estate and leave it with around 1,100 branches nationwide.
Betfred, founded by brothers Fred and Peter Done in 1967, has grown into one of the country’s biggest betting shop operators, with the pair’s combined wealth recently estimated at £3.61 billion.
READ MORE: EastEnders icon Shane Richie due in court next month
Chief executive Jo Whittaker said the company had “worked hard” to protect high street outlets and jobs, but rising employer National Insurance contributions, wage pressures and increased gambling duties had made that more difficult.
“We have tried hard to protect all our sites and the colleagues who work in them, but the combined impact of higher employer national insurance contributions, wage inflation, increases in gambling taxes and wider economic uncertainty has left us with no choice,” she said.
“These are well-run shops, staffed by dedicated colleagues, and it is incredibly hard to see any of them close, but the current fiscal and regulatory environment has made it impossible to keep trading all our shops.
READ MORE: 80s singing legend asked about ‘difficult return’ to iconic band after split
“Our priority now is to support the colleagues affected, and to continue serving customers and communities across the rest of our estate.”
Betfred has not published a full list of locations earmarked for closure, and it is not yet clear whether any Oxfordshire branches will be affected.
The company currently operates several betting shops in and around Oxford, including sites on Cornmarket Street, Cowley Road, Barns Road, in Templars Square and in Headington, as well as other outlets elsewhere in the county.
This newspaper enquired directly with Betfred as to whether any stores in Oxfordshire would be closing as part of the plans and, if so, which ones.
A spokesperson for Betfred responded: “We cannot comment on individual shops as there is a consultation process underway for the staff concerned.”
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoHSBC UK & Visa test AI shopping with live payments
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMouser warns against viral hacks to cool overheating phones
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoValarian lands USD $50 million backing for sovereign AI
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoDWP now checking bank accounts for Universal Credit and Pension Credit
-
Oxford Events4 weeks agoHenley Festival 2026 highlights: Five nights of unforgettable performances and festival moments
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoOde launches free AI voice service for poem recommendations
-
Oxford united FC3 weeks agoOxford United three players who be kept after transfer ban
-
Oxford united FC4 weeks agoAaron Ramsey’s Oxford United hit with transfer ban until January