Driving customers, coverage, and community engagement at Derbion
With an exciting roster of new store openings, community engagement initiatives, major planning announcements, and event launches, 2025 was another milestone year for Derbion.
In the heart of England, Derbion is home to over 200 well-known brands and retailers, including NEXT, Zara, M&S and H&M Home, plus a vibrant food terrace and leisure hub.
As a leading Midlands PR agency and retail PR specialists, we have supported the East Midlands shopping destination since 2019. Today, working closely with the centre’s dedicated marketing team, we shape and deliver Derbion’s regional and national consumer PR strategy, supporting the announcement of new retailer openings, promoting important community initiatives, and driving local engagement and footfall through creative campaigns.
Retail PR in action
In 2025, we generated widespread consumer-focused coverage through a proactive press office, as well as supporting the in-house team with social media, influencer engagement, emerging projects and developments, and customer communications.
In a jam-packed year of activity, here are some of our highlights:
Open for business: We announced a number of exciting new store openings, refurbs, and relocations - from Victoria’s Secret and Primark to JD Sports and Pandora. The announcement that Derby Primark was relocating to Derbion was a major story for the centre, as eager shoppers await the popular brand’s arrival.
Community matters: Throughout 2025, we supported key centre initiatives including Derbion Presents, which works with emerging artists, and Derbion Cares, which supports East Midlands-based charities through fundraising and awareness activities – further positioning the centre as an important hub for local community engagement.
All eyes on events: We promoted a brand-new line up of in-centre events, including ‘Spring into Joy’, which celebrated the start of the new season, and three ‘Style Lab’ pop-ups, which offered a new opportunity for shoppers to get closer to their favourite brands.
Influencer engagement: as part of our influencer management strategy, we partnered with a number of regional and local influencers to create fun and engaging content around key centre events and calendar dates, including Derbion’s first ever Eid campaign with @nadinwardofficial.
Corporate updates: We announced that the transformation of Derby’s Eastern Gateway – a regeneration project delivered by Derbion – was officially complete, with a ribbon-cutting photo call and press announcement, and provided continued strategic PR support for the Derbion Masterplan; an exciting framework for the development of key sites within Derbion’s footprint over the next five to 10 years.
2025 press office highlights
Throughout 2025, we achieved stand-out coverage results for Derbion to help further cement its position as one of the UK’s leading regional shopping destinations.
Our activity resulted in 488 total pieces of coverage with a reach of 6.9billion, as we maintained a regular drumbeat of activity across all media channels.
With a strong focus on securing high quality regional consumer coverage, a significant level of coverage was secured with Derbyshire Live, alongside a high volume of broadcast hits across BBC Radio Derby and BBC Midlands Today. 2025 also saw a notable year-on-year increase in national online, regional broadcast, and regional online coverage compared to 2024.
Driving customers, coverage, and community engagement, our strategic PR activity has delivered real results and tangible impact for Derbion – with more to come in 2026!
Get ready to supercharge your PR
From driving footfall to increasing online sales, get in touch to find out how we can support your retail PR objectives.