Chantal Taylor was promoted to Marketing Manager at Castlegate Shopping Centre in August 2020 and at this time she took on the additional responsibility of the marketing for sister-centre Wellington Square too. While Stockton is a town with a positive future, it has a number of challenges to overcome;  a high unemployment rate, a core catchment of deprived areas and a lot of retail choice in the area; which means that the marketing has to take a less traditional route. Unlike most retail marketing managers, Chantal’s role is not simply to drive footfall and increase sales, but to manage the relationships and perceptions of the community, especially as the centres go through dramatic changes.

With a combined marketing budget of £100,000 Chantal has had to be creative, but her innovative approach to marketing has enabled her to create community initiatives with a ‘wow factor’ that has revolutionised how the schemes engage with customers, stakeholders and tenants. Concentrating on initiatives that yield real results, she creates lasting and fruitful partnerships across the town, cementing the retail destination as ‘The Heart of Stockton.’