Which? set to open its first office in Wales

CONSUMER champion organisation Which? is opening its first ever office in Wales, which will be home to 100 staff.

It is relocating an existing office from Hertford to Cardiff, but the investment will also mean new job opportunities are being created.

Which? has signed up to take space at the soon to be completed No 3 Capital Quarter office scheme.

The building, which will be completed in July and ready for occupancy soon after, is next to the No 4 Capital Quarter office scheme, which is scheduled for completion next spring.

Which? is the first tenant to sign up to No 3 Capital Quarter, but there is strong occupier interest on the remainder of the building. It has entered into a 15-year lease with JR Smart.

Which? is the largest independent consumer body in the UK with more than 1.5 million members and supporters.

The Which? brand belongs to the Consumers Association, a not-for-profit charitable organisation.

John Smart, chairman of JR Smart, said: “The arrival of Which? at No 3 will add to the list of major companies which have chosen Capital Quarter for their first base in the Welsh capital.

“It means that in the past 18 months three of the largest inward investors to arrive in Cardiff – Opus Energy, Alert Logic and Which? – have selected Capital Quarter as their new Cardiff home.

“The people at Which? have told us how excited they are about the move to Cardiff, opening up a brand new chapter in the growth of the organisation.

“They aim to relocate as many of the current team in Hertford as possible but also attract new talent, and view Cardiff as the ideal place to do that.

“With both their member service centre and part of their Which? mortgage advisers team set to be based in Cardiff, the new premises at Capital Quarter will allow it to create an outstanding customer experience hub to support its members and customers.

“And this will enable Which? to deliver an even better service in supporting UK consumers now and in the future.”

Mark Sutton, of property consultancy Knight Frank, which is marketing Capital Quarter, said: “Which? considered a number of buildings in Cardiff. However, Capital Quarter proved the stand out choice, providing a brand new energy efficient office building, first-class facilities and a central, accessible location allowing Which? to attract the talent for its new Cardiff operation.”

Cardiff council leader Huw Thomas, said: “Congratulations to Capital Quarter in attracting Which? to the city. This decision means we will have another major employer coming to Cardiff, adding to the ever-growing list of companies that are choosing the capital.

“Our Capital Ambition [strategy] makes a clear commitment to deliver continued growth and to develop the city centre as a location for businesses and investment. Which? relocating to the city’s Capital Quarter provides another clear sign that Cardiff is thriving, growing and developing.

“I am delighted to see major companies such as Which? sharing our confidence in the capital of Wales, providing opportunities not just for the people of Cardiff, but also for those living in the wider city region.”

As well as the No 3 and No 4 office, buildings, which total 170,000sq ft, JR Smart has already built more than half a million square feet of new development at Capital Quarter.

Office tenants in No 1 and No 2 Capital Quarter include Finance Wales, Network Rail, Public Health Wales, Opus Energy, Lambert Smith Hampton and Atkins.

Energy supplier Opus Energy set up its operation in October 2016. Having initially planned to recruit 100, that has now been exceeded with a headcount of 110.

And it is now actively recruiting to increase the workforce by a further 20%, as well as expanding its graduate and apprenticeship schemes.

Its chief operating officer Nikki Flanders, said: “In the 18 months we have had a presence in Cardiff, we’re thrilled to report that our operations are thriving and our plans for growth aren’t slowing down.

“We’re going to maintain this momentum and continue to expand our business in the local area, where we have benefited from a huge amount of local talent.”