It has seen a mass exodus in recent months, leaving only a handful of Bristol retailers open among one rank of its shops.

But Union Street, in Broadmead, will get a new lease of life thanks to the Primark effect.

When it first opened in 1984 the name New Broadmead was perfect for the newly built block of retail units at the bottom of Union Street – one of the gateways into Broadmead.

Twenty-five years on, shopping in the city has been transformed with the opening of The Mall Bristol, formerly The Galleries, in 1991, the arrival of Cabot Circus last year and next week, the opening of the second largest Primark store in the country.

As a result the owners, Kenmore Property Group, have decided now is the time to rebrand New Broadmead as Union Gate and give the block a fresh look.

Andrew Brooksbank, investment director for the company, said: "This row of shops is one of the first sights many visitors have when they arrive in Broadmead and, historically, it has been one of the busiest with fashion-led brands like Next, Oasis and French Connection.

"However, when Cabot Circus opened in September a number of the retailers took larger units in the new scheme and since then our existing tenants have had mixed fortunes.

"We believe that the opening of Primark will have a huge impact on Broadmead, especially the western end. It will boost footfall and reinvigorate the area, providing opportunity to attract new retailers to both Union Street and The Horsefair."

He said that a number of stores have leases coming up for renewal with tenants waiting for the opening of the Primark store.

He said: "Surrounding retailers have seen a considerable boost in trade in other cities where Primark has opened major stores and we are confident that Union Gate will benefit greatly.

"Stores like the designer menswear retailer, John Anthony, The Body Shop and Office, all see their product offering complementing that of Primark.

"Together with our marketing push around the new name, Union Gate, we are hoping many other new tenants will be enticed to the area. Primark is fantastic news for Broadmead as a whole and we hope Union Gate will continue to play an important part in the overall retail offering."

Retailers who have continued to trade on the street are also enthusiastic about the impact the new flagship store will have and ensuring they are prepared for increased numbers of shoppers.

Sammy Warr, supervisor at Office, said: "We're really excited to see Primark open and I can't believe it's happening next week. Union Street and the great stores on it are sure to benefit from the massive increase in footfall. We can't wait."

James Carlisle, The Body Shop's store manager, said: "The arrival of Primark is absolutely fabulous for Bristol and especially Broadmead. It puts us firmly on the map as the shopping destination for autumn/winter 2009 and beyond."

Anne Foreman, assistant manager at Greggs, said: "We anticipate there's going to be a huge amount of people visiting our store after Primark opens and are planning to stay open seven days a week."