Premier League
Published: 04 December, 2008
The league table of the UK's top shopping centres has seen considerable change over the past year, according to the latest edition of Going Shopping - The Definitive Guide to Shopping Centres, recently published by Trevor Wood Associates.
The review ranks centres trading at the beginning of September 2008 by their overall attractiveness to shoppers, retailers and investors. This is achieved by factoring in tenant mix, lettable area, type of scheme, Sunday trading, parking provision, transport links, weekly footfall and other facilities on offer.
Going Shopping highlights the presence of a distinct Premier League of 24 leading shopping centres. To the previous list of 22 super-centres the researchers have added Westfield Derby and Highcross Leicester. Below these, there has been a considerable amount of activity, with 42 of the 500 leading schemes refurbished or extended in the last 18 months.
Key changes include the redevelopment of Westfield Derby, which saw the scheme break in to the top 10 and, following a major extension, Highcross Leicester jumped into the top 20 at 17.
New entries to the top 100 include Silverburn in Glasgow at 29 and Liverpool One which appears at 79, although this scheme will almost certainly chart much higher next year, once the phase two development has fully opened.
Following extensions, a number of schemes have risen more than 50 places, including Golden Square shopping centre in Warrington, now at 37, Eden shopping centre in High Wycombe rising to 60, Spindles Town Square in Oldham ranking at 73 and Hounds Hill shopping centre in Blackpool, currently sitting at 100.
Twenty-nine schemes have improved their ranking in the top 100, and other major risers include Canary Wharf in London, Drake Circus in Plymouth and Southside in Wandsworth, south-west London.
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=== The Top 20 UK Shopping Centres 2008 ===
2008 Rank change Scheme Location
1 l MetroCentre Gateshead
2 l Bluewater Dartford - Greenhithe
3 l Meadowhall Sheffield
4 l The Trafford Centre Manchester - Trafford
5 l Lakeside Grays - Thurrock
6 l Merry Hill Centre Brierley Hill
7 ? Manchester Arndale Manchester
8 ? the centre:mk Milton Keynes
9 ? East Kilbride East Kilbride
10 ? Westfield Derby Derby
11 ? Bullring Birmingham
12 ? The Telford Centre Telford
13 ? Festival Place Basingstoke
14 ? The Harlequin Watford
15 ? The Mall at Cribbs Causeway Bristol - Cribbs Causeway
16 ? Brent Cross London - Hendon
17 ? Highcross Leicester Leicester
18 ? Whitgift Centre Croydon
19 ? Eldon Square Newcastle-upon-Tyne
20 ? Kingfisher Centre Redditch
Source: Trevor Wood Associates
