The Trafford Centre

The concept of The Trafford Centre was conceived in 1984 by John Whittaker, the Chairman of the Peel Group. Planning permission was sought in 1986 and approval was finally upheld by the House of Lords in 1995. It took 27 months to build and opened on 10th September 1998.

The Trafford Centre site covers over 60 hectares and contains over 118,000 square metres of retail and 30,000 square metres of catering and leisure space.

It is located approximately 9 kilometres to the west of Manchester city centre, close to junctions 9 and 10 on the M60, with access to the M602 via Centenary Bridge and an excellent dual carriageway link to the city centre.

The Trafford Centre catchment area is larger and more populous than any other regional shopping centre in the UK and comprises 5.3 million people within a 45-minute drive-time, with a total potential retail expenditure of £13 billion.

There are 10,000 free parking spaces, 240 stores, six nationally renowned anchor stores, Europe’s largest food court with seating for 1,600, 60 restaurants cafés and bars providing over 6,000 covers, a stylish new dining experience - The Great Hall, a 20-screen cinema, a state-of-the-art Laser Quest and an entertainment venue called Namco containing an 18-lane bowling alley.

Over 10,000 people, including 400 Trafford Centre staff, are employed at the Centre. The Trafford Centre currently attracts over 31 million visits annually with an average weekly total of over 500,000.

The basic layout provides a powerful shopping and leisure model, with an even distribution of car parking around the Centre, created in such a way that half of all visitors enter at ground level and half at first floor level. Internally, the shopping streets are themed to emphasise the merchandising of the various sectors and are anchored by three major department stores. Regent Crescent links The Dome where Selfridges can be found to Debenhams in the west and takes the form of a wide gracefully curved space. Rich in colour and detail, it provides the setting for fashion and lifestyle retailers. To the east of The Dome is the more muted ambience of Peel Avenue which provides a complementary blend of familiar names from the UK’s high street and is anchored by John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

The lighting, murals, sculptures, fountains, landscape and feature staircases all contribute to the theme of a particular area, providing visual delight and also distinctive features to help visitors to orientate themselves.

The Orient to the south is a vast amphitheatre mocked up as a ship surrounded by restaurants and leisure activities. It is linked to The Dome and is also accessed from the outside through The Great Hall, an elegant covered piazza which houses upmarket restaurants, cafés and bars.

The leisure area is divided in two areas, The Orient and The Great Hall. The Orient focuses on an ocean liner and from the decks visitors can step into different worlds such as Morocco, China, Italy, Egypt and America. Here a vast choice of food in themed restaurants, awaits the explorer. This, together with the Odeon 20-screen cinema and family leisure facilities, continues to entertain the visitor long after the shops have closed. During shopping hours, The Orient provides an ideal venue to relax and enjoy a meal at one of its restaurants.

The Centre has an outstanding reputation for quality, cleanliness, friendliness, safety and providing a place to visit and enjoy for millions of people. It is a true anchor for the North West, attracting visitors from around the country and worldwide.