Welcome to the world renowned shopping and entertainment destination.
Intu, who own the Manchester shopping centre, expects to breach covenants on its current debts as shopping centres struggle in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is a journey from the corner shop to the high street, by the banks of the Bridgewater Canal, a whole retail history told during troubled times.
The Trafford Centre opened in 1998 and is the third largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom by retail size. It was developed by the Peel Group and is owned by Intu Properties following a £1.65 billion sale in 2011 the largest single property acquisition in British history. As of 2017, the centre has a market value of £2.312 billion.
The advent of the motor car, and the development of out of town shopping has seriously affected the viability of the traditional town centre and the almost long gone local shop.
And now in turn the mall is threatened by the increase in online trade and the current lockdown.
The Trafford Centre reopens on June 15th, no doubt the sensation seeking, thrill a moment shoppers will return in droves, to further satiate their unquenchable desire for stuff and more stuff, in a pseudo Romano Soviet oligarch setting.
As of Monday 8th the space was mostly devoid of both customers and cars – there are two home stores open, we arrived on foot and took a look around.
modernmooch.com 
My God! never been there – it’s certainly something….. You normally post such great stuff about thoughtful modernist structures that I was unprepared for this level of pastiche idiocy. Whoever “designed” this was having a laugh.
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I wandered in on a whim – intrigued by the vacant space, it really is something else, sorry for any shock or offence!
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When the Trafford centre opened up in 1998, I remember the festival village with its diverse range off stalls and shops. That’s all gone now. It’s a shame because there was so much to look at to tempt shoppers. It was a fun place to visit. Now it’s mostly designer clothes shops. Shame really…
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