Intu Metrocentre

The intu Metrocentre is the largest shopping mall and leisure centre in the United Kingdom taking into consideration of the retailing size of a shopping mall.

The intu Metrocentre is the largest shopping mall and leisure centre in the United Kingdom taking into consideration of the retailing size of a shopping mall. It is opened on 14 October 1986. Since then, imaginative redevelopment programs keep the Centre at the lead of retailing competition constructively with new shopping centres throughout Europe.

On earlier days, it was used to familiar as Metrocontre. However, after Intu Properties takes its possession, it was named as intu Metrocentre. Its address is Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 9YG.

It is built as a two-storied building with a retailing area of 194,400 square meters. It has five main malls. They are named after five different colours; Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and Platinum. A dynamic retail development of the Red Mall added 34,467 square meters of extra retail space. Besides these, it is designed with shopping zones highlighting independent retailers. These are the Village, the Forum and the Qube, and houses over 50 restaurants and cafés.

The cautious mix of retailers in intu Metrocentre aims to offer the excellent choice of shops and services. Remarkably, its aim is successful. Consumers are happily admitting that they can shop everything they want, from household necessities to fashion and beauty, under the same roof. It has become now renowned for its variety of small traders. The shopping mall has more than 340 shops. The major fashion retailers are British Home Stories, Primark, Next, Topman, H&M, New Look, River Island, Zara, USC and Tucci. Other major retailers are Apple Store, Argos, HMV, WH Smith, Jessops, Boots, Carphone Warehouse and TK Maxx.

It has three anchor tenants. The shopping centre is the first centre, which featured the out of town “Marks & Spencer”. This retailer tycoon is specialized in luxury fashion and exotic food products. The other two anchor tenants are Debenhams and House of Fraser. Debenhams is the multinational retail chain spread over 172 locations worldwide in departmental store format. House of Fraser has their 60 departmental stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It is located between the new MetroCentre Qube and the Metro Retail Park. This area includes several world-class restaurants and café, such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Harvester Restaurants, Toby Carvery and a drive-thru Starbucks. However, the majority of restaurants, such as Zizzi, Frankie and Benny's, Nandos, PizzaExpress, Wagamama, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Big Lukes, Yo! Sushi etc. are located in Metrocentre Qube.

Metrocentre offers a variety of ways to keep shoppers charmed after a day of Retail Therapy. The New Metrocentre Qube of the redeveloped Yellow Mall houses a Namco Funscape, Odeon cinema and numerous restaurants. The Odeon cinema is a 12-screen movie theatre with high quality VIP lounge and an IMAX screen.  The Namco Funscape is an indoor amusement arcade with a dodgem ride and 18-lane 10-pin bowling alley. The New Metroland is the largest indoor amusement park in the whole Europe. The park has a roller coaster, pirate ship, waltzers, Ferris wheel,  a miniature railway and dodgem cars among its rides.

This amazing shopping centre has capacity of 10,000 cars for parking. However, a railway station namely MetroCentre Railway station is on the Tyne Valley Line. On the other hand, intu Metrocentre has its own junction to cope with increased traffic levels. However, using Newcastle Airport, national and international visitors can visit the shopping area via air. On the other hand, from the Netherlands visitors can travel by ferry to North Shields.