Looks like INTU to be going into Administration which owns the Metrocentre.

Only problem is that no one wants to go shopping there like it was in the 80’s and 90’s, when Metrocentre first opened it was a new fangle thing, but now there’s retail parks open up practically in every town and city.


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It's been on the cards for a while. Doesn't help that a lot of the big retailers are also struggling and, even if they do keep afloat, negotiating reduced rents.

(08 Jun 2020, 9:21 am)BusLoverMum wrote It's been on the cards for a while. Doesn't help that a lot of the big retailers are also struggling and, even if they do keep afloat, negotiating reduced rents.

From what I understand Intu charge an extortionate amount in rent which is why "Mike Ashley" moved or closed stores such as Sports Direct/House of Fraser/USC out of there centres and instead as is the case with Sports Direct placed them on High Streets or Retail Parks in the past few years.

(08 Jun 2020, 7:33 pm)Malarkey wrote From what I understand Intu charge an extortionate amount in rent which is why "Mike Ashley" moved or closed stores such as Sports Direct/House of Fraser/USC out of there centres and instead as is the case with Sports Direct placed them on High Streets or Retail Parks in the past few years.

I'm sure House Of Fraser is still open in the Metrocentre.

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(07 Jun 2020, 7:23 am)cbma06 wrote Looks like INTU to be going into Administration which owns the Metrocentre.

Only problem is that no one wants to go shopping there like it was in the 80’s and 90’s, when Metrocentre first opened it was a new fangle thing, but now there’s retail parks open up practically in every town and city.


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The Metrocentre is always busy though?, plenty of shops and restaurants.

(08 Jun 2020, 7:35 pm)Michael wrote I'm sure House Of Fraser is still open in the Metrocentre.

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 The Metrocentre is always busy though?, plenty of shops and restaurants. 

Not sure about their other sites, but they seemed to spend an absolute fortune making Eldon Square and Metrocentre 'destinations'. Go for a meal, bit entertainment and some shopping. The former two cater for the needs of people when they're done shopping for the day as well as being somewhere to go when shopping.

The types of food establishments they ended up hosting, were pretty much the same as everywhere else. It was chain stuff (F&B's etc) and as their popularity dropped, then it had a knock on effect with rents etc. Ditto the big department stores - Woolworths, House of Fraser, Woolworths etc.

It doesn't seem that long ago that Intu were seemingly buying every out of town shopping centre out there. Huge expansion and investment.

Maybe the shopping centre bubble has burst.

Further to reports this week, staff at Frankie & Benny’s branches to be closed have begun reviving confirmation via email. Closures are apparently much more widespread than thought, extending to the Coast to Coast brand, of which only 2 restaurants will reopen. Most Chiquito, Joe’s Kitchen, Firejacks & Garfunkel’s restaurants will not reopen.

Parent company TRG intend on focusing mainly on the Wagamama and Brunning & Price brand along with airport concessions.

Another issue with Metrocentre is the number of closed outlets on the malls.

If they relocated all the closed outlets together and put the open ones seperate. They would probably end up with a fully closed mall at the least.

Debenham Metrocentre apparantley now closed permanently. One of my friends had a conference call this morning stating decision has been made and all staff laid off.

Seen this on facebook:

BREAKING NEWS

Staff at Debenhams within Intu Metrocentre at Gateshead were informed at 10am via Conference Call that the store is closing and they will no longer employed.

This has come from a former staff member

(09 Jun 2020, 12:24 pm)Michael wrote Seen this on facebook:

BREAKING NEWS

Staff at Debenhams within Intu Metrocentre at Gateshead were informed at 10am via Conference Call that the store is closing and they will no longer employed.

This has come from a former staff member

Has Debenhams in Sunderland closed down aswell?


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(09 Jun 2020, 12:27 pm)cbma06 wrote Has Debenhams in Sunderland closed down aswell?


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Not sure, i think this is the first of many stores to fall in the Metrocentre and else where =(

It's a rent dispute, the only other permanent closure is the branch at South Shields.

Newcastle and Sunderland will remain open

Not surprised in the slightest. Intu is well known for their extortionate rent.
From what I've heard, they keep hiking the prices knowing that tenants have basically no choice but to continue paying

(08 Jun 2020, 8:52 pm)Andreos1 wrote Not sure about their other sites, but they seemed to spend an absolute fortune making Eldon Square and Metrocentre 'destinations'. Go for a meal, bit entertainment and some shopping. The former two cater for the needs of people when they're done shopping for the day as well as being somewhere to go when shopping.

The types of food establishments they ended up hosting, were pretty much the same as everywhere else. It was chain stuff (F&B's etc) and as their popularity dropped, then it had a knock on effect with rents etc. Ditto the big department stores - Woolworths, House of Fraser, Woolworths etc.

It doesn't seem that long ago that Intu were seemingly buying every out of town shopping centre out there. Huge expansion and investment.

Maybe the shopping centre bubble has burst.

The metrocentre should never have got rid of Metroland. If anything they should have made it bigger. It was a unique feature that brought family's in from all over. I cinema is a cinema and a bowling ally a bowling ally.

(10 Jun 2020, 11:09 am)Rob44 wrote The metrocentre should never have got rid of Metroland. If anything they should have made it bigger. It was a unique feature that brought family's in from all over. I cinema is a cinema and a bowling ally a bowling ally.

At the time of the closure it was the right thing to do, Retail was booming and the old food court wasn't really fit for purpose and Brits were eating out like we'd got no kitchens at home.

Ironically the MetroCentre development plan includes new leisure facilities. Now we'll see out of town shopping centres create more unique selling points to make you visit them over say online or a city centre which has the pubs, restaurants and easier access.

And MetroCentre has lost its allure - it's not the 80s anymore, the internet exists, people want experiences not just soulless identikit shopping experiences that whether you're at intu Milton Keynes or intu MetroCentre all feel the same.

A masiive iondoor theme park, where the weather outside makes no difference would be alluring in my view.. They certainly need something to bring back the punters!

(10 Jun 2020, 12:24 pm)Rob44 wrote A masiive iondoor theme park, where the weather outside makes no difference would be alluring in my view.. They certainly need something to bring back the punters!

Since the metrocentre era, there’s been to many retail parks that have opened up closer to shoppers, I blame the councils as there have signed consent of having these retail parks built and turned there own town centres into ghost towns.


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(10 Jun 2020, 11:24 am)Ambassador wrote At the time of the closure it was the right thing to do, Retail was booming and the old food court wasn't really fit for purpose and Brits were eating out like we'd got no kitchens at home.

Ironically the MetroCentre development plan includes new leisure facilities. Now we'll see out of town shopping centres create more unique selling points to make you visit them over say online or a city centre which has the pubs, restaurants and easier access.

And MetroCentre has lost its allure - it's not the 80s anymore, the internet exists, people want experiences not just soulless identikit shopping experiences that whether you're at intu Milton Keynes or intu MetroCentre all feel the same.

It was a few years ago, but I was reading something about the ghost malls in America. Starting to wonder if we will follow that trend too. 

One I don't mind, is The Oracle in Reading. Not sure if it's the design or because of its location by the river - but it has something about it that intu centres don't.
It's been a while since I was there, but the two in Nottingham that intu have, were pretty awful.

It doesn't seem too long ago, that the metro centre had independent retailers and stores. There was a sweetshop by the old cinema, the tat shop next door, a couple of places to buy stuff for my Amiga... That's just off the top of my head. 
Now, it's pretty much the same store in every town centre and shopping centre up and down the country. As you say, it's identikit.

From Facebook:

A total of 545 jobs are set to be lost with 35 store closures as Monsoon Accessorize entered into administration after the coronavirus pandemic scuppered its turnaround

Fashion chain Quiz has also entered administration with 82 stores and number of jobs at risk


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(10 Jun 2020, 12:55 pm)Andreos1 wrote It was a few years ago, but I was reading something about the ghost malls in America. Starting to wonder if we will follow that trend too. 

One I don't mind, is The Oracle in Reading. Not sure if it's the design or because of its location by the river - but it has something about it that intu centres don't.
It's been a while since I was there, but the two in Nottingham that intu have, were pretty awful.

It doesn't seem too long ago, that the metro centre had independent retailers and stores. There was a sweetshop by the old cinema, the tat shop next door, a couple of places to buy stuff for my Amiga... That's just off the top of my head. 
Now, it's pretty much the same store in every town centre and shopping centre up and down the country. As you say, it's identikit.

I quite the Ceasers Palace look to the Trafford Centre but even in there it is still just the same shops as every other shopping centre for the most part.

I cba with the Metrocentre half the time these days as I find it a pain to get round as the downside to being so big is having to fill so many units so you have shops spread all over the place, so I have to go round virtually the whole centre so I can go through everywhere I want in there which I find irritating, spend arguably more time walking between shops than actually in them! I honestly prefer Middlesbrough myself as it has many of the same retailers as the Metrocentre has and less distance also I like that it's a mix of indoor and outdoor as several hours of being in an indoor shopping centre can become nauseating after a while.

(10 Jun 2020, 9:45 pm)Jimmi wrote I quite the Ceasers Palace look to the Trafford Centre but even in there it is still just the same shops as every other shopping centre for the most part.

I cba with the Metrocentre half the time these days as I find it a pain to get round as the downside to being so big is having to fill so many units so you have shops spread all over the place, so I have to go round virtually the whole centre so I can go through everywhere I want in there which I find irritating, spend arguably more time walking between shops than actually in them! I honestly prefer Middlesbrough myself as it has many of the same retailers as the Metrocentre has and less distance also I like that it's a mix of indoor and outdoor as several hours of being in an indoor shopping centre can become nauseating after a while.

I tend to do the Metrocentre pretty efficiently. I've always been a list maker, though! 

Returning to ghost malls, I'm amazed that nothing has ever been done about Eldon garden. It was a flop from the day it opened, 30 years ago.

(11 Jun 2020, 7:21 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I tend to do the Metrocentre pretty efficiently. I've always been a list maker, though! 

Returning to ghost malls, I'm amazed that nothing has ever been done about Eldon garden. It was a flop from the day it opened, 30 years ago.

I'm the same, having lived just round the corner for many years, I know the layout like the back of my hand so am usually in and out minutes. Honestly, the only thing I really go to the Metrocentre for is Argos, and only when every other store is out of stock! When I'm waiting for the bus, I might pop along to Poundland or Greggs, but that's really about it. 

Same with IKEA, I would go in several times a week for the free coffee in the restaurant to get some work done, I can't even remember the last time I used the main entrance, it's much faster to go in the exit and you're straight at Bargain Corner!

I don't think I've ever been in Eldon Garden, I couldn't even tell you what's in there!

I have not visited the shops in Eldon Garden for many years. There used to be a few cafes and restaurants. It lost a lot of footfall when they removed the escalators from the ground floor entrance which became the Goose and Garden. I used to visit Scuffy Murphys quite a lot which was on the ground floor.

Charles

(11 Jun 2020, 9:09 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I'm the same, having lived just round the corner for many years, I know the layout like the back of my hand so am usually in and out minutes. Honestly, the only thing I really go to the Metrocentre for is Argos, and only when every other store is out of stock! When I'm waiting for the bus, I might pop along to Poundland or Greggs, but that's really about it. 

Same with IKEA, I would go in several times a week for the free coffee in the restaurant to get some work done, I can't even remember the last time I used the main entrance, it's much faster to go in the exit and you're straight at Bargain Corner!

I don't think I've ever been in Eldon Garden, I couldn't even tell you what's in there!

Naff all! Probably even less now. Its about 80% empty units.

Looks like when metrocentre opens up on Monday there will only be 2 multi storey car parks that be open to the public, and a one way system inside the mall for shoppers


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I’m keeping away from the Metrocentre for a while as I can’t cope with having to queue due to my autism as when I’ve tried to go shopping and there was a queue outside I’ve just left as it causes my anxiety to rise resulting in panic attacks. Been trying to go to ikea to get one thing from the self service area the past few days and every time there’s a large queue outside which means I can’t get what I need.


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Newcastle City Council have been marking out a one way system on Northumberland Street. It will be interesting to see how many people follow it.

Charles

(10 Jun 2020, 11:24 am)Ambassador wrote At the time of the closure it was the right thing to do, Retail was booming and the old food court wasn't really fit for purpose and Brits were eating out like we'd got no kitchens at home.

Ironically the MetroCentre development plan includes new leisure facilities. Now we'll see out of town shopping centres create more unique selling points to make you visit them over say online or a city centre which has the pubs, restaurants and easier access.

And MetroCentre has lost its allure - it's not the 80s anymore, the internet exists, people want experiences not just soulless identikit shopping experiences that whether you're at intu Milton Keynes or intu MetroCentre all feel the same.

Furthermore, at least people can go to Newcastle Eldon Square and combine it with other shops and unrelated activities in Newcastle.  At MetroCentre there is nothing else apart from shopping and limited other options.

(13 Jun 2020, 8:27 am)Metroline1511 wrote Furthermore, at least people can go to Newcastle Eldon Square and combine it with other shops and unrelated activities in Newcastle.  At MetroCentre there is nothing else apart from shopping and limited other options.

At the MetroCentre, I've always found the best thing to do is to leave again - there's a multitude of different buses heading off in various directions to use!

There's also some loos just over the bridge, really useful when out for the day.

I'm told there's also some shops somewhere, but I've never felt the need to go that far in .....

Last time I had a good look around the Metrocentre was at last year's rally. Got some good bargains in The Back Page. All of the small traders seem to have gone now. At one time there were interesting specialist shops. Now it's just the usual big stores and restaurants. The Wetherspoons is handy mind.

Charles