Rival retail investment to hit Trafford Centre hard

Peel Holding's Trafford Centre will see a decline in retail spend in the next ten years as shoppers migrate to resurgent neighbouring destinations, according to a report from Experian.

Liverpool, Warrington, Bury, Preston and Wigan will all benefit from a decade's worth of investment, claims the Retail Market Spotlight, which predicts spending levels in 2017.

The Trafford Centre will face falling sales from £812m to £736m and drop eight places in the table of UK shopping centres, from 28 to 36, the report states. Stockport and Chester will also fall.

Experian examined major retail investments which are likely to impact on the retail sector.

Not surprisingly, the researchers found that Liverpool will jump up the league due to Grosvenor's heavy investment in Liverpool One. The city will enjoy increased spend from £1.04m this year to £1.42m in 2017 and will move nine places up the league table to sixth place.

Warrington, where Lend Lease has extended the Golden Square shopping centre, will see retail spend go up from £485m to £604m, catapulting it 18 places up the league table, from 75 to 53.

Preston, also due a retail scheme by Grosvenor, is expected to see spending increase from its current £681m, to £794m, which will push it eight places up the league table.

Bury will see an enormous rise over the next decade as it shoots up 29 places on the table as its retail spending increases from £384m to £495m. Thornfield Properties is planning the £330m Rock retail and leisure scheme in Bury which would provide 740,000 sq ft of new space in the eastern end of the town centre by 2010.

Top ten cities in 2017

1. London West End
2. Glasgow
3. Birmingham
4. Manchester
5. Nottingham
6. Liverpool
7. Leeds
8. Cardiff
9. Newcastle
10. Edinburgh

How the North West retail destinations rank

Source: Experian