Wigan’s STACK to open by year end, Fettlers pushed back to 2027

A call for traders has been put out for the 48,000 sq ft entertainment hub in the former Debenhams store at the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre. Meanwhile, the council has opted to delay the opening of its 70,000 sq ft market hall to allow more time for internal design tweaks.

STACK will occupy the former Debenhams unit. Credit: via Sorted PR

STACK Wigan

Images have been released giving a hint of what visitors can expect from STACK Wigan when it opens later this year.

Designed by DunwoodiesSwift Architects, STACK Wigan comprises 48,000 sq ft and occupies two floors of the former Debenhams unit at the Grand Arcade. Planning permission for the scheme was won in 2024.

There will be six food outlets on site, five bars, a big screen for sporting events, a stage for live music, a pool table area, a coffee shop, and an outdoor terrace.

ZZA Pizzeria, which has spots at STACK’s venues in Newcastle and Lincoln, is already locked in for one of the outlet spots. The company is currently on the hunt for the remaining five vendors.

Regarding the images, Gemma Dishman, director of strategy and development at STACK, said: “We are delighted to be able to finally give a real flavour of what we are going to offer at STACK Wigan as we know how eagerly awaited it is.”

Mike Matthews, centre manager of Grand Arcade Shopping Centre, added: “STACK will add a completely new dimension to the shopping centre, complementing our existing retail offer and creating more reasons for people to spend time in the town centre throughout the day and into the evening.”

You can review the plans for STACK Wigan by using reference number A/24/96953/FULL on Wigan Council’s planning portal.

While Wigan may be the first STACK in the North West, it may not be the only one for long. STACK acquired Bruntwood’s former Hatch site in Manchester in 2023. According to a spokesperson for STACK, those plans are still very much live. Watch this space.

Wigan Council will be the operator for the Fettlers market hall when it opens next year. Credit: via Inform

Fettlers

Wigan Council and development partner Cityheart had been hoping to open the 70,000 sq ft market hall at Fettlers before the end of the year – however that target is no longer going to be met.

The local authority met with traders from its existing market last week to update them on the project’s progress. The result: a revised opening date of spring 2027 and the news that the council itself will function as the market operator, rather than Northern Lights Group, which had been attached to the scheme since May 2025.

The delay provides more time for internal layout spaces to be redesigned utilising feedback from existing market traders, as well as provide those traders the opportunity to make the most out of the Christmas trading period.

Cllr Dane Anderton, portfolio holder for economic development and regeneration at Wigan Council, said: “Wigan has been a market town for centuries and that heritage remains an important part of our identity.

“The new market will honour that tradition while creating something fit for future generations. By taking the time now to work closely with traders, we’re ensuring we deliver a market that everybody can be proud of from day one.”

The market hall is the first phase of the wider £135m Fettlers, which reimagines the former Galleries site as a vibrant mini-neighbourhood with up to 400 homes, a Hampton by Hilton hotel, cinema, and leisure complex.