Seasonal shopping
As the festive season approaches, Alex Middleton discovers what malls, outlets, mills, towns and cities have to offer organisers planning their group’s perfect Christmas shopping excursion.
In the first part of our annual Christmas shopping feature, we look at malls, factory outlets, mills and town and city centres. We explore what type of shopping they offer, Christmas events your group may enjoy at the venues and ideas for combined itineraries.
Deck the malls…
When planning for the festive season, many GTOs find the ease and comfort of an out of town mall to be a fun and efficient way to blitz the Christmas shopping. Besides housing a huge selection of retailers, amenities and leisure pursuits, many malls and shopping centres also offer groups discounts in their stores, free coach parking, meet and greet schemes and traditional Christmas events programmes.
The Metrocentre in Gateshead, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, is one of Europe’s largest shopping and leisure complexes. The 330 shops range from big names such as House of Fraser, Debenhams and Marks and Spencer to smaller specialist retailers who offer a variety of unusual gift ideas. If your group needs a break from shopping, there are over 50 places to eat including Nandos and Cafe Rouge, there is also an 11-screen cinema, bowling alley and one of Europe’s largest indoor theme parks, New MetroLand, complete with rollercoaster and dodgems. The Christmas period will begin on 3rd November with Father Christmas taking up residence in his Grotto until Christmas Eve. Throughout December there will be food and wine fairs, carol services, nativity plays and the complex’s own troupe of children’s entertainers, the Metrognomes, will be performing their Christmas pantomime. All group members receive a Shopping and Leisure Discount Guide containing vouchers for selected stores. Coach parking is free and the centre will open until 10pm throughout Christmas.
Over on the west coast, Liverpool’s St John’s Shopping Centre, in the city centre, is home to over 100 stores, including Ted Baker, but mainly features independent fashion and clothing shops, along with unusual eateries such as Maysum, a Chinese buffet restaurant, and cafes and coffee shops, unfortunately Christmas plans were unfinished at the time of going to press, but the Centre has confirmed it will be switching on its Christmas lights in an event in November. Coach parking is available nearby.
Staying in the north, Manchester’s Trafford Centre has just unveiled the Great Hall, which boasts a sweeping marble staircase and what is purported to be the world’s largest chandelier. The Great Hall provides a home for the centre’s more upmarket restaurants including Carluccio’s, Palmes D’Or and Pesto and is an ideal place for groups to meet or to begin their shopping. The centre has an impressive range of shops (235 in all), which include a flagship John Lewis and four-storey Marks and Spencer. The extensive leisure facilities include a cinema and bowling alley and next door the finishing touches are being put on Chill Factor E, which it is claimed will be Europe’s largest indoor ski slope when it opens in November. Besides skiing, it will offer tobogganing and refreshments within a replica alpine village, all of which will be blanketed in real snow. The Christmas programme will commence with the ‘Christmas Lights Switch On’ on October 25th and will feature performances by many, as of yet unnamed, celebrities. This will be closely followed at the end of October by Father Christmas’ arrival parade and the opening of his grotto and from November until Christmas Eve, the Salvation Army brass band will be performing around the centre. Coach parking is free and pre-booked groups are met by a designated meeter and greeter who will give them an introduction to the centre and its facilities. Groups can also take advantage of a voucher booklet, offering savings in a variety of the centre’s shops and restaurants.
Across the Pennines, near Sheffield, Meadowhall offers groups 170 stores ranging from House of Fraser to Thorntons. The centre houses an 11-screen cinema and offers groups over 30 various places to eat, from continental eateries such as French Cafe to restaurants such as La Tasca. The centre is recovering well from the recent floods and with millions of pounds being spent on repairs, it intends to be fully open by mid October at the latest. The centre will be staging a Christmas show – ‘Santa’s Showtime’ – and a Christmas light switch on. Various entertainment such as brass bands, carollers and choirs will also take place every evening throughout late November and until Christmas. Due to the recent bad weather, planning for Christmas has been set back and the centre were not able to confirm the dates of events at the time of going to press. Coach parking is provided free of charge.
The Merry Hill Shopping Centre, near Birmingham, which is home to over 200 stores, will mark the beginning of Christmas on 10th November when Father Christmas will lead a parade of characters and bands to his eskimo grotto. The Christmas lights will be switched on by a yet to be named celebrity on 15th November and on 24th November the centre will host a Christmas Fashion Weekend, with professional dancers modelling clothes and accessories.
A short distance from here in the centre of Birmingham lies the Bullring. The £500 million centre houses over 160 stores, including a flagship Selfridges and a Debenhams along with various cafes and restaurants, such as the specialist pie restaurant, Urban Pie and the Pan Asian Wagamama. The centre features coach drop-off points and nearby free coach parking. At the time of going to press, the centre’s Christmas plans were not confirmed.
Also housing a branch of Debenhams and located in central Milton Keynes is thecentre:mk. It has over 230 stores and as well as including large name department stores, it also features smaller specialist retailers, such as tea and coffee specialist, Whittard of Chelsea. The centre’s Christmas theme this year will be ‘Wind in the Willows’ and the centrepiece will be an indoor river and recreated riverbank. Alongside the river there will be Santa’s Grotto, where Father Christmas will take up residence after featuring in a show, with real reindeer, on 6th November. Throughout December until Christmas Eve the centre will be opening late and groups can also make use of free coach parking and a meet and greet scheme, featuring a familiarisation talk where group members receive maps and guides to the stores.
Meanwhile, further south, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, in north London, offers groups over 120 stores including John Lewis, Hugo Boss and Karen Millen, restaurants such as Carluccios and Yo! Sushi and a variety of coffee shops and snack bars. The centre’s lights will be switched on on 8th November and the next day Father Christmas will move into his Grotto, which is open until Christmas Eve. This year the centre will celebrate not only Christmas, but a range of other religious festivals that also occur during the season. On 20th October the centre will celebrate Eid, the end of Ramadan – the Muslim period of fasting – with food tastings, informative displays and music. This is followed on 4th November by Diwali, with celebrations featuring Indian dancers and drummers. From 26th until 12th December, the centre will celebrate Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights, with story telling, songs and food tastings. Coach parking is free but over Christmas groups are advised to prearrange parking to ensure a space. Nearby in Kent, Bluewater shopping centre has 330 stores set across three galleries with a department store separating each. The Guildhall caters for high fashion and houses up market stores and restaurants such as Calvin Klein and Loch Fyne Restaurant, the Rose Gallery caters for those looking for high street names such as Dorothy Perkins and Thames Walk also offers high street fashion such as H&M and restaurants such as TGI Friday’s. Unfortunately at the time of writing, the centre was unable to confirm its Christmas programme. It has free parking for groups arriving by coach.
Also in the south east, Lakeside shopping centre, in Essex, has 230 stores including House of Fraser, Ann Summers and Thorntons. In June 2007, 59,000 square feet was added to the centre with the opening of the boardwalk, which houses restaurants such as Cafe Rouge, where, during December, groups can relax with mulled wine and mince pies. Also in June this year Vue opened a refurbished nine-screen cinema in the centre. Unfortunately, plans for the Christmas period were unavailable when going to press. The centre provides free coach parking.
In East Anglia, Norwich’s Castle Mall, located in the city centre, houses over 75 stores and a cinema. The centre will begin its ‘Magical Christmas at the Mall’ on 15th November, when its Christmas lights will be switched on. From then until Christmas Eve, the centre will feature Christmas music from, among others, a Salvation Army Brass Band and a string quartet. Coach parking is available nearby.
Chapelfield, also in Norwich, will be turning on its Christmas lights on 1st November and, throughout the Christmas period, the centre will feature brass bands and carol singers. It houses over 80 stores, from fashion retailers like Zara and French Connection, to department stores such as House of Fraser and provides groups with over 17 cafes and restaurants, such as Mackintosh’s Canteen (a local favourite) and Wagamama’s. Coach parking is available nearby.
Meanwhile, in the south west, Cribbs Causeway, just outside Bristol, will begin the Christmas period with the arrival of Father Christmas on 15th November and the opening of the ‘Winter Wonderland’, which will include the his grotto and an ice rink. The centre houses over 135 stores, including HMV, Monsoon and John Lewis, and 17 restaurants such as Bella Italia and Nandos. Coach parking is free.
Moving further into the south west, Drake Circus, situated in the centre of Plymouth, will be decked out with a new lights display this year, which will be switched on at an event featuring Christmas carols and music, on 15th November. The centre is home to over 60 stores, including high street names such as Marks and Spencer,Next and Zara, as well as smaller stores, such as the Perfume Shop, which are ideal for Christmas gift ideas. The centre houses a number of cafes and coffee shops, such as Starbucks, as well as featuring in-store eateries suchas a Marks and Spencer’s restaurant. Coach parking is available near Plymouth Bus Station, a short walk from the centre.
Festive factory outlets
With huge discounts on everything from designer labels to homewares, many groups find outlets offer a way to keep Christmas shopping bills down without skimping on purchases.
McArthurGlen has seven designer outlet malls throughout the UK. These are Ashford Designer Outlet in Kent, Bridgend Designer Outlet in South Wales, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet near Chester, the East Midlands Designer Outlet in South Normanton, Derbyshire, Swindon Designer Outlet in Wiltshire, York Designer Outlet, near York and Livingstone Designer Outlet near Edinburgh. Although the exact dates of the light switch ons have yet to be confirmed at each venue, they will all be taking place in the second week of November. Each outlet will also be featuring Christmas entertainments such as brass bands and carollers. All the outlets also provide free coach parking and drop-off facilities.
REALM also operates outlet malls across the UK at the following locations; Astle Outlet Park in West Bromwich in the Midlands, Atlantic Village in north Devon, Freeport Braintree in Essex, Freeport Fleetwood near Blackpool, Freeport Talke in Stoke-on-Trent, Junction 32, near Castleford in West Yorkshire and Lakeside Village in Doncaster. All the outlets feature big name stores such as Marks and Spencer, Ted Baker, Clarks and Thorntons and a range of smaller independent stores along with restaurants, cafes and bars. Each outlet will be running a Christmas programme beginning on various dates in November with a Christmas light switch on, the opening of Father Christmas’ grotto and entertainments such as brass bands and carollers. All the outlets feature free coach parking and drop-off points, but, at many, this is limited so pre-booking is recommended.
In Scotland, Sterling Mills Outlet Shopping Village, located in rural Clackmanashire, offers groups up to 70% discounts on designer and high street names such as French Connection and Suits You and provides equally good discounts on home furnishings and at their Thorntons store. Unfortunately, at the time of going to press, the outlet was unable to give exact dates of its Christmas events, but has confirmed that it will be decorated with Christmas lights which will be switched on at an event in November. The outlet also provides free coach parking.
The Lowry Outlet Mall, near Manchester, has 85 stores ranging from Karen Millen to Julian Graves, a cinema and restaurants such as Pizza Express and Cafe Rouge. The centre will launch its Christmas programme on 18th November, when Father Christmas will switch on the centre’s lights before moving into his grotto. From then until Christmas Eve, there will be a packed programme including carol singing, a Christmas craft fair from 7th to 16th December, extended opening hours and a Christmas Group Day on 12th December, which involves the screening of a classic Christmas film and a tea dance (GTOs are advised to book early as places are limited). Groups are entitled to a 10% voucher booklet and GTOs to a £10 voucher, to spend in the centre’s stores.
The Peak Village Outlet in Derbyshire is set in the countryside a mile from Chatsworth House. The outlet has 30 shops, including Cotton Traders, and also houses a number of small independent stores selling handmade furniture and designer clothes. Besides a restaurant which will offer Christmas dinner from mid-November onwards, there is also a Toys of Yesteryear Museum, which displays nostalgic toys and games from the past. Father Christmas and his reindeer will arrive on the 10th November to switch on the lights and there will be a Christmas craft fair on the 17th and 18th November. Group discounts are available in the restaurant and free coach parking is available.
In the south, Bicester Village, just north of Oxford has over 100 stores selling designer clothes and products with up to a 60% discount. Stores include DKNY and Jimmy Choo, and there are a selection of cafes available at the site. The site will install its Christmas decorations on 12th November and free gift wrapping facilities are available as is free coach parking.
Merry mills
Mill shops can offer groups low prices on high quality merchandise and as most are set close together in scenic locations, such as the Pennines and the Peak District, groups can easily travel between them, fitting in several in a day.
Ponden Mill has mill shops in over 130 locations throughout the country. Often located in scenic locations, such as Bowness in the Lake District and St Andrews in Scotland, the stores specialise in fine linens and homewares. Plans for Christmas had yet to be confirmed when going to press.
Edinburgh Woollen Mill also has a number of mill shops across the country, including stores at Masson Mills Shopping Village and Historic Mill in Derbyshire, Kernow Mill in Trerulefoot in Cornwall and Mackinnon Mills in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. The facilities vary from store to store, but all will be decorated for the Christmas period. Many of its stores feature restaurants and cafes that will be offering groups Christmas lunches throughout the festive period.
Boundary Mill Stores has four large stores in Newcastle, Colne, Grantham and Walsall. The stores specialise in linens, ladies- and menswear and glass and chinaware. Each of the stores features a coffee shop, which will be serving seasonal snacks and the Colne store features a brasserie restaurant which will be serving Christmas lunches throughout December. All stores offer a discount voucher to group organisers and have free coach parking.
Darley Mill is set in the Yorkshire Dales just outside the spa town of Harrogate. Housed in a 17th century mill, with working water wheel, the mill shop has three floors selling everything from home-made preserves and confectionery to homewares and, from November onwards, Christmas decorations. The restaurant will be serving Christmas lunches from November until Christmas and incentives, such as restaurant discounts, are available for groups.
The Mill, Batley, in West Yorkshire, has four floors selling everything from luxury home furnishings to clothing and a food hall, which will open in September, will offer local organic produce. The Mill offers several day itineraries that groups can book, such as combining a visit with a tour of the markets in and around Batley. Groups receive a voucher book giving 10% discounts in selected departments in the store and 20% off at the restaurant.
On the other side of the Pennines, Oswaldtwistle Mills, just north of Blackburn, has 88,000 square foot packed with gift ideas in its homeware, crafts and clothing departments. Besides this, the venue offers excursion days that groups can book in advance, which include shopping followed by a trip on the river, a journey on a steam train or guided walks in the surrounding hills. Over Christmas, group events will include Holly and Mistletoe evenings, with Christmas shopping followed by Christmas dinner and live entertainment from carollers and choirs. A group brochure is available with listings of all itineraries and events.
Staying in Lancashire, Barden Mill, near Burnley, has over 50 departments including soft furnishing, gifts and clothing. It offers a group excursion, which consists of shopping at the Mill followed by Christmas lunch on a canal boat on the scenic Leeds-Liverpool Canal. In many departments group members can take advantage of group discounts.
Nearby, Botany Bay in Chorley, Lancashire, is situated in a converted Victorian mill and features five floors selling everything from kitchenware to home furnishings. This year, the centre will feature a dedicated Christmas Shop which opened 25th August, selling a wide range of selected gift ideas from the centre’s stores. Christmas lunch will also be served in the site’s three restaurants, which groups may wish to pre-book. Groups interested in memorabilia and antiques may be interested in the centre’s sister store, Bygone Times, located a few miles away in Eccleston. Entrance to both is free for groups of 10 or more and a meet and greet scheme is available.
In Derbyshire, Denby Visitor Centre offers groups not only a factory shop, selling work straight from the kiln, but a gift shop and cooking and gardening emporia. There are two free cooking demonstrations every day, and factory tours are available if groups book in advance. From the 8th until 9th December, the centre will hold a Christmas food and gift fair, selling locally produced food, drink, artwork and crafts.
Christmas in the city
City and town centres offer groups a range of shopping destinations and complementary events, giving a thoroughly festive backdrop to their Christmas shopping.
London offers groups everything you could wish for when planning a Christmas shopping trip. The Norwegian Christmas tree erected every year in Trafalgar Square will be surrounded by carollers this year. Just north of here, crowded around Oxford Circus is some of the best shopping in the world: Oxford Street with Selfridges and other large department stores, Carnaby Street, Piccadilly, with Fortnum and Mason, New Bond Street and Savile Row, where men’s accessories are available at surprisingly affordable prices. Further west, Knightsbridge is home to most of the large names in fashion and, of course, Harrods.
From one capital to another, Edinburgh offers groups a great range of Christmas shopping. From the luxury stores, such as Louis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols, around St Andrew’s Square to the jewellers, boutiques and antiques shops crowded around Princes Street and the Royal Mile, groups will find the Scottish capital filled with options. The city’s celebrations will begin on the 22nd November, with ‘Light Night’, with the lighting of the Norwegian Christmas tree and the switching on of the city’s Christmas lights. A free ice show will feature as part of the evening’s entertainments, which will launch the ice rink in Princes Street Gardens, running until 7th January. Special coach drop-off points and parking will be offered during this period but need to be booked in advance.
Moving to the Welsh capital, Cardiff, the city will be switching on the Christmas lights on 15th November in an event that will also see the launch of the city’s ice rink and Christmas funfair, which will be situated in front of City Hall. In the middle of Cardiff Bay, a Christmas Island, featuring a giant Christmas tree will also be illuminated and, back in the city centre, live reindeer will graze in St John’s Churchyard. Like most UK cities, the city offers groups a wealth of shopping venues, from the designer boutiques and independent stores on Queen Street and Saint Mary Street, which also features Howells, House of Fraser, to high street names such as Marks and Spencer and Debenhams along with a number of chic Edwardian and Victorian arcades. Coach parking is available in various locations across the city.
In the north west of England, Liverpool will be switching on its Christmas lights on 16th November in a ceremony that will take place on St George’s Plateau. The heart of the city is packed with shopping destinations for groups looking for something chic, down to earth or bohemian. For those looking for the sophisticated designer areas, the Met Quarter is packed with designer boutiques and stores such as Flannels and Armani, as is Cavern Walks, a favourite of the famous WAGs, which features independent designer shops and high class stores such as Vivienne Westwood. The area around Church Street and the High Street is filled with major high Street names like Selfridges whilst nearby Bold Street features more high street fashion names including Karen Millen and Kookai. In the area around the Albert Dock groups can find small galleries and jewellery shops and also drop into museum stores such as the Tate Modern Gift Shop. If groups are feeling a little more adventurous they could head south of the city centre to Aigburth and the area around Lark Lane, which is home to Liverpool’s Bohemian set and features, amongst bars and restaurants, many small independent stores selling everything from ethnic jewellery, art, vintage clothing to exotic Asian and African foods. Coach parking and drop-off points are located across the city centre.
Staying in the north west of England, Manchester will be switching on its Christmas lights on 8th November. The recently opened Manchester Wheel, based in Exchange Square, will offer panoramic views of the city’s decorations from its enclosed eight seater gondolas, which groups can book in advance. Exchange Square itself is host to some of the city’s more upmarket shopping venues, such as Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Louis Vuitton. A short stroll from here, in the area around King Street, groups will find the city’s most sophisticated shopping area, which features stores and boutiques such as Vivienne Westwood and Armani. To the east of Exchange Square, groups will find high street names along Market Street and High Street such as H&M, HMV and Debenhams and for groups looking for something a little more avant garde this Christmas, the Bohemian Northern Quarter, just to the north of the centre, is home to numerous independent stores such as vintage clothing shops, small boutiques and galleries. Coach parking is available in the city centre along with drop-off points.
Just to the north of Manchester, Bolton, has a lot to offer groups this Christmas, including Christmas light switch on on 18th November. The town has a wide selection of antique shops and independent craft stores and galleries, besides being home to a number of high street names, such as Littlewoods and Marks and Spencer. Coach parking is available by the market in the centre of the town.
On the other side of the country in Yorkshire, Leeds provides groups with everything from high class boutiques and stores in the sophisticated Victoria Quarter, which also houses a branch of Harvey Nichols, to high street shops and independent stores located on the streets around the Headrow and the main station. The Grade I listed Corn Exchange, a short walk from the Victoria Quarter in the city centre, houses shops and stalls selling more unusual items such as art prints, ethnic jewellery and clothing by new young designers. Not far from here, Granary Wharf specialises in exotic art and crafts from Africa and Asia, as well as locally made furniture and household accessories. The city will be switching on its Christmas lights on 8th November, at a ceremony that will take place in Victoria Gardens. Coach parking is available at various locations in the city centre.
Staying in Yorkshire, York will be switching on its lights in mid-November (unfortunately the date had not been confirmed at the time of going to press) and after the success of the Ice Factor ice rink in 2006, it will return to the same site, near Clifford Tower, from 17th November until 6th of January. The city can furnish groups with everything they are looking for this Christmas. The winding streets around the Minster are home to a range of stores, from independent designer boutiques and antiques shops to well known high street names. The city can also offer groups a whole range of speciality food shops, from small independent butchers and bakers to luxury handmade chocolate shops such as Maximillians. Coach parking is available near the ice rink during the Christmas period and also at various other sites throughout the city.
Moving south, the medieval town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, will mark the first day of late night shopping on 14th November with the switching on of the Christmas lights. From then until Christmas, street singers and musicians will add to the festive atmosphere every weekend and groups are invited to join in the fun in the Market Square at ‘Carols in the Square’, on the evening of 19th December.
Also in the Midlands, Nottingham will be turning on its Christmas light display in mid-November but the exact date had not been confirmed at the time of going to press. For groups looking for something a bit chic this season, the area around Bridlesmith Gate is packed with designer stores such as Diesel and the new flagship store for Paul Smith, who is a native of the city. A short walk from here, groups can find the Exchange Arcade, an elegant Victorian shopping arcade housing stores and boutiques such as Karen Millen and Jaeger. To the north of the city, the bohemian quarter of Hockley is full of independent stores and galleries for groups to explore, selling items such as ethnic and hand-made jewellery to clothing by young designers recently graduated from the city’s popular fashion school. There are coach drop-off points and parking throughout the city centre.
Back in the south of England, Cambridge will be showcasing its new lights, which will cover more of the city streets than ever before. The switching on of the lights will take place on 18th November. The city is packed with independent shops tucked down ancient streets, but also features larger names such as John Lewis. Throughout the Christmas period, shoppers will be able to relax with a cycle taxi journey or take themed tours on one of the city’s many punts.
The historic town of Maidstone, in Kent, will offer groups an array of Christmas shopping opportunities with a mix of small independent shops and larger retailers. The lights switch on takes place on 18th November and, throughout the Christmas period, the town will be the setting for avant-garde street theatre.
In East Anglia, Norwich will be turning on its Christmas lights on 22nd November at a ceremony in St Peter’s Street, in front of the City Hall and market place. To the east of here, groups will find the streets filled with high street stores and should take time to step into Jarrold’s, a popular independent department store, and the Royal Arcade, a chic art nouveau arcade from the turn of the last century, housing, among other stores, the Colman’s Mustard Shop and Museum, selling replica antique tins and products from its past. Groups seeking the unusual will find the Norwich Lanes, to the north of the market place, filled with small independent stores and boutiques full of ethnic art, antiques and vintage clothes. Coach parking is available in the city centre and groups can book a meeter and greeter to give you an introduction to the city.
Moving to the south west, Bristol, will be decorated with a completely new Christmas lights display this year, having brought in new designers to revamp the city centre’s display. The date for the official switch on had not been finalised at the time of going to press, but will take place in mid-November. For groups looking for a wide range of Christmas shopping, the city offers everything you need, with high street names being located in the Broadmead area, currently undergoing a multi-million pound regeneration scheme, and smaller independent stores and designer boutiques located in Park Street and the chic Clifton area of the city. Groups prepared to explore a little further will find various other independent shops located around the city, such as Guilberts factory shop, located on the tiny St Leonards Lane off Corn Street in the city centre, where groups can buy bargain price, handmade chocolates from the factory of the company that also supplies both Fortnum and Mason and Harrods. You could also wander further afield to the Bohemian Montpelier and Gloucester Road area, just north of the centre, which houses a range of small stores selling art, crafts and vintage clothing as well as exotic foods and antiques. Coach parking and drop off points are available in the city centre.
Exeter will turn on the city lights on 13th November to the accompaniment of music and fireworks. Along with many small shops and large retailers selling gifts, the town will feature a Christmas ice rink, situated by the castle, from 23rd November until early January 2008.
In Wales, Swansea, will host a festive light show and musical performances as part of the turning on of the lights on 18th November. From 18th November until 6th January, there will be a ‘Waterfront Winterland’ along the harbourside featuring a skating rink, giant wheel and traditional fairground rides such as merry-go-rounds and helter-skelters. The city has a range of shopping venues, from the high street names on Oxford Street such as Marks and Spencer to the Quadrant, which houses many independent stores. Coach parking and drop-off points are available in the city centre.