The UK-based Metrocentre Partnership has announced that Urban Outfitters has opened at Metrocentre, coinciding with record fashion sales so far this year across the scheme.
The Metrocentre, located in Gateshead, England, is one of the largest shopping and leisure complexes in the UK. Opened in 1986, it combines a vast range of retail stores, from high-street brands to designer outlets, with numerous restaurants, cafés, and entertainment options. The centre also features a large multi-screen cinema, an amusement arcade, and family-friendly attractions, making it more than just a shopping destination. With its distinctive domed architecture and extensive transport links, the Metrocentre has become a landmark of the North East and a popular destination for both locals and visitors.
Urban Outfitters now occupies a 745 sq m store in Red Mall, joining leading retailers Zara, Mango, and Stradivarius, which opened in August, demonstrating the destination’s continued appeal as a successful, prime location within the North East. The new store features a curated of proprietary brands, curated vintage, and a unique selection of homeware and lifestyle products. As the brand’s fourth new opening of 2025, it is a significant addition to Metrocentre’s well-established womenswear line-up, contributing to the centre’s reputation as a premier destination for quality fashion retail.
The addition of Urban Outfitters coincides with outperformance across retail sales this year, led by success in womenswear, which had a 13.1% uplift in July vs the same period in 2024. This growth is only set to accelerate with these recent fashion arrivals, enhancing and diversifying the centre’s womenswear offer.
Ben Cox, Director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, Asset Managers of Metrocentre, commented: “Urban Outfitters’ arrival is a clear indicator of the centre’s success in maintaining and expanding its best-in-class retail. Following the very successful opening of Stradivarius, Urban Outfitters further strengthens Metrocentre’s already established fashion lineup, alongside like-minded brands on Red Mall that have performed brilliantly this summer. This further cements Metrocentre as the go-to destination in the Northeast that continues to attract global brands.”
Emma Wisden, Director at Urban Outfitters Europe, added: “We’ve seen incredible growth across the UK and Europe in recent years, and we’re thrilled to be expanding further into Gateshead with our new Metrocentre store — our second in the North East. Customers here have shown a real appetite for what Urban Outfitters does best: a mix of standout brands, hand-picked vintage, homeware and lifestyle pieces that you can’t find anywhere else. Our stores allows us to bring an even more diverse and inspiring product mix to a wider audience, while continuing to build on the strong momentum we’re seeing across Europe.”
Urban Outfitters will join Metrocentre’s profile of leading global retailers, including Superdrug, which is upsizing its store in Red Mall to 930 sq m, and Sostrene Grene, which has recently signed and will be opening the new 465 sq m unit in Lower Green Mall later this year.
