The Leeds Loves Food festival is back again in the city from the 25th - 27th May. The Merrion Centre is really excited to have Brian Turner as our Celebrity Chef this year, he will be doing live cooking demonstrations at 1.30pm and 3pm in the centre. Make sure you come along and get a seat as this will be a very popular event.

- 30 local retail jobs created - 153rd store will provide credit busting offers on over 5,000 products

Yorkshire based single price retailer Poundworld has announced the opening of its new store in Leeds city centre which will create 30 new retail jobs for the area.

Officially opening to the public at 10am on Friday 18th May, the new Poundworld store in the Merrion Centre will help cost conscious shoppers beat the recession by offering a ‘value’ alternative to other high street retailers. The store is the second to be unveiled in the past two months by the company, following the opening of a Poundworld store at Kirkstall Road in April.

With massive savings on leading brands such as Cadbury’s, Coca Cola and Johnson’s, the huge store offers over 5,000 products for the purse friendly price of £1. The vast range includes household essentials, textiles, toiletries and groceries, making it ideal for local shoppers looking to cut the cost of their everyday shop.

Chris Edwards Junior, trading director at Poundworld, said: “We already have four stores in Leeds at Kirkgate, Crown Point Retail Park, Crossgates and at Kirkstall Road and we’re really delighted to be opening another new store, creating 30 new jobs for the city. Busy shoppers can take advantage of these great locations in order to stock up on our fantastic offers and brands.

“We look forward to welcoming customers through our doors and we hope our new store will prove a big hit with savvy shoppers in Leeds.”

Helen Beckett, Associate Director for Town Centre Securities who own and manage the Merrion Centre said: “It’s especially pleasing to welcome a Yorkshire based national retailer to the Merrion Centre. Poundworld is investing heavily in their stores, and it’s great to have had the opportunity to work together to deliver an attractive store, creating a pleasant shopping environment for our customers. The store will be perfect for today’s cost conscious shopper and a valuable addition to the centre.” 

Leading Leeds commercial solicitors, Shulmans acted on behalf of Town Centre Securities.

Poundworld plans to help more shoppers in the UK minimise the cost of everyday living by opening a further 30 stores by the end of 2012. Based in Yorkshire, Poundworld was founded in 1997 and has over 150 stores across the UK.

On April 5th Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy and Peppa Pig Mascots came to the Merrion Centre, with Free Easter eggs and free face painting and photo opportunities lots of fun was had all round!

In the pictures;
Top image: Iggle Piggle,  Emma Lay, Rosemary Gore and Peppa Pig
Bottom Image:  Layton Greensmith with Iggle Piggle

Make sure you bring the kids down to the Merrion Centre these Easter Holidays for some fun, free entertainment.

Meet your favourite look-a-like characters,  Peppa Pig, Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle*  will be appearing on Thursday 5th April. They will be arriving at 11am and will be here throughout the day at intervals until 3pm.

FREE ENTRY, FREE EASTER EGGS, PHOTO OPPORTUNITY +  FREE FACE PAINTING**

*PLEASE NOTE THESE CHARACTERS ARE LOOK-A-LIKE COSTUMES ARE NOT MEANT TO REPRESENT ANY LICENSED OR TRADE MARKED CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY
**Children will be seen on a first come first serve basis.

And there is more free entertainment throughout the week:

Free Facepainting
11am – 3pm
Tues 3rd April , Wed 4th April, Thurs 5th April,  Sat 7th April,
Tues 10th April,  Wed 11th April,  Thurs 12th April,  Fri 13th April  

Animal Magic – See and touch real live reptiles, birds and rodents…
11am – 3pm
Sat 7th April , Sat 14th April

Charlotte’s sandwich shop, a lunchtime favourite in Leeds, that’s been serving up sandwiches, soups and jackets in the market at the Merrion Centre for 16 years is moving to a brand new shop on Wade Lane in Leeds city centre.

To celebrate the move, the first 50 customers through the doors on Thursday 15th March, will each be offered a free sandwich of their choice.
The shop sells over 60 varieties of hot and cold sandwiches, a selection of 12 jacket potato fillings and a choice of soups and salads.  It is estimated that Charlotte sells 650 sandwiches and more than 250 oven baked jacket potatoes every week!

Charlotte Sutherland, founder and owner, said
“We have a really loyal customer base but the new location at the Merrion Centre means we’ll have a higher profile and can reach even more people who want freshly made hot and cold sandwiches, homemade soups, fresh coffee, salads and tasty jackets all at reasonable prices. The move also means we are able to take on another member of staff. As a way of thanking our regulars and celebrating the move, we are offering a free sandwich to the first 50 customers we serve in the new shop on our opening day.”

Andrew Stringer, Centre Manager at the Merrion Centre said:
“Charlotte is a long standing tenant here at the Merrion Centre. She has an excellent reputation for quality freshly made food, offering excellent value. Every lunchtime there is a queue outside her door which is testament to the quality of her food. The new shop will open up further opportunities for her, allowing her to expand her menu and grow her customer base.  We wish her the best of luck in the new location.”

Leeds-based commercial law firm, Shulmans acted on behalf of TCS. Triton Construction carried out the refurbishment work and Wake Architects of Huddersfield undertook the design work.  Savills and Brassington Rowan are the agents.

Win one night luxurious Spa Break and a fabulous hamper.

The prize includes:

Spa package valued at £160:
Overnight accommodation
1 x 55 minute treatmen of your choice per person
Full English Breakfast
Full use of the leisure facilities

PLUS
Fabulous hamper valued at £200:
Bouquet of Flowers from Daydreamers florist
Hamper of chocolates from Thorntons
Free ladies fragrance from Boots
Free cut and blowdry from Base
Free Fish pedicure from Fantastic Feet
Basket full of coffee essentials from Costa
Free portrait Gift Pack from Max Spielmann

Enter online here
http://merrioncentre.co.uk/competitions

This half term The Merrion Centre had lots going on, with Free face painting for the kids, craft workshops for everyone and Cake decorating! Leeds College of Art came and provided workshops for Adults and Children!

Cupid was spreading the love this Valentines Day in the Merrion Centre with lots of fun with Free face painting for kids and free chocolates for everyone!!

Winning our competition Charlotte Howarth winning Chocolates and flowers courtesy of Daydreamers flowers and Thorntons.

The Valentines Leap Trade Fair was held at the Merrion Centre on the 4th February 2012. There were 22 stalls which were run by students from a range of schools and colleges based in Leeds and Harrogate.

The stalls sold a range of products including chocolates, jewellery, fudge, soap, chutney and phone gadgets.

Each of the students had to raise their own share capital, choose and make or buy a product, write a business plan and market the product.  The Best Trade Stand was judged on its presentation and marketing.

In first place Embrace, second place was Delicious and third place was Miss Monroe.

Love is in the air next week at The Merrion Centre in Leeds with cupids dishing out chocolates to shoppers on Valentine’s Day.

Love is in the air next week at The Merrion Centre in Leeds with cupids dishing out chocolates to shoppers on Valentine’s Day. 
There will also be a prize draw to win a special Valentine’s gift for a loved one, packed with chocolates and flowers courtesy of Thornton’s and Daydreamer flowers.
It’s also half term so the rest of the week will be devoted to free activities for children from 11am – 3pm including face painting, card and craft workshops on 16th, cup cake decorating on 17th and a chance to see and touch birds of prey, reptiles and snakes on Saturday 18thFebruary.

Grown-ups can also get creative on 16th and 17th when the Leeds College of Arts will be holding free workshops in the centre. 

Merrion Centre Manager, Andrew Stringer said: “We couldn’t let the most romantic day of the year pass without marking it in some way with free giveaways, prize draw and great entertainment all week.  With half term here, we’ve laid on free activities which always prove popular.  In addition having the Leeds College of Arts here for the first time is great and we hope people will take part and discover new talents.” 

Follow us on twitter @merrioncentre or on Facebook at facebook.com/themerrioncentre.

Cupid will be pointing his arrow towards The Merrion Shopping Centre this Valentine’s Day with entertainment and a great hamper to be won for romantics of all ages.

Romance and chocolates will be plentiful on Valentines Day with “real” Cupids who will be here to spread the love around the Merrion Shopping Centre.  You will also be in with a chance to win a lovely hamper courtesy of Thorntons Chocolate, Daydreamer Flowers, Paper Kisses and Bayliffe and Lupton.

For the rest of the half term week there will be loads of FREE activity and entertainment for kids and adults.

For the KIDS - between 11am - 3pm

14th, 15th, 16th, 17th - FREE Facepainting fun for kids
16th - Craft and Cardmaking workshop for kids sponsored by Fabrication
17th - Cup Cake Decorating workshop for kids
18th - Come and see your favorite wild birds, reptiles and snakes at the Merrion

For the ADULTS -  between 10am - 4pm
16th & 17th - Adult Art workshops with the Leeds College of Arts

Fabrication is holding a launch night for the public on Wednesday 1st Feb 2012

Come along from 5.30 - 8pm and find out all about the classes held during the day and at weekends. Lessons include traditional craft skills from basic sewing, dress making, leather work, crochet and patchwork to more advanced sessions. This term there’s also a range of wedding classes from bridal lingerie to making wedding favours, fascinators, corsages, ruffles, bows, flowers, hair and make-up. 

Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos have unveiled their new away kit for the 2012 season with the club retaining the popular pink alternative design that was so well received by supporters last season.

The club revealed the new design to supporters on their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/leedsrhinosofficial with a lighter shade for the new season as part of a pink and grey bands across the shirt.
The kit went on sale on Saturday 28th January at 9am at both the club stores at Headingley Carnegie and the Merrion Centre. 
Rising Rhinos stars Ward and winger Jamel Chisholm were at the Merrion Centre Store from 12.30pm until 1.30pm signing autographs and getting their photos taken with their fans.

Fabrication Crafts Ltd, a social-enterprise set up three years ago to provide a workspace for designers and crafts people, has found a permanent home on the Georgian Mall at the Merrion Centre in Leeds city centre.

As well as offering a wide range of classes for individuals who want to learn a new skill and groups such as hen and birthday parties, Fabrication also works with Leeds City Council to run weekly classes for adults with learning difficulties and other community groups.
In addition to the classes, Fabrication also showcases and sells work by local craftspeople, designers and makers including clothing, lingerie, artwork, soaps, jewellery, homewares and leather goods.  The makers contribute to the running of the shop allowing customers to meet the people who designed the goods they buy. The shop, which opens on 1st February, will be open from 10 – 5.30pm Monday – Saturday and 11am – 4.30pm on Sundays.
Classes are held during the day and at weekends, as well as a monthly Craft Club. Lessons include traditional craft skills from basic sewing, dress making, leather work, crochet and patchwork to more advanced sessions. This term there’s also a range of wedding classes from bridal lingerie to making wedding favours, fascinators, corsages, ruffles, bows, flowers, hair and make-up. 

Fabrication founder and owner, Dawn Wood, who is a tailor and designer said
“We’re a unique enterprise in Leeds, and since we established in 2008, have run hundreds of classes from everything from T-Shirt painting to making your own wedding dress.  The recession has created a make do and mend culture, so learning craft skills has never been more popular as people revamp and recycle old clothes and jewellery or make gifts for friends and family. The shop runs alongside our classes and gives craftspeople and designer the opportunity to sell their work while offering shoppers the chance to buy one-off pieces that make lovely, affordable presents. ” 
“We have found the hen party activities particularly popular.  They allow groups of girls, who may have travelled from all over the country, to bond over bath bombs, pink fizz and chocolate cake,  before heading out on the town in the evening.” 
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities who own and manage the Merrion Centre said:
“This is a fantastic social enterprise that offers a range of fun activities that enable people to develop skills and be self-sufficient no matter what their ability.  They also offer a shop window to makers, designers and crafters whose micro businesses would never otherwise have a presence in such a prominent city centre location.  This business also complements another popular Merrion Centre tenant, Craft Wise, which is one of the biggest suppliers of craft materials in the UK and is opening a new shop on Wade Lane next month. ”
Hen party activities are for up to 12 people and a three hour session costs from £25 per person including champagne and cake.  The bespoke session can be tailored to suit the group and any of the workshops can be adapted to suit the theme of the event including vintage hair and make-up and burlesque dancing. 
To enquire or book classes or to arrange Hen Party activities call 0113 243 9140 or email info@fabric-ation.co.uk.  For information on classes and activities offered by Fabrication visit www.fabric-ation.co.uk.

Craft Wise Ltd, one of the largest independent craft suppliers in the UK and a long-standing tenant at the Merrion Centre, will open a new store next month (February 2012).

In the immediate future the company will also be running its on-line business from this new base.  As well as its own online shop Craft Wise also successfully sells through Amazon and Ebay.
The family-owned business, that sells a full range of arts and crafts products, has been based at the Merrion Centre since it was established in 1989 and relocated from Woodhouse Lane to the Merrion Market four years ago. The new shop is in a 2, 000 sq ft newly refurbished unit at the junction of Merrion Street and Wade Lane.
As well as card making supplies, plaster casting and an extensive range of children’s crafts, Craft Wise stock all crafts from needlework to candlemaking, glass painting to soft toy making.
Town Centre Securities (TCS), who own and manage the Merrion Centre, have helped Craft Wise relocate from the market following the refurbishment of the Merrion Street and Wade Lane frontages of the shopping centre.
Craft Wise’s owner, Andrew Haddock, said
“We’re very grateful to Town Centre Securities for their support in helping us relocate. As one of the most comprehensive independent craft supplier’s in the UK, we are a destination retailer with a loyal customer base.  By expanding into this higher profile unit we hope to attract an even wider clientele and inspire many more people to be creative. We have a wide customer base from architectural students through to those young and old who enjoy creative past-times.  Independent retailers like us give the high street much needed colour and character and offer a personal, friendly service that the larger retailers often find harder to deliver. We look forward to welcoming customers old and new when we open our doors next month.”
“We also have a very successful on-line shop and also sell through Amazon and Ebay, which allows us to sell our products all around the UK. We’ll continue to manage this side of our business from the new unit in the immediate future.”  Mr Haddock added.
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities said:
“Craft Wise is one of our most long-standing tenants and it’s great to see them expand into this newly refurbished unit in a more prominent location. Our units on Merrion Street and Wade Lane have been significantly upgraded, giving the shopping centre, and the street outside, a much smarter and more attractive appearance. To have a good mix of local independents such as Craft Wise positioned right next to high street names such as KFC and Coral undoubtedly gives the Merrion Centre its unique character.  I’m delighted that once again we’ve been able to play a crucial role in the evolution of the Craft Wise business.  One of the great benefits of a shopping centre as large and diverse as ours is its ability to adapt to our tenants and customers, and respond to their changing needs and requirements as their business develops.”

In the run up to Christmas, the Merrion Centre in Leeds city centre experienced increased visitor numbers compared to 2010

. Visitor numbers since October have shown an encouraging increase on last year with over 900,000 shoppers visiting the centre during December, an increase of 7.6% per cent on the previous year. 
Andrew Stringer, Centre Manager at the Merrion Centre said:  “We are really pleased with how we performed last month. This in part was due to a great deal of festive activity and entertainment in the centre including a free Santa’s grotto which was visited by thousands of children and the i-pad competition which attracted two thousand entrants.  This year we have an even busier and varied calendar of events and promotions for our customers to enjoy. ”
Store manager Mike Green from Yorkshire Linen, a local family based company founded in 1993, said:  “Trade was extremely encouraging over Christmas and it was certainly an improvement on the previous year.”
Store Manager, Sarah Holmes from Superdrug said: “Trade was good and we experienced like for like sales over the Christmas period, which was encouraging in the current economic climate.”
For more information on the Merrion Centre visit www.merrioncentre.co.uk and for more information on TCS visit www.tcs-plc.com.

The Manchester studio of BDP, the UK’s largest inter-disciplinary design practice, has been appointed to undertake a multi-million pound refurbishment at the Merrion Shopping Centre in Leeds, known as the New Front.

Property investment and development company, Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), who developed, own and manage the Merrion Centre, have appointed BDP’s Manchester Studio to redevelop 80,000 sq ft of retail space into a lively leisure destination with bars, cafes, restaurants, and a gym along Merrion Way and Wade Lane.

The proposals will transform the existing facilities and include the creation of an outdoor area designed to promote continental-style café culture, with increased retail frontages, new trees and high quality external finishes.

Ian Purser, an Architect Director at BDP Manchester, will lead a team of interdisciplinary specialists, including architects, sustainability engineers, lighting designers and landscape architects to deliver all aspects of the project, including the complete refurbishment and upgrade of the 1,000 space multi-story car park, which sits above the leisure and retail units.

The New Front scheme, which was approved by Leeds City Council last week, will consist of seven new units ranging from 30,000 sq ft to 420 sq ft, including existing tenant, 1st Bowl.
Combining contemporary design and sustainable features, the scheme will create a unique destination, reflecting the emerging status of this part of the City as an entertainment quarter.

The scheme will use low energy LED lighting to deliver a state-of-the-art car park along with a façade lighting installation featuring colour changing LEDs.

Internally, new energy-efficient passenger lifts, wider parking bays and an intelligent car park management system, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and bay monitoring technology to signify available spaces, will deliver improved customer perception and a facility of highest quality.

A wide range of low energy electrical systems will also be incorporated into the plans, along with natural ventilation and state-of-the-art charging bays for electric vehicles. 

Work on the New Front scheme will commence next year and be completed in 2013, to coincide with the opening of the 13,500 capacity Leeds Arena, based opposite the Centre.

Commenting on the New Front project, Ian Purser, said: “This scheme will create a new destination in an area of regeneration for Leeds city centre, effectively opening up a new front to the Merrion Centre with highly sustainable and market leading proposals.”

Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities, said: “Working with BDP has allowed us to create high quality designs that will not only transform this side of the Merrion Centre but will help regenerate this part of the city.  Our ambition is to deliver a new vibrant leisure destination, with improved public realm and up-graded car parking.”

Leeds Rhinos players Lee Smith and Danny Maguire will officially open Coral’s flagship shop at the Merrion Centre in Leeds city centre at 11am on Saturday 10th December.

The Town Crier will also make a special appearance and, to celebrate the opening, staff will be handing out free betting slips worth between £2 and £5 and invite people to have a free go on the gaming machine.  There will be refreshments including sandwiches and tea and coffee for all customers until 3pm and everyone visiting the shop will be given a free goodie bag.  There will also be a charity raffle to win a £100 bet, with the money donated to the players chosen charity.
Operated by the Gala Coral Group, and located on Merrion Street right next to the new KFC, the new shop offers state-of-the-art facilities and Coral’s industry leading 21 screen system and technology package and will create 5 new jobs.
Jim Darroch, Senior Development Manager for Coral said:
“We are delighted to be part of the refurbishment of the Merrion Centre and to strengthening Coral’s representation in Leeds City Centre.  We look forward to meeting customers new and old and providing them with a class leading service in this new branch.”
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities, who own and manage the Merrion Centre said:
“It’s great to formally welcome Coral to the Merrion Centre. We’ve invested heavily in improving the frontage of the Merrion Street side of the shopping centre and it’s fantastic to see the units being occupied by such well known high street names. The refurbishment work will soon be complete and we’ll be announcing two more new tenants very soon.”

Leeds Rugby and The Merrion Centre have teamed up with Leeds Mencap to offer a free gift wrapping service on Saturday 10th December 2011.

Any gift purchased at the centre can be wrapped free of charge, simply show your receipt when presenting your gifts to be wrapped. There will be Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie players from 11am-2pm on Saturday 10th December helping to wrap gifts and autograph gift tags along with the Leeds Rhinos mascot, Ronnie the Rhino. So why not visit the Leeds Rugby Store in the Merrion Centre and pick up some Leeds Rhinos or Leeds Carnegie shirts, training range or souvenirs for your family and friends for Christmas and get it gift wrapped all in one shopping trip!!!

The gift wrap is free of charge but donations are very welcome - all proceeds go to Leeds Mencap, a fantastic independent charity which supports children and adults with learning disabilities throughout Leeds. Ruth Fawcett, Head of Fundraising & PR at Leeds Mencap said “We are absolutely thrilled to be working in partnership with both Leeds Rugby and the Merrion Centre in order to help shoppers get their presents wrapped before their recipients are able to take a peek! Furthermore, all donations go to a great local charity which supports over 250 families with learning disabilities per week.”

Andrew Stringer, Centre Manager at the Merrion Centre said: “We’re delighted to have the players here in the centre and extremely pleased to be supporting this fantastic charity that does such a lot of amazing work in the local area. Not only have we got the charity gift wrapping service that day, but Santa’s grotto will be open and we also have an ipad2 prize draw for our customers to enter. With so much going on, there is no better place to do your shopping next Saturday.”

Town Centre Car Parks in partnership with the Merrion Centre is offering a free weekend shuttle service from Clarence Dock starting on Saturday 3 December 2011.

Two 16 seater shuttle buses will run a continuous service between the Clarence Dock car park and the Merrion Centre from 9.30am – 6pm on Saturdays and 10am – 5pm on Sundays throughout the Christmas period until Sunday 8 January. 

Shoppers taking advantage of this shuttle service can park for the specially reduced rate of £1 per hour at Clarence Dock during weekends in December and the beginning of January.  The free shuttle bus will operate on 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 31 December 2011 and 7 and 8 January 2012.

Ben Ziff, Managing Director of Town Centre Car Parks (TCCP) said: “Shoppers can park for just £1 per hour at Clarence Dock and then hop on the free bus that takes less than 10 minutes into the city centre.  This not only saves them time and money but also the hassle of finding a parking space in the city centre during this busy time of year.  This is the first time we’ve put on a park and ride service between our Clarence dock car park and the Merrion Centre and we believe it will be very popular.”

Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities PLC who own and manage the Merrion Centre said: “We are always looking for ways to make life easier for our customers and help save them money.  The shuttle bus offers a fast and convenient door-to-door service between the car park at Clarence Dock and the shops at the Merrion Centre, allowing shoppers the chance to park all day at a very reasonable rate.  This will allow those on a tight budget to make savings or spend more on gifts for loved ones. ”

The Merrion Centre’s New Front leisure development in Leeds city centre was given the go-ahead today (24 November 2011) by Leeds City Council. The multi-million pound scheme, adjacent to the Leeds Arena development, could create up to 200 new jobs.

Property investment and development company , Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), who developed, own and manage the Merrion Centre will redevelop 80, 000 sq ft of retail space into a leisure destination with bars, cafes, restaurants and a gym along Merrion Way and Wade Lane.
Located next to the new 13, 500 capacity arena, the scheme will consist of seven new units ranging from 30, 000 sq ft to 420 sq ft , the largest of which is already let to existing tenant 1st Bowl.
The plans also include public realm works that will allow for an outdoor area designed for continental –style street café seating.  The development proposals also include the 1,000 space multi-storey car park, which will undergo a complete refurbishment and up-grade, creating convenient state-of-the-art parking for shoppers, visitors and Arena users.
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities said: “It’s great to get the green light on this important regeneration scheme that could create up to 200 new jobs. New Front is in a fantastic location in a busy part of Leeds city centre, which is already popular with shoppers, students and office workers.  Together with the arena development, we are going to transform this part of the city, injecting new vibrancy and vitality into the area.  With planning consent in place, we can now realise our ambition and bring forward this new high quality leisure destination, with improved public realm and up-graded car parking .”
Cllr Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council executive board member responsible for city development, said: “We welcome this news that the Merrion Centre New Front leisure scheme is going ahead.  It is an exciting scheme which will create jobs and enhance the centre’s retail and leisure attractions and ensure it can fully benefit from the business opportunities offered by the Leeds Arena.  This scheme is clear evidence of the positive and catalytic effect of the arena development on regeneration in the city centre and the wider region. “
Work on the New Front scheme will start early in 2012 and will be complete in advance of the Leeds Arena opening in 2013.
BDP’s Manchester Studio has been appointed as the architects on the development and Savills (0113 2440100) and Brassington Rowan (0113 2422622) are the agents acting for TCS on this scheme.
For more information on the New Front and TCS visit www.tcs-plc.com and for more information on the Merrion Centre visit www.merrioncentre.co.uk.
Ends
For press information please contact Roz Hughes on 07967 800395 or via e-mail at roz@rozhughes.com
Notes to editors
Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS) is a Leeds based property investment and development company with assets in excess of £280m. With more than 50 years’ experience, a commitment to sustainable development and a reputation for quality and innovation, TCS create mixed use developments close to transport hubs in major cities across the UK. Their current portfolio delivers an annual income of more than £22m.
The Merrion Shopping Centre is a one million sq ft mixed use scheme that incorporates 100 shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as office, hotel and leisure accommodation.  It is located in the retail area of the city centre and northern office core and is close to the civic quarter and university campuses.  It is a 10 minute walk from Leeds train station and a 15 minute walk from Leeds bus station.  The centre has over 10 million visitors per year.
New Front is an 80, 000 sq ft new leisure destination adjacent to the Leeds Arena and fronting Merrion Way and Wade Lane in Leeds city centre.  The scheme includes six new units, improved public realm and a major refurbishment to the multi-storey car park.
Town Centre Car Parks (TCCP) is a division of TCS and has been operating car parks for over 40 years.  They own and manage car parks in key locations in both Leeds and Manchester including the 1,000 space Merrion Centre car park on Merrion Way which will be the closest car park to the Leeds Arena.

KFC - the world’s largest chicken restaurant, will open its first outlet in Leeds city centre at the Merrion Shopping Centre on Friday 25 November at 11am. First through the door will be Richard Williams from Birkenshaw, one of KFCs keenest fans, who has been invited as a guest of honour, having waited years for this moment.

KFC fan Richard Williams, who originally wrote to the company back in 2009, said:
“In my letter to the Colonel in 2009 I asked why Leeds - a big, historic city centre, a top student destination, and much more had no KFC.  Now we have one, Christmas has come early and KFC has put the ‘K’ into Khristmas for me. I am over the moon to be the first customer.  Fans of the secret recipe will be delighted, and the name of the Merrion Centre - such a great servant to Leeds shoppers - will be on everybody’s lips. As will the fab taste of KFC.”
The new 62 seat restaurant, operated by KFC franchise Chicken Cabins Ltd, will open seven days a week from 10am until 2am, Sunday to Thursday, and until 4am on Friday and Saturday. The Leeds outlet will sell all of KFC’s famous menu items, including the Bargain Bucket and Zinger Burgers, as well as new favourites like Brazer, Krushems and the Streetwise snack menu.
David George, Operations Manager or Chicken Cabins Ltd, said:
“We know our fans in Leeds have been waiting a long time for this moment, and I’m delighted that Richard will be here to mark the occasion. As well as bringing delicious food to the city centre, the new restaurant has created jobs with great career prospects for local people, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming shoppers and residents to the restaurant.”
The Merrion Street side of the Merrion Centre has just undergone a major refurbishment which has been undertaken by property investment and development company , Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), who own and manage the one million sq ft Merrion Shopping Centre in Leeds city centre.
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities PLC who own and manage the Merrion Centre said:
“I know that the public has been keen to see a KFC restaurant open in Leeds city centre for many years and the Merrion Centre is delighted to have finally achieved this.  Not only is this the first KFC for Leeds but it is also the first fast food offer at the Merrion Centre.  We very much see KFC complementing our existing lunch and dinner offer which includes well-known local brands such as Fuji Hiro, Nosh, Caffechino and Lilys as well as national multiples such as Costa and Crown Carveries.”

Bookmakers, Coral, and fast food restaurant retailer KFC, have announced they will both open new outlets later this month in the Merrion Shopping Centre in Leeds.

This follows a major refurbishment of the Merrion Street side of the building which has been undertaken by property investment and development company , Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), who own and manage the one million sq ft Merrion Shopping Centre in Leeds city centre.

Opening on Friday 18 November, the 1, 103 sq ft Coral betting shop, operated by the Gala Coral Group , will be the their flagship shop in Leeds city centre. It will offer state-of-the-art facilities and Coral’s industry leading 21 screen system and technology package.

Gary Bolton, Regional Manager for Coral, said:

“Our new Coral shop in the Merrion Centre represents a big investment for us in Leeds City Centre, bringing with it 5 new jobs to the area. With a state-of the-art customer experience that combines our fantastic screen system with an unrivalled level of customer service, we are pleased to be part of the fantastic Merrion Centre and all of the benefits it offers to the people of Leeds.”

The following week, on Friday 25 November, KFC’s new 2, 258 square foot, 62 seat restaurant will also open.  Operated by Chicken Cabins Ltd, it will be the first in Leeds city centre. 

David George, Operations Manager for Chicken Cabins Ltd, said:

“I’m thrilled to be able to make this announcement. We’re really excited about the prospect of opening our first restaurant in Leeds city centre in the Merrion Centre, and we can’t wait to welcome shoppers and local residents to the restaurant.”

The refurbishment also included external glazing to two other vacant units, the 2,000 sq ft former Jug and Bottle public house and a 2,800 sq ft basement unit which previously was a night club. The shop fronts of three existing occupiers KRCS, Stewarts News and Greggs have also been given a facelift as part of the work.

Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities said:

“It’s great to see this phase of development work almost complete and the units handed over to the two new occupiers.  We’ve used high quality materials consistent with other areas of the centre and the new look has been very well received by tenants and shoppers alike. Our units on Merrion Street and Wade Lane have been significantly upgraded, giving the shopping centre, and the street outside, a much smarter appearance. It’s a real coup to have the long-awaited KFC restaurant and flagship Coral shop as new tenants, each occupying a prominent location in the centre.  We are now talking to interested parties about the last two remaining units, and we anticipate announcing new occupiers soon.”

The offices above the shops, occupied by Q- Park, are also getting an external facelift and new windows. 
Savills (0113 2440100) and Brassington Rowan (0113 2422622) are the agents for the vacant units.

For more information on TCS visit www.tcs-plc.com.

The BBC Leeds Breakfast show did a feature on the history of the Merrion Centre and its future plans for the “New Front ”  on the Merrion Way side of the Merrion Centre.

Click on the links below to listen to the interview and to callers memories about the Merrion Centre.

As part of the Leeds Loves Shopping festival, The Merrion shopping centre treated customers to a day full of pampering.

The centre lined up style, beauty and health experts who offered free advice on hair, nutrition and fashion.  Customers enjoyed a personal shopping experience with the Merrion Centre’s own stylist, Superdrug provided free mini-makeovers, Supercuts and Hair@Pro Style gave hair style advice and free fringe cuts and Fantastic Feet offered taster sessions in their fish tanks as well as manicures.  The make-over prize was won by student Megan Phillips who had a mini makeover and manicure on the day.  There was also a bike pedalled smoothie maker on the day where customers pedalled their way to a free, healthy smoothie!

Rhinos superstar visits Merrion Centre

Keith Senior visited the Merrion Centre and signed copies of his autobiography “The Bald Truth” on Saturday 15th October.  Fans queued for hours waiting to get their books signed and for the chance of a photo opportunity with the star himself and the Superleague trophy.

Merrion Centre treats customers to a pampering day

As part of the month long, Leeds Loves Shopping festival, The Merrion shopping centre on Merrion Street in Leeds city centre is inviting customers down for a day dedicated to looking good and feeling great on Friday 21 October from 11am-4pm.
The centre has lined up style, beauty and health experts to offer free advice on hair, nutrition and fashion.
Customers can enjoy a personal shopping experience with the Merrion Centre’s own stylist who will be on-hand all day to give customers style advice and help them chose the perfect outfit for them. 
Superdrug will be providing free mini-makeovers, Supercuts and hair @ Pro Style will be giving hair style advice and Fantastic Feet will be offering taster sessions in their fish tank as well as manicures.
In addition, everyone that comes along on the day will get the chance to enter a competition to win a special makeover package.

National hairdressing company, Supercuts, has opened a new salon in Leeds city centre in the Merrion shopping centre.

Located next to Greggs and close to the Woodhouse Lane Street entrance, the salon will offer a 20 per cent discount to students and has a special opening offer of £9.95 for dry cuts for a limited period.
The hairdressing chain has 175 salons across the UK and offers haircuts from £13.95, colour slices from £3.95 and blow dries from £14.95. No appointment is required so Supercuts is perfect for people with busy schedules, last minute hair dilemmas or for a quick pick-me-up.
Supercuts adds to the range of health and beauty services available at the Merrion Centre that include Fantastic Feet, Queen Nails, Depicool, Aesthetique dental care, Inches and Workout World. Stores selling beauty products include Superdrug and Boots as well as Beautyline, who sell wigs, hair extensions and hair products.
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities who own and manage the Merrion Centre said: “This salon is an excellent addition to the health and beauty offer we have at the centre. Supercuts is a national chain that has a great reputation for offering value hairdressing for all the family, which means anyone can now afford to look good all the time. The brand fits really well with our other retailers and I’m sure will prove very popular with our customers.” 
Supercuts manager Justine Howard commented, “We believe style should not be compromised by price. Our team of stylists provide customers with fashionable, stylish haircuts and colours at affordable prices, making style accessible to everyone.  It’s great to be located in the Merrion Centre, Leeds most established shopping centre, alongside the other great value brands.”
Supercuts is the third salon to be based in the Merion Centre. Hair @ Pro Style is located on the balcony and Barbers 4 Men is on Wade Lane.

The Merrion shopping centre on Merrion Street in Leeds city centre held a successful Fresher’s Week special late-night ‘Shop ’n’ Bop’ shopping evening for students last night (Wednesday 21 September).

A DJ from the Oceana night club was on the decks through-out the evening and a temporary tattooist offered free temporary tattoos to everyone that attended. There were offers from some of the centre’s most popular eateries including Nosh, who offered a 50% discount on all food on the night, free cocktails from Woo Woo. Also the Grainger Games Hummer gave people the chance to have a go on the latest simulator games.

Everyone attending was be given a special Merrion Centre Student Discount voucher booklet packed with 100’s of pounds of savings and there was the chance to win a ‘student essentials’ hamper which was won by Portuguese second year Leeds Metropolitan University student Ricardo Godinho.

Located in the heart of Leeds city centre, only a 5 minute walk from Leeds University, the centre offers 100 shops, café and restaurants including Peacocks, Pound Stretcher, Shared Earth, Ryman, Greggs, Home Bargains, Wilkinsons, Priceless, Boots, Superdrug, Morrisons and Sainsbury making it the largest affordable shopping destination in the city.

Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities, who own the centre and organised the event said: “As we’re so close to the university, the Merrion Centre is very popular with students.  We’re the premier value shopping centre in Leeds, so ideal for anyone on a budget. We thought Fresher’s Week was a good opportunity to have a fun late-night shopping evening to introduce ourselves to students who are new to Leeds. This event was not exclusively for first year students.  We also wanted to welcome back all our regular student customers after the summer break. ”

Fresher’s Week special late night ‘Bop and Shop’ shopping event for students on Wednesday 21 September from 5-8pm

The Merrion shopping centre on Merrion Street in Leeds city centre is holding a Fresher’s Week special late night ‘Bop and Shop’ shopping event for students on Wednesday 21 September from 5-8pm.
There will be DJ from the Oceana night club on the decks through-out the evening and a temporary tattooist offering free temporary tattoos. There’ll be food and drink from some of the centre’s most popular eateries including Nosh, who will be offering a 50% discount on all food on the night, free cocktails from Woo Woo and food sampling from Cooplands and Jaldi Jaldi. Also the Grainger Games Hummer will be giving people the chance to have a go on the latest simulator games.
Everyone attending will be given a special Merrion Centre Student Discount voucher booklet that offers 100’s of pounds of savings and there’ll also be the chance to win a ‘student essentials’ hamper.
Located in the heart of Leeds city centre, only a 5 minute walk from Leeds University, the centre offers 100 shops, café and restaurants including Peacocks, Pound Stretcher, Shared Earth, Ryman, Greggs, Home Bargains, Wilkinsons, Priceless, Boots, Superdrug, Morrisons and Sainsbury making it the largest affordable shopping destination in the city.
Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities, who own the centre and organised the event said: “As we’re so close to the university, the Merrion Centre is very popular with students.  We’re the premier value shopping centre in Leeds, so ideal for anyone on a budget. We thought Fresher’s Week was a good opportunity to have a fun late-night shopping evening to introduce ourselves to students who are new to Leeds. This event is not exclusively for first year students.  We also want to welcome back all our regular student customers after the summer break. ”
For more information visit www.merrioncentre.co.uk or follow us on twitter @merrioncentre or on Facebook at facebook.com/themerrioncentre.

DJ, Free drinks, free food, unbeatable student discounts and great win a great student essentials hamper!

CALLING ALL STUDENTS TO THE MERRION CENTRE FOR LOADS OF ENTERTAINMENT, FREEBIES AND THE CHANCE TO WIN AN AMAZING HAMPER WORTH £100’s!

DJ sponsored by Oceana
Free drink
Free WOO WOO Cocktail voucher for every student
Free food and snacks
Grainger Games Hummer and simulator games
Temporary Tattoos
Vintage craft stall
Win a great Student Essentials Hamper - (included in the hamper ...mobile phone and accessories, stationery, duvet cover, headphones, toiletries, gift vouchers, quilt, chocolate hamper, voucher for a meal for two,  and loads of other great prizes to kit out your new halls or simply just to spoil yourself!) - Prize Draw will take place at 7.30pm!

Shakeaholic Milkshake Bar, is once again supporting St Georges Crypt, in helping them with their work with the homeless and vunerable people of Leeds.

Shakeaholic has launched a Charity Shake and are donating £1 from every sale to The Crypt. Each month the team at Shakeaholic will create a shake with 2 flavours and 2 toppings. Regular £3 , Large £3.70

In additon to the £1 charity donation,  this shake is also an excellent value as it would normally cost £4.10 for regular and £4.80 for large.

The team at Shakeaholic have already raised over £460 and are getting closer to their target of £500.

The July offer is Cadbury’s Caramel, Dairy milk with a whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles topping.

Property investment and development company , Town Centre Securities (TCS), has started a new phase of redevelopment work on the 1 million sq ft (92, 900 sq m) Merrion Shopping Centre in Leeds city centre.

The Leeds-based company is undertaking a major programme of facelift works to the retail units fronting Merrion St. This will consist of new shop frontages for new tenants, fast-food retailer KFC and Coral bookmakers, who take occupation in November. The three existing occupiers KRCS, Stewarts News and Greggs will also benefit from new frontages and will remain open throughout the redevelopment phase.
The refurbishment will also include external glazing to two vacant units, the 2,000 sq ft former Jug and Bottle public house and a 2,800 sq ft basement unit which previously was a night club known as Subculture. 
The work will involve the removal of the existing canopies on Merrion Street and Wade Lane.  New shop fronts along Merrion Street will be created with granite columns and new lighting.  The offices above will also get an external facelift and new windows.  The work will be completed by the end of this year.

Helen Beckett, Associate Director at Town Centre Securities said:
”This a key piece of real estate on the Leeds inner city loop road.  Our experience shows us that by attracting new tenants and enhancing frontages we can raise the profile of this prominent location. This substantial investment, which includes the introduction of high quality materials, will significantly improve the look of the centre, bringing benefits to all.  I’m really looking forward to seeing the completed works, but in the meantime all our shops and stores remain open and it’s business as usual.” 
Triton Construction is carrying out the work and Wake Architects of Huddersfield undertook the design work.  Savills (0113 2440100) and Brassington Rowan (0113 2422622) are the agents for the vacant units.
For more information on TCS visit www.tcs-plc.com.

Town Centre Securities PLC, represented by Savills and Brassington Rowan, has let units 74, 76-78 and 80 Merrion Street Leeds, to Coral Racing Ltd, KFC and KRCS, the Apple Franchisee respectively.

Coral Racing, has taken a store totalling 1,103 sq ft (102 sq m) and will pay £45,000 per annum. The bookmakers has agreed a new 10-year lease.

Chicken Cabins, the KFC Franchisee, has agreed a new 20-year lease on a unit totalling 2,258 sq ft (210 sq m). The fast food retailer will pay £70,000 per annum.

KRCS, the Apple Franchisee has taken a new 5 year lease on a store totalling 990 sq ft (92 sq m). KRCS will pay £46,000 per annum.

Units 74, 76 – 78 and 80 Merrion Street form part of the key piece of real estate on the Leeds inner city loop road which also includes The Merrion Centre and The Q Park Head Office at 72 Merrion Street. These properties are part of a redevelopment plan being undertaken by Town Centre Securities that will include new frontages, elevations, cladding and glazing.

Helen Beckett at Town Centre Securities, comments: ““We are looking to breathe life and presence back into this location by undertaking comprehensive improvements to the elevation and appearance to the building as well as introducing new national brand tenants. This project follows on from our successful façade enhancement project on Woodhouse Lane.”

Steve Henderson, director at Savills, comments: “The further improvements to the Merrion Street frontage of the scheme and the pre-lets secured shows the Merrions strong ability to attract national retailers of a high calibre.  The scheme continues to go from strength to strength as illustrated by these new lettings and the redevelopment.”

Savills is currently marketing 66 Merrion Street a former night club and 1-3 Merrion Street seeking a restaurant / coffee shop operator.

Coral Racing and KRCS were represented in house. Chicken Cabins Ltd was represented by King Sturge.

A fantastic time was had by all visiting the Merrion Centre today courtesy of the live demonstrations by Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Autographs were signed, and books and dvd’s were given away.  It was a pleasure having him here today, what an amazing experience!

To Celebrate Father's Day, shoppers were invited to take part in a 1km cycling challenge for the chance to “Win a Bike for their Dad”. After a thrilling day, we were down to three finalise all achieving the fastest time of the day- 2mins and 20secs, the fairest way to decide the main winner was to draw the names out a hat.

The lucky winner on the day was Oliver Harrison- who walked a way (or should that be cycled away) with his Bike. Commiserations to Philip Woodhead and Yanus Harrison- a huge thank you for taking part and to everyone else who took part on the day.

To celebrate, Leeds Loves Food (the city's annual food and drink festival) Jean-Christophe Novelli will be entertaining shoppers to a cooking demonstration right here at the Merrion Centre.

Jean-Christophe Novelli is a 5 AA Rosette and Michelin award winning chef, who is also dubbed “the nation’s favourite French Chef.

There will be 2 demonstration taking place on Friday 1st July- 1.30pm and 3pm!

This promises to be an exciting invent not to be missed.

It’s that time of year again when we all get terribly excited about the possibility of someone British winning Wimbledon

To ensure that you don’t miss a moment of the action whilst shopping, we will be showing the games right here in our very own Centre court, event will be taking place from 20th June- 3rd July.

This gorgeous Block Colour Vest is now available at Intercaionale for JUST £9.99 and is available in 2 different colours (orange & purple) .

You can also get your hands on this lovely cream peter pan collar shirt whichc is available in-store for only £7.99.

It's Father's Day (19th June) and what better way to show him you care than by taking part in the Merrion Centre's cycling challenge

There’s an apportunity for one lucky winner to bag a brand new top of the range bicycle for their dad.  Simply visit the Centre on Saturday 18th June (11am-3pm)and take part in our cycling challenge. 

To celebrate this half term, the Merrion Centre is offering Free face painting fun for all- 11am-3pm! Monday 30th May Wednesday 1st June Saturday 4th June.

Plus for all you gamers out there, The Grainger Games Hummer will be in the Centre all week ( 30th May- 5th June) get down and have a jam on Guitar Hero- FREE of charge!!

To celebrate Leeds Loves Rugby, the Merrion Centre in association with Leeds Rugby staged a fun filled event incorporating a catch and pass event with key Leeds Rhinos players (Brett Delaney and Luke Burgess)- free face painting fun for all, an appearance by the Radio Aire Dancers and of course the one and only Ronnie the Rhino. The event took place on Saturday 28th May from 11am-3pm.

For more pictures of the event- please click on the gallery link which is at the bottom of this page.

Following on from the success of 2010’s festival, Leeds Loves Rugby is returning. The festival is being delivered by Marketing Leeds and Leeds City Council in partnership with Leeds Rugby and RFL and is the second festival of its kind.

To celebrate, the Merrion Centre in association with Leeds Rugby will be staging a spectacular event featuring a catch and pass event with key Leeds Rhinos players (Brett Delaney and Luke Burgess), free face painting fun for all, an appearance by the Radio Aire Dancers and of course the one and only Ronnie the Rhino. This will take place in the Merrion Centre on Saturday 28th May from 11am-2pm.

The event promises to be a fun day out for the family and also presents the perfection opportunity for visitors to visit the new Leeds Rugby City Store which is now located in Merrion Centre in Leeds City!

The store specialises in all official ISC Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie Home and Away kits, training and leisure ranges and official accessories.

Sian Jones, Leeds Rugby’s Head of Customer Experience commented ‘What a great way to celebrate the Leeds Loves Rugby Festival by working closely with the Merrion Centre to promote our new City Store and the game of Rugby– this is an event not to be missed!! Bring your family and friends!

To Celebrate the Easter Holidays, The Centre hosted an range of entertainment which included an Easter Egg Hunt (1st-23rd April). Young detectives were given the opportunity to take part in an Easter egg hunt; 6 GOLDEN EGGS were hidden in shop windows throughout the Centre for kids to find.

The first 4 correct entries choosen at random were Sophie Craggs, Ben Robinson, Ishika Verma and Olivia Brown all each receiving a Large Thorntons Easter Egg, and vouchers to spend in the Centre courtesy of Shakeaholic and Priceless.

Shakeaholic Milkshake Bar, is once again supporting St Georges Crypt, in helping them with their work with the homeless and vunerable people of Leeds.

Shakeaholic has launched a Charity Shake and are donating £1 from every sale to The Crypt. Each month the team at Shakeaholic will create a shake with 2 flavours and 2 toppings. Regular £3 , Large £3.70

In additon to the £1 charity donation,  this shake is also an excellent value as it would normally cost £4.10 for regular and £4.80 for large.

The team at Shakeaholic have already raised over £305 and are getting closer to their target of £500.

The May offer is Galaxy Cookie Crumble and Flake with a whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles topping.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we are asked you to tell us why your mum was the best. In return the lucky mum would be be treated to a hotel break courtesy of Brook Hotels, delicious Thorntons treats and more…..

We are delighted to announce that the lucky winner of the competition was Keeley Borwne. A huge thank you to everyone that took part! Watch out for our next competition for your chance to win some fantastic prizes.

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we are asking you to tell us why your mum is best.

The lucky mum will be treated to a hotel break courtesy of Brook Hotels, delicious Thorntons treats and more….. To enter this fantastic competition simply pop into the Merrion Centre (11th March-2nd April) and fill out a form explaining why your mum is the best!
The lucky winner will be notified by Saturday 2nd April.
Good luck to all participants!

Looking for way to eggcite the family this Easter? The Merrion Centre has just the thing!

To Celebrate the Easter Holidays, The Centre is hosting a range of entertainment, competitions and fun (1st-23rd April).
Young detectives will have the opportunity to take part in an Easter egg hunt; 6 GOLDEN EGGS will be hidden in shop windows throughout the Centre for kids to find- entry forms are available from the Centre.

The first 4 correct entries will each receive a Thorntons Easter Egg, a cuddly toy and vouchers courtesy of Shakeaholic and Priceless.

Millie the Rabbit will also be returning to the Centre on saturday 23rd April, 11am-3pm.

As well as all of the above, there’s also FREE face painting fun for all, 11am-3pm.
Saturday- 2nd, 9th and 16th April
Monday- 4th, 11th and 25th April
Wednesday- 6th and 13th April
Friday- 22nd April.

Enjoy and Happy Easter to all!

The Leeds Rugby City Store has now moved to be in the Merrion Centre in Leeds City Centre. The store is situated in the northern mall just off the main central square of the centre, opposite Boots. The store will sell all official ISC Leeds Rhinos and Leeds Carnegie Home and Away kits, training and leisure ranges and official accessories.

David Woolman of Town Centre Securities PLC (Merrion Centre landlords) commented “We are very much looking forward to welcoming Leeds Rugby to the Merrion Centre. They will be a great addition to our retail mix and we are extremely excited in working with them on promotional initiatives in the future”.

To celebrate there will be a launch day on Saturday 12th March with Ronnie the Rhino, Terry the Terrier, the Radio Aire Dancers and Leeds Rhinos players who will be around the store and the centre from 11am-2pm (players will be there from 12pm-2pm). Sian Jones, Leeds Rugby’s Head of Customer Experience commented ’We are very excited about our new location and our new working relationship with the Merrion Centre, so don’t forget to come along the launch day and pick up your official merchandise to support your teams – plus whilst you are there get autographs and photos from your favourite mascots and players! Tell your family and friends too!’

The Merrion Centre, recently joined forces with the British Heart Foundation to celebrate National Wear Red Day (25th February) - shoppers and tenants were encouraged to wear red and take part in a rowing challenge. We are pleased to announce we raised over £180 on the day!

A huge Thank you to everyone that took part.

We are delighted to be welcoming the Leeds Rhinos Merchandise Store to the Merrion Centre- the new store will be the only Leeds Rhinos merchandise store in Leeds City Centre.

The store is due to open on Tuesday 1st March, and located on the northern mall opposite Boots and next to Nosh, So whether it’s a Leeds Rhinos or Leeds Carnegie kits or merchandise you are looking for, the new store will cater for all your needs.

At Thorntons we appreciate our mums and we are sure you do too, which is why Thorntons is holding a nationwide competition over the next six weeks, to find Thorntons’ Mum of the Year.

The six finalists, chosen at the end of April, will be invited with their families and our celebrity ambassador, Patsy Palmer, for an intimate champagne and chocolate tasting awards party in London. The lucky winner will be treated to a spa and hotel break courtesy of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, and of course some delicious Thorntons treats. To nominate your wonderful mum, simply pop into your nearest store and fill out a form, explaining why your mum is the best, and Thorntons will give you a complimentary chocolate as an extra little indulgence.
Alternatively, if you can’t get to a store go to:  http://www.thorntons.co.uk/mumoftheyear

Jongleurs Comedy Nights coming to Oceana, Leeds- very soon! Showcases every Friday and Saturday.

The Merrion Centre recently teamed up with 38 Bath Street ( The home of serviced Comfort) to offer one lucky shopper a two-night luxury break for two in Glasgow, Scotland. The prize also included, travel, accommodation, dinner, flowers and more.

The lucky winner of the competition was Stephen Hennessey from Leeds. A huge thank you to everyone that took part! Watch out for our next competition for your chance to win some fantastic prizes.

The LEAP Valentine's Trade Fair was recently held at the Merrion Centre- with each individual stalls seling Valentine's gift ideas.

Treat Me Sweet were awarded the ‘Best Trade Stand’ and were presented with a trophy and gift vouchers to spend in Shakeaholic.
Whilst second place was awarded to Perfect Recipe and thrid place went to Paper Chain- all also receiving Shakeaholic vouchers. The awards were presented to each stall by entrepreneur Richard Furnival, owner of Shakeaholic in the Merrion Centre.
Congratulations to all competitors and good luck.

In February, The Merrion Centre will team up with The British Heart Foundation (BHF) to celebrate National Wear Red Day (25th February)

Shoppers and tenants will be encouraged to wear red and donate £2 to BHF. Other events on the day will include a rowing challenge (for a donation) where participants would be encouraged to row the distance from Leeds to London in one day.

The LEAP Trade Fair, is once again taking place at the Merrion Centre (Saturday, 12th February), with individual stalls selling Valentine’s gift ideas.

The ‘Best Trade Stand’ on the day will be awarded with a trophy and gift vouchers courtesy of Shakeaholic (The ultimate Milkshake Experience). Whilst second and thrid place will also receive gift vouchers. The awards will be presented to each stall by Richard Furnival ( Owner of Shakeaholic, Merrion Centre).
Good Luck to all competitors.

Win a Weekend Break for Two in Scotland

The Merrion Centre has teamed up with 38 Bath Street ( The Home of Serviced Comfort) to offer a two-night luxury break for two in Glasgow, Scotland.
The prize includes: Travel, Accommodation, Dinner, Champagne, Flowers, Chocolates and Spending Money.

Simply pick up an entry form from the collection point or participating retailers at the Centre from Friday 21st January, select the correct answer and post your entry into our post box by 2pm on Saturday 12th February for your chance to win.

Please note most be over 18 years old.

To celebrate this February Half Term, The Merrion Centre will be offering FREE family fun.

Events taking place include Free Face Painting on Saturday 19th, Monday 21st, Wednesday 23rd & Saturday 26th and on Friday 25th, we are delighted to once again be welcoming Circus Performers (The Rapide Brothers). All events will be taking place from 11am-3pm.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of four new retailers at the Merrion Centre , Aura- Jewelery, Beauty Line- Hair and Beauty Products, Daydreamers Flowers and Business Support & Development are all NOW open.

Beat the VAT increase.....We are pleased to announce that we have extended our weekend parking offer.

£1 per hour for your first 3 hours parking- so why queue anywhere else!

Terms and conditions
1. Offer is only for your first 3 hours- if parking exceeds the 3 hours tariffs then normal tariffs will apply.
2. Offer is only valid on Saturdays and Sundays
3. Offer valid till 30th June 2011
4. No cash alternative
5. This offer can not be used in conjunction with any other promotion.
6. Town Centre Car Parks decison is final.

In keeping with the traditional Christmas spirit, the Centre’s Christmas decorations came complete with Santa’s Magical Grotto.

Entry to the grotto was free; however donations were welcomed with all proceeds going to our nominated charity, the NSPCC. We are pleased to announce that over £600 was raised for the charity.
Thank you to all who donation.

The LEAP Christmas Trade Fair was recently held at the Merrion Centre- with each individual stalls seling festive and vintage gift ideas.

S.W.A.L.K were awarded the ‘Best Trade Stand’ and were presented with a trophy and gift vouchers to spend in the Centre.
Whilst second place was awarded to Treat Me Sweet and thrid place went to Perfect Recipe- all also receiving gift vouchers. The awards were presented to each stall by Centre’s Manager Andrew Stringer.
Congratulations to all competitors and good luck.

In October the Merrion Centre ran a competition welcoming all students back to Leeds .

To be in with a chance of winning all that was required was a to answer a question based on Big Brother and submitted by October 30th. The first 5 correct entries were then chosen with each receive lucky winner been awarded £50 worth of vouchers to spend in the Centre.
The lucky winners have now been selected and are Robert Park, Sarah Petre, Scott Smith, Heather Ining, and Rosanna McKay all from Leeds.
A huge thank you to everyone else that took part.

Town Centre Securities PLC, represented by Savills and Brassington Rowan, has let units 5, 50 and 74 at the Merrion Centre, Leeds to Hair City UK Ltd, Business Support & Development and AURA Stores Ltd respectively.

Hair City UK ltd, trading as the Beauty Line has taken its second store in Leeds City Centre totalling 1,161 sq ft (108 sq m) and will pay £23,000 per annum. The hair and beauty retailer has agreed a new five year lease.

Business Support & Development has agreed a new five year lease on a unit totalling 732 sq ft (68 sq m). Specialising in education and development services and courses, Business Support & Development will pay £12,500 per annum.

AURA Stores Ltd has taken a unit totalling 888 sq ft (82 sq m) and will pay £20,400 per annum. The Ladies accessories retailer has agreed a new one year lease.

Steve Henderson, associate director at Savills, comments: “These three new lettings will further strength the tenant mix and help to attract new shoppers thereby helping to drive footfall up at the Merrion Centre.” 
Helen Beckett, associate director Town Centre Securities PLC, adds:  ‘We are delighted to conclude three more lettings at Merrion Centre which brings our void level down to circa 2%, demonstrating the resilience of the Merrion Centre.  We are also very pleased to be working with local and regional tenants such as Hair City and Business Support and Development as they expand their businesses.”

Hair City UK Ltd, Business Support & Development and AURA Stores were all unrepresented.

We are pleased to annouce that Jaldi Jaldi by Mumtaz is now opened on Woodhouse Lane. Jaldi Jaldi specialises in fast, good quality Asian cuisine at affordable prices.

We are please to announce that the LEAP trade fair, will be taking place at the Merrion Centre on Saturday 11th December from 9am onwards.

LEAP is a registered charity [1118612] that enables students to set up their own companies for a school year, learning business skills, teamwork and problem solving, and gaining confidence and “sellable” skills.
The students [14 to 17] must raise their own share capital, choose and make or buy a product, write a business plan and market the product.  At the end of the year they have to present their Company and its results to a panel of Business Advisers and write an Annual Report with financial accounts.
This process prepares them for job and university interviews [giving them skills and confidence] and may even help them to set up their own companies later on.
LEAP is completely run by volunteers from schools and business and supported by local businesses.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Merrion Centre's Baking Competition in aid of Children in Need. A great day was had by all and lots of money was raised for a great cause.

The competition was opened to everyone (shoppers, tenants, staff and colleagues), There were three categories within the Bake Off, Biscuits & Brownies, Cupcakes & Buns and Large Cakes. Congratulations to Joanne Allen (from Inches)  who won the large cakes category, Alison Levelle winner of the biscuits & brownies category & Jo Medland winner of the cupcakes & buns category. Jo Medland was also the overall winner and was crowned Leeds Best Amateur Baker 2010. A huge thank you to Rena Gueller (The Box Tree) and the rest of our judges for a fantastic day.

Yule better watch out…. Yule better beware because Santa Clause is coming to town (Merrion Centre) so Yule better be there!! 28th November- 24th December

In keeping with the traditional Christmas spirit the Merrion Centre’s Christmas decorations will be bigger, better and brighter than ever as its coming complete with Santa’s Magical Grotto- where children and adults alike will have the chance to meet Santa and his little helpers.
Whether it’s fantastic family fun and entertainment or sensational seasonal shopping, there’s something for everyone at the Merrion Centre this Christmas. Entry to Santa’s Grotto is FREE, however donations are welcomed with all proceeds going directly to Childline.
Seasons Greeting from everyone at the Merrion Centre.

It’s that time of year and once again we are aiming to raise as much money as possible for Children in Need (Friday November 19th). This year we are searching for Leeds Best Amateur Baker! We propose to do this by holding a baking competition, open to everyone (shoppers, tenants, staff and colleagues), here at the Merrion Centre. All entries must be in by Midday on November 19th and delivered to Unit 50 (Next to Ramsdens) on the Upper Ground Floor.

There will be three categories within the Bake Off;
1 Biscuits – 4 homemade biscuits – this category includes all biscuits, brownies, flapjacks and any other tray bakes
2 Small cakes – 4 small individual cakes – this category includes cupcakes, small buns, scones and muffins.
3 Individual ‘large’ cake – one single cake capable of being cut into slices, for example carrot cake, Victoria sandwich, fruitcake and the like.

A £2 donation is required per entry with all proceeds going straight to charity. 

The competition will be judged by the one and only Rene Gueller (Owner of Box Tree, Ilkley, one of Yorkshire’s finest restaurant).

Four of the most appetising looking entries from each category will be selected to go through to the taste test round. A winner from each category will then be selected and one of these entrants will be crowned Leeds Best Baker.

During the afternoon we will be offering cakes to staff, visitors and shoppers here at the Merrion Centre in return for further donations!

In addition to raising money for Children in Need we hope to introduce more vitality, excitement and fun on the Malls as well as PR for the Centre and winners!!  Fire up the oven, get the wooden spoon out and get practising!! 

Good luck to all competitors

Park for a £1 per hour.

To make the festive season a little easier to handle we are offering you the best value weekend parking in the city during the months of November and December.

We are offering a £1 per hour for your first 3 hours parking- so why queue at other venues.

Terms and conditions
1. Offer is only for your first 3 hours- if parking exceeds the 3 hours tariffs then normal tariffs will apply.
2. Offer is only valid on Saturdays and Sundays till 30th June 2011
3. No cash alternative
4. This offer can not be used in conjunction with any other promotion.
5. Town Centre Car Parks decison is final.

We would like to thank Priceless shoes, Hair@Prostyle, Shared Earth, Third Estate, Peacocks, British Heart Foundation, Antique Boutique, Superdrug, TShirt Print, Three Store, Shakeaholic, Miss Leeds (Rebecca Geldard) and everyone else who took part in the first ever Merrion Centre fashion show. It was a fantastic day and all the models and collections looked amazing. Hopefully we'll be doing the same again soon.

As you are all probably aware Merrion was short listed for Best Shopping Centre at the Leeds Retail Awards 2010, for the very first time.

Whilst unfortunately we didn’t win 1st prize on this occasion, we did achieve 3rd place, narrowly beaten by VQ (1st) and Whiterose (2nd) and from which we take great pleasure in gaining more votes than our competitors who were also in the same category.

A huge thank you to all those who voted for us and well done to the MERRION TEAM.

Next time…....

Thank you again

We are pleased to announce that we we have been shortlisted for Best Shopping Centre at the Leeds Retail Awards. To vote for us to win please click on the following link http://www.leedsretailawards.com/vote/

Voting lines close at 12pm on Thursday 14th October- so be quick! Thank you.

To celebrate Leeds Loves shopping (an annual celebration of style in the city, 14th- 24th October) we are delighted to invite you all to a unique fashion show which showcases work from independent designers in the City.

The Merrion Centre will be collaborating with Leeds Markets (How Bizaar Quarters) to bring you an exciting event.
Be dazzled as the independent and national retailers of the Merrion Centre take to the catwalk to showcase their winter/autumn range. Be astonished as the independent retailer of the Leeds Market showcase an amazing selection of exciting work from local design studios.
The event will be taking place right here in the Merrion Centre on Saturday 23rd Oct, from 12-2pm.

The Merrion Centre is pleased to announce the arrival of two new tenants to the upper ground level- Depicool and Lily’s Café Bar.

Depicool specialises in Intense Pulsed Light permanent hair reduction, which is a widely recognised as being one of the most effective, long lasting and relatively painless ways to get rid oh wanted hair. To celebrate they are offering a special offer discount of £25 off simply quote DEP107 or print off the attached vouchers.

Lily’s is a family run business which has been established in the catering industry for over 6 years. Lily’s Café Bar specialises in locally sourced, home made produce in a comfortable and contemporary surroundings. Whether you are looking to cater for a corporate event, a wedding or just somewhere to grab a snack or a main meal, Lily’s can cater for all.

To celebrate Back to School, the Merrion Centre ran a competition giving away £250 worth of vouchers to one Lucky winner to spend at any retailer of their choice within the Centre.

The competition ran throughout August and the lucky winner was David Jordan from Leeds who chose to spend his vouchers at Morrisons and Boots.

Congratulations David and thank you to everyone that took part.

To help ease you into the student life, the Merrion Centre is giving away up to £250 worth of vouchers to spend in the Centre.

To be in with a chance of winning simply visit the Centre and pick up an entry form from the collection point by October 30th.

The first 5 correct entries will each receive £50 worth of vouchers to spend in a retailer of their choice.

Good luck from the Merrion Centre.

It’s been a busy period for The Merrion Centre. We are pleased to announce the arrival of 7 new retailers.

Shoetech, Stitch Express, Cheque Centre, Internacionale, and British Heart Foundation are all now open.

Coming soon are: Jaldi Jaldi by Mumtaz offering fast good quality Asian cuisine, and Depicool specialists in permanent hair reduction. 

The Picture House fought off stiff competition to be named Best Leeds Pub and overall winner at the Best Bar none awards.

To celebrate the Leeds Loves Food festival Lesley Waters (one of the most successful female chefs) entertained visitors with a cookery demonstration on the malls.

A free food tasting event with key food retailers also took place which included; a taste of the East with Maliks restaurant, chocolate heaven with Thornton’s, pastries and treats with Cooplands and free milkshake sampling with Shakeaholics.

Football mania was truly alive in the centre during the months of June/July as the Merrion Centre Stadium was unveiled to ensure that the World Cup Football was available to all visitors whilst they shopped.

In July, Town Centre Securities and the Merrion Centre presented a new Sunshine Coach to the Variety Club of Great Britain.

The Sunshine Coaches are an essential resource for providing support and travel assistance to disadvantaged children across the country.

Never ones to rest, The Merrion Centre management team will be participating in the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge for Help 4 Heroes.

The challenge is to complete all peaks in less than 12 hours. Last year the Centre raised £4,600 for the same charity by conquering Snowdon.