Merseyway Shopping Centre

Merseyway Shopping Centre is a large shopping centre in Stockport, England. Adjoining onto Mersey Square, it forms the basis of the town's main shopping area. Opened in 1965 and extensively refurbished in the 1990s, it consists mainly of a large pedestrianised area built on stilts over the River Mersey. There are two levels of walkways giving access to the retail units. Merseyway is mostly an open air precinct, though the front area (at the western end) was given a canopy in the 1990s and is now enclosed forming a small mall.The developer was Hammerson who also owned the centre until 2003 when they sold the leasehold to a private property company (Stockport Holdings Ltd) owned by the Jersey-based Halabi family trust. In 2009, the centre was placed into receivership.The anchor stores are Debenhams and Marks & Spencer and there are approximately 85 other retailers.. To the south and east of the centre are the Peel Centre and the towns' historic Market.The centre and Stockport's shopping area attract about 14 million visitors per year, making it a prominent shopping destination in the Greater Manchester Urban Area. Its catchment covers much of the affluent areas of North Cheshire and South Manchester, competing with other major retail destinations in the area such as Manchester City Centre, Ashton-under-Lyne and the Trafford Centre. The centre also hosts numerous promotional events at Christmas and throughout the year.