New Mersey Shopping Park

New Mersey Shopping Park is an out-of-town retail and leisure destination in Speke, Liverpool, England. The park is positioned alongside the A561, approximately five miles, or eight kilometres, south-east of Liverpool city centre, and close to Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Its location gives it a catchment extending beyond the immediate Speke area, serving local residents, airport-area visitors and customers travelling by car from across Merseyside. The shopping park opened in 1985 and developed in stages rather than emerging as a single, fully completed scheme. A substantial phase of construction took place between 1999 and 2000, when the complex contained 31 units and provided a combined gross internal floor area of approximately 472,605 square feet, or 43,906 square metres. The site has subsequently expanded through the addition of units south of the A561, adjacent to the former Speke Airport terminal building, which has since become the Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport hotel. New Mersey combines conventional retail units with extensive surface parking. The park has approximately 1,850 parking spaces, supporting a car-oriented shopping model typical of major suburban and edge-of-town retail destinations. Its tenant mix has included large-format retail and food-and-beverage operators, although the precise occupier roster can change over time and is not treated here as a permanent brand portfolio. A dedicated leisure area opened in 2018, broadening the destination beyond shopping. Its reported attractions and restaurants include an 11-screen Cineworld cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Ninja Warrior UK and a range of casual-dining and quick-service restaurants such as McDonald's, Nando's, Wagamama, TGI Fridays, PizzaExpress, Five Guys and Popeyes. This leisure-led expansion strengthened the park's role as an evening and family destination as well as a retail location. In the 2020s, local reporting has covered proposals and activity connected with new outdoor-market concepts at the park, including the Big Kahuna market, as well as site-level changes such as the installation of a postbox. Other reporting has discussed speculation concerning the future of B&Q's presence in Merseyside. These items indicate an evolving tenant and amenity mix, but they do not by themselves establish permanent ownership changes, confirmed closures or a new operating model. New Mersey Shopping Park remains an active Liverpool-area retail and leisure complex.

New Mersey Shopping Park is an edge-of-town retail destination in Speke, in the south-eastern part of Liverpool. It opened in 1985 alongside the A561, a major road linking the area with Liverpool and the airport corridor. The park's setting near Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the former Speke Airport terminal gave it a distinctive position between a major urban centre, residential districts and a significant transport hub. The development expanded substantially around the turn of the millennium. Much of the construction activity occurred from 1999 to 2000, when the complex was reported to comprise 31 units with a combined gross internal floor area of about 472,605 square feet. This phase established the scale and format associated with the park: multiple retail units, extensive vehicle access and parking, and a tenant mix aimed at routine shopping as well as destination visits. Further building took place south of the A561, next to the former airport terminal. The terminal building was later repurposed as the Crowne Plaza Liverpool John Lennon Airport hotel, creating an additional point of reference and visitor infrastructure beside the shopping park. The expansion means that the New Mersey name refers to a wider retail and leisure setting rather than only the earliest group of units. The park's approximately 1,850 parking spaces support a predominantly car-based operating model. This is consistent with its out-of-town location and its role in serving shoppers from across Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area. As with other retail parks, its occupier mix is subject to commercial leasing decisions and may change over time; the site should therefore be understood as a destination brand rather than as a fixed list of retailers. A major shift in the site's offer came with the opening of a leisure area in 2018. The new area introduced an 11-screen Cineworld cinema alongside bowling, activity-based entertainment and restaurants. Reported operators have included Hollywood Bowl, Ninja Warrior UK, McDonald's, Nando's, Wagamama, TGI Fridays, PizzaExpress, Five Guys and Popeyes. The addition of these uses extended the park's trading hours and made it more suitable for family outings, social visits and evening entertainment. Later local coverage has focused on incremental changes and proposed additions rather than on a single major redevelopment. Reports have discussed outdoor-market activity, including the Big Kahuna concept, and smaller customer amenities such as a postbox. Local media have also reported on speculation surrounding B&Q's future in Merseyside, while noting the retailer's response. The available material does not confirm a definitive closure, ownership transaction or comprehensive rebranding. New Mersey Shopping Park therefore remains best described as an active retail-and-leisure park whose identity is shaped by its location, accessible parking, changing occupier base and increasingly broad entertainment offer.

• 2025

  Customer amenity and market activity receive local coverage

  [4]Postbox installed at retail parkliverpoolecho.co.uk

  Local reporting covers a newly installed postbox and outdoor-market plans or activity associated with the park.

• 2018

  Leisure area opens

  [1]New Mersey Shopping Parken.wikipedia.org

  A leisure area opens with an 11-screen Cineworld cinema, restaurants and attractions including bowling and Ninja Warrior UK.

• 2000

  Expanded retail complex established

  [1]New Mersey Shopping Parken.wikipedia.org

  The principal turn-of-the-millennium construction phase is completed, establishing the park's larger retail format.

• 1999

  Major construction phase begins

  [1]New Mersey Shopping Parken.wikipedia.org

  A substantial expansion and construction period begins, continuing into 2000 and bringing the complex to 31 units and approximately 472,605 square feet of gross internal floor area.

• 1985

  Shopping park opens

  [1]New Mersey Shopping Parken.wikipedia.org

  New Mersey Shopping Park opens as an out-of-town retail destination in Speke, Liverpool, beside the A561.

A car-oriented suburban retail park that combines large-format shopping with restaurants, cinema and family leisure, serving Speke, wider Liverpool and airport-area visitors.

• Retail · 1985

  Retail units

  The core offer consists of multiple retail units serving shoppers in Speke, Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area. The park has historically accommodated large-format and destination retailers, with the exact tenant roster changing as leases and trading strategies develop.

• Leisure and entertainment · 2018

  New Mersey leisure area

  Opened in 2018, the leisure area adds entertainment and food-led uses to the retail park. Its reported facilities include an 11-screen Cineworld cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Ninja Warrior UK and a cluster of casual-dining and quick-service restaurants.

• Restaurants · 2018

  Food and beverage cluster

  The park's leisure expansion includes a broad collection of restaurants and quick-service venues. Reported operators include McDonald's, Nando's, Wagamama, TGI Fridays, PizzaExpress, Five Guys and Popeyes; individual occupancies may change over time.

• Markets and events

  Outdoor market concepts

  Local publications have reported plans or launch activity for outdoor-market concepts at the park, including the Big Kahuna market. These initiatives add temporary or event-based trading and visitor activity alongside the permanent retail and leisure offer.

• Big Kahuna outdoor market

  Liverpool · United Kingdom

  A proposed or launched outdoor-market concept associated with New Mersey Shopping Park and covered by local Liverpool media.

  Outcome. The available references establish local publicity and launch plans but do not provide a verified long-term performance outcome.

  Source

• 2018

  Retail-and-leisure expansionStrategy

  Background

  The park sought to broaden its destination appeal beyond conventional shopping and make better use of the site for dining, entertainment and family visits.

  Action taken

  A leisure area opened with an 11-screen cinema, restaurants and attractions including bowling and Ninja Warrior UK.

  Aftermath

  The development added evening, social and family-oriented uses to the park and reinforced its role as a combined retail and leisure destination.

  Source

• Outdoor-market activity considered for the siteOther

  Background

  Local coverage described plans to introduce an outdoor market as an additional attraction at New Mersey Shopping Park.

  Action taken

  Market concepts, including Big Kahuna, were publicised for the park.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not establish whether the market became a permanent part of the site's operating model.

  Source

1. 1New Mersey Shopping Parken.wikipedia.org
2. 2New outdoor market set to launch in Liverpoollbndaily.co.uk
3. 3Liverpool's new Big Kahuna market to launch at New Mersey Shopping Parktheguideliverpool.com
4. 4Postbox installed at retail parkliverpoolecho.co.uk
5. 5B&Q responds to speculation over future in Merseysideliverpoolecho.co.uk