St George's Shopping Centre

St George's Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in the centre of Preston, Lancashire, England. The centre opened in November 1964 under its original name, St George's Shopping Centre. It was initially designed as an open-air retail complex, with the central area known as the Bullring. A major refurbishment in 1981 introduced a roof over the centre, transforming it into an enclosed shopping environment. Further refurbishment took place in 1999. The centre changed ownership and identity during the 2000s. When The Mall Fund acquired it in May 2004, the property was described as ageing and in need of substantial renewal. It was subsequently rebranded as The Mall Preston, and a large redevelopment programme was undertaken. The works covered retail units, smaller stalls, cafés, restaurants, toilets, escalators and other customer facilities. The Mall Company also introduced information screens and Ask Me points, allowing visitors to obtain directions and general assistance from centre staff. In March 2010, Aviva Investors acquired the centre for £87 million. Later that year, in September, the property returned to its original St George's Shopping Centre identity. The centre was sold again in 2015, reportedly for £73 million, to IRAF UK Dragon. After IRAF UK Dragon entered administration in 2021, the centre was sold to the Adhan Group. Architecturally, the centre is organised around a large circular, glass-roofed rotunda occupying the site of the former open-air Bullring. The rotunda is now associated with a Costa Coffee outlet and connects to a series of halls and promenades lined with shops and kiosks. Glass roofs and glazed walls form prominent parts of the internal environment. A two-storey route connects the centre with Friargate, while another route reaches Fishergate from the upper level. A lower-level route toward Lune Street was closed in 2019 after extensive vacancy among the units along that part of the centre; the former route was removed and replaced by a Matalan store. The Fishergate entrance and the corridors connecting Fishergate and Lune Street with the central rotunda were refurbished in 2016. The centre also incorporates offices on an upper floor and has a multi-storey car park above the retail areas, accessed from Lune Street. Its city-centre location places it close to Preston's principal shopping streets, the railway station and the bus station. A Park & Ride bus stop is located outside the Lune Street entrance, and Fishergate is served by several local bus routes. The centre's history therefore reflects the changing requirements of urban retail property: it evolved from an open-air 1960s development into a covered mall, underwent successive ownership and branding changes, and adapted its layout in response to changing tenant demand.

St George's Shopping Centre opened in November 1964 in central Preston. Its original configuration was an open-air shopping centre, and its central public space was known as the Bullring. The development occupied an important position between Preston's main commercial streets, Fishergate and Friargate, with connections toward Lune Street and access to the city's wider transport network. The centre was enclosed during refurbishment in 1981. The addition of a roof changed the character of the property from an open-air retail precinct into a covered shopping centre suitable for year-round use. Another refurbishment followed in 1999, updating parts of the retail environment before a major ownership and branding change in the following decade. In May 2004, The Mall Fund took over the centre. At that point the property was considered dated, so the new ownership pursued a substantial redevelopment and rebranding programme. The centre became The Mall Preston, also referred to as The Mall St George. The works included the modernisation of shops and smaller stalls, cafés, restaurants, toilets, escalators and other common areas. Customer information infrastructure was also expanded. Television screens provided information and news, while Ask Me points gave visitors access to staff assistance for directions and other enquiries. Aviva Investors acquired the property in March 2010 for a reported £87 million. In September of the same year, the centre was renamed St George's Shopping Centre, restoring the historical identity used when it first opened. The property changed hands again in 2015, when IRAF UK Dragon acquired it for a reported £73 million. Physical improvements continued after the ownership changes. In 2016, the Fishergate entrance and the connecting corridors from the Fishergate and Lune Street entrances to the central rotunda were refurbished. The centre's layout later changed in response to vacant retail space. In 2019, the Lune Street entrance and its corridor were closed because many of the units along that route were empty. Although the corridor had been refurbished only three years earlier, it was removed and the space was replaced by a Matalan store. IRAF UK Dragon entered administration in 2021, after which the centre was sold to the Adhan Group. The centre remains organised around a circular glass-roofed rotunda, with retail halls and promenades radiating from it. The rotunda occupies the former Bullring area and includes a Costa Coffee outlet. A two-storey hall leads toward Friargate, and an upper-level hall connects with Fishergate. Offices occupy part of the third floor, which also provides access to the centre's car park. The centre operates a multi-storey car park above the retail areas, accessed from Lune Street. Its location continues to be a defining feature. St George's is within walking distance of Preston railway station and Preston bus station, sits between Fishergate and Friargate, and is served by local bus routes. A Preston Park & Ride stop is located outside the Lune Street entrance. The centre's development history illustrates the cyclical nature of urban shopping property, including enclosure, modernisation, rebranding, multiple ownership transfers and the remodelling of space in response to changing tenant demand.

• 2021

  Adhan Group becomes owner

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  Following IRAF UK Dragon's administration, ownership transfers to the Adhan Group.

• 2019

  Lune Street route closes

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The Lune Street entrance and corridor are closed amid substantial vacancy, and the former route is replaced by a Matalan store.

• 2016

  Fishergate entrance refurbishment

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The Fishergate entrance and routes toward the central rotunda are refurbished.

• 2015

  Sale to IRAF UK Dragon

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The centre is sold to IRAF UK Dragon for a reported £73 million.

• 2010

  Aviva Investors acquisition

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  Aviva Investors acquires the centre in March for a reported £87 million.

• 2010

  Return to the St George's identity

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The Mall is rebranded as St George's Shopping Centre in September.

• 2004

  The Mall Fund takes over and launches redevelopment

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The new owner rebrands the property as The Mall and begins a major overhaul of retail units and customer facilities.

• 1999

  Further refurbishment

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The centre undergoes another refurbishment before its major 2000s redevelopment.

• 1981

  Centre is roofed over

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  A refurbishment encloses the previously open-air centre and creates a covered shopping environment.

• 1964

  Centre opens as St George's Shopping Centre

  [1]St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org

  The shopping centre opens in November as an open-air retail development in central Preston.

A centrally located, accessible shopping destination serving Preston residents, workers, visitors and public-transport users, with a mix of retail, food, services and convenience offers.

• Retail property · 1964

  Shopping centre retail space

  The centre provides a collection of shops, smaller stalls and service units arranged along internal halls and promenades. Its tenant mix has included fashion, general merchandise, food and beverage, and other city-centre retail services. The configuration has changed over time as units were refurbished, consolidated or repurposed.

• Food and drink

  Food and beverage area

  Food and beverage businesses form part of the centre's visitor offer. The central rotunda is associated with a Costa Coffee outlet, while earlier redevelopment work also upgraded cafés and restaurants within the property.

• Parking and visitor facilities

  Multi-storey car park

  A multi-storey car park is integrated above the shopping centre. Vehicles access it from Lune Street, providing parking for visitors to the centre and the surrounding central retail district.

• 2019

  Closure and replacement of the Lune Street corridorStrategy

  Background

  Most shop units along the Lune Street route were vacant.

  Action taken

  The Lune Street entrance and corridor were closed and the corridor was removed, with a Matalan store occupying the replacement space.

  Aftermath

  The centre's internal circulation no longer included the former lower-level route to Lune Street.

  Source

• 2016

  Entrance and circulation refurbishmentOther

  Background

  Parts of the centre required further physical improvement after the earlier redevelopment programme.

  Action taken

  The Fishergate entrance and corridors connecting the main entrances with the central rotunda were refurbished.

  Aftermath

  The improved routes remained part of the centre's circulation until later changes affected the Lune Street connection.

  Source

• 2015

  Sale to IRAF UK DragonM&A

  Background

  The centre was sold again five years after its acquisition by Aviva Investors.

  Action taken

  IRAF UK Dragon acquired the property for a reported £73 million.

  Aftermath

  IRAF UK Dragon remained the owner until entering administration in 2021.

  Reported sale price. £73 million (2015)

  Source

• 2010

  Sale to Aviva InvestorsM&A

  Background

  The shopping centre changed ownership during a period of continuing repositioning.

  Action taken

  Aviva Investors acquired the centre in March 2010 for a reported £87 million.

  Aftermath

  The property was rebranded under its original name later that year.

  Reported acquisition price. £87 million (March 2010)

  Source

• 2010

  Restoration of the original brand nameStrategy

  Background

  The centre had operated under The Mall branding since the 2004 ownership change.

  Action taken

  The property was renamed St George's Shopping Centre in September 2010.

  Aftermath

  The original identity was restored and remains the centre's current name.

  Source

• 2004

  Redevelopment and rebranding as The MallStrategy

  Background

  The centre was regarded as ageing when The Mall Fund acquired it.

  Action taken

  The owner rebranded the centre and undertook extensive improvements to shops, stalls, food outlets, amenities and circulation systems, while adding information screens and Ask Me points.

  Aftermath

  The property operated under The Mall identity until it returned to the St George's name in 2010.

  Source

1. 1St George's Shopping Centre (Preston)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2St George's Shopping Centre official websitestgeorgespreston.co.uk