UK’s first ever shopping centre gets 150 brand new stores as it celebrates huge milestone | UK | News
Brent Cross in north west London turns 50 this week after first opening in March 1976. (Image: Getty)
It was the first out-of-town and American-style indoor shopping centre in the country, opened by the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III on 2nd March, 1976, 50 years ago today. In its day it was considered the height of modern retail experience and was the forerunner to the likes of Lakeside, Bluewater and more recently Westfield. Developed by Hammerson, its construction took 19 years to complete at a cost of £20 million and while the Elephant and Castle shopping centre in London pre-dates it that was not considered to be a fully covered building and so wasn’t considered to be a truly modern shopping centre in the style of the American all weather malls.
However local traders opposed its opening. Today though it is undergoing a huge redevelopment with new stores expanding and opening in 2026. What started out as 800,000 sq ft (74,320 m2) of retail space on a 52-acre will more than double in size with will to approximately 2 million square feet of retail and leisure space. The expanded centre will feature up to 150 new retail stores, 50 new restaurants, a cinema complex, and a new hotel.
Brent Cross Shopping Centre in Hendon, north-west London is undergoing a massive expansion which will feature up to 150 new retail stores, 50 new restaurants, a cinema complex, and a new hotelas part of a broader £8 billion Brent Cross Town project that will be continually adding new retail, leisure and public spaces through 2026.
The project aims to make the centre one of the largest retail destinations in the UK. JD Sports, while already present at Brent Cross has unveiled an upsized “bigger, better: 12,066 sq ft store in the main shopping centre.
Newbie, the trendy Swedish clothing brand is expanding into Brent Cross with a store featuring its ‘pre-loved’ second-hand concept.
Urban Leisure Group’s 7,400 sq ft venue will be the first hospitality offering in the heart of new public space, Neighbourhood Square.Locals and visitors will enjoy seasonal dishes, and an excellent selection of drinks to enjoy with indoor and outdoor seating area. This will be the 10th venue by Urban Leisure Group, the team behind Alice House in West Hampstead and Queens Park, Coin Laundry on Exmouth Market and Heist Bank in Paddington. This venue is set to open its doors in Spring.
Late last year the Co-op opened a 3000sq ft store in Brent Cross town as part of the redevelopment of the area. Located at 8 Aviator Drive in Neighbourhood Square, the store officially opened on November 21, 2025 ands operates daily from 7 am to 10 pm.
The 108, a new indoor padel courts centre is also joining the line up of new openings at Brent Cross Town.
Brent Cross shopper and TV presenter Vanessa Feltz beside an art installation at the centre. (Image: PA)
Back when Brent Cross opened Britain was in a recession and the shopping centre was described as a “futuristic concept”, thanks to features such as the indoor fountain and air conditioning. Richard Hyman, a retail analyst, said that Brent Cross’s significance “can’t be overstated. Before Brent Cross there was nothing like it.”
Then it had 75 stores. The original three department stores when Brent Cross opened, Fenwick, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer remain at the site. It was famous for setting new standards in retail by staying open until 8 pm, whereas most shops closed at 5 pm on the dot.
Surrounded by a “spaghetti junction” of trunk roads typical from the time it was built it can be reached by road, tube (brent Cross Station on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line and many bus routes.
Brent Cross quickly became a popular attraction for people in London and the South East, and a blueprint for shopping centres across Europe. Despite its age and dated appearance, it has remained a popular retail centre ever since and now looks set to leas the way in shopping and leisure once again.
Over the years it has featured as the backdrop in several films. The carpark of the shopping centre was used as a filming location for the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.
Brent Cross shopping centre sales (Image: – Sunday Mirror)
A Barnet council spokesperson said: “The Brent Cross Shopping Centre has been a landmark destination for Barnet since it first opened its doors in March 1976. For fifty years it has played an important role in the life of the borough, not only as a place where people meet and spend time together, but as a pioneering retail centre and major employer, with many Barnet residents recounting stories of how it felt to be the first to work there all those years ago.
‘It has, and continues to be a much-loved destination for Barnet and beyond, its success has helped shaped the identity of the area and has seen much change over the decades – as the area once again transforms with the development of new neighbourhood Brent Cross Town on its doorstep, bringing much needed new homes, office space, community amenities and better connections, the shopping centre continues to play an iconic role in this exciting new chapter for the borough.”
