Trafford Centre

The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex in Dumplington, Greater Manchester. Situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, the Centre is situated close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and lies approximately five miles west of Manchester city centre. The Trafford Centre is the largest shopping centre in the United Kingdom by retail size. It was developed by the The Peel Group and is currently owned by CSC following a £1.65 billion sale in 2011 - the largest single property acquisition in British history.

The site was owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company until 1986, when the company was acquired by John Whittaker of Peel Holdings, who had planned to build an out-of-town shopping centre. The planning process was one of the longest and most expansive in the history of the United Kingdom; concerns surrounded the effect the shopping centre might have on retailers in the smaller towns and villages in the Greater Manchester conurbation and potential traffic problems caused by the centre's proximity to the M60 motorway. Ultimately the matter was decided by the House of Lords in 1996, which voted in favour of the development.

Twelve years after the Trafford Centre was first conceptualised by the Peel Group, it opened on 10 September 1998. Construction took 27 months costing approximately £600 million, approximately £750M as of 2012. Popularly known for its vivid and quirky rococo/late baroque architectural style - its architecture pays homage to the history of the area. The Orient food hall is themed as a steam ship, reflecting the centre's proximity to the Manchester Ship Canal.

Ten percent of the UK population lives within a 45-minute drive of the shopping centre which attracts more than 35 million visits annually. It has Europe's largest food court in The Orient and the UK's busiest cinema, attracting more than 28,500 visitors each week. There are over 10,000 car parking spaces, and there are plans to build a new Metrolink spur and a more speculative ferry system from the Manchester Ship Canal to the centre.