Merrion Centre in Leeds experiences surge in student visitors with more than 200,000 visitors in one week

With about 7,000 apartments within the local vicinity and a further circa 5,500 on-site or in the pipeline, the Merrion Centre has recently experienced an average weekly uplift of 37 per cent year-on-year in weekly shoppers since the start of the new academic term.

The new shopping guide signposts students to everything from shopping, music and entertainment to hair and beauty, fitness and international cuisine with many discounts up to 30 per cent off also available.

In addition, the centre’s recent giant adult ball pool competition attracted hundreds of students during Freshers Week to ‘dive in and win’ prizes and offers courtesy of the mix of shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues across the Merrion Centre scheme.

Current entertainment occupiers, including K-Kube, the new premium karaoke bar, Drift Stop drift karting, clubs PRYZM and the Key Club, as well as Tenpin bowling alley, have all also seen rises in visitor numbers since Leeds welcomed back its student fraternity.

James Broughton, head of marketing communications for Town Centre Securities, the owners of the Merrion Centre said: “Every year we create bigger and better initiatives to welcome new and returning students back to the city and it’s fantastic to see such positive numbers coming back to the Merrion Centre.

“The Merrion Centre has been part of the city’s landscape for more than 55 years and we are thrilled to see tenants participate in our various campaigns to ensure our visitors continue to shop, eat, drink and be Merrion throughout the year.”

Over £70m has been invested in the centre in recent years. The development includes over 100 shops, cafés and restaurants as well as a bowling alley, gym, nightclubs and 134 ibis styles bedroom hotel.

It is located opposite First Direct Arena and is close to the civic quarter and university campuses.

The centre welcomed over 8.2 million internal visitors in 2022.