Fresh flagship stores, a first-for-Manchester burger name and a vast wellness resort next door are reshaping one of the UK's biggest retail and leisure destinations.
For a shopping centre that opened in 1998, the Trafford Centre is showing little sign of standing still. One of the largest retail and leisure destinations in the UK, it sits around 350m from One Trafford Edge, and a steady run of new arrivals over the past year has kept its line-up moving upmarket.
New names on the floor plan
The closing months of 2025 brought a cluster of openings, including a Haribo store, K-beauty retailer PURESEOUL, tea merchant Whittard, café chain Joe & The Juice and Swiss chocolatier Läderach. On the fashion side, the centre added enlarged flagship formats for Zara and Pull & Bear, alongside a Bershka unit.
The momentum continues into 2026. American burger brand Shake Shack is reported to be opening what would be its first Greater Manchester site, taking the former Costa unit at the Great Hall entrance. Lifestyle retailer The White Company is said to be launching a standalone store in spring, while Stradivarius, Foot Asylum and Michael Kors are all reported to be moving into larger or refreshed units, and outdoor label Trailberg has been named among the incoming tenants. Specific opening dates are still being confirmed by the brands involved.
Ownership and the bigger picture
Since December 2020 the centre has been owned by CPP Investments, the manager of Canada's national pension fund: a long-horizon institutional owner whose involvement signals continued confidence in the asset. That backing matters: large centres tend to attract reinvestment and tenant churn toward stronger brands when ownership is stable and well capitalised.
The most significant change, though, is happening just next door. Therme Manchester, a wellness and water resort reported to cost around £450m, is under construction on the former EventCity site adjacent to the centre, with work having begun in September 2025 and completion expected in late 2028. Billed as one of the UK's largest resorts of its kind, it is set to add a major new leisure draw to an area already served by the Trafford Palazzo tram stop and Metrolink links into central Manchester.
Taken together, the picture is of a destination being actively refreshed rather than left to age: more premium retail, more food and leisure, and a landmark wellness resort arriving on the doorstep.
For anyone buying at One Trafford Edge, the Trafford Centre is a roughly 350m walk away, so its retail, dining and leisure effectively become part of daily life on the doorstep. A stable institutional owner and a major new wellness resort nearby point to sustained investment in the area, which is the kind of amenity backdrop that supports both rental demand and longer-term value. Register your interest →