Haymarket Shopping Centre
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedHaymarket Shopping Centre is a city-centre retail complex in Leicester, England, combining shops with major transport, hospitality and entertainment facilities.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Haymarket Shopping Centre is a retail and mixed-use complex in the centre of Leicester, England. It stands immediately east of, and adjacent to, Leicester’s historic Clock Tower and forms part of the wider Haymarket Centre, a development that also incorporates a bus station, theatre facilities and a hotel in the former Haymarket House. The complex is one of Leicester’s most prominent commercial landmarks and serves local residents, commuters, students, visitors and shoppers from the surrounding Leicestershire area. The centre opened on 4 June 1973 as the country’s second purpose-built shopping centre after Birmingham’s Bull Ring. Its development was part of a large-scale post-war redevelopment programme for central Leicester. Early plans for the Haymarket site date from 1960, followed by the designation of a larger Comprehensive Development Area in 1961. Taylor Woodrow was selected as the developer in the mid-1960s, and construction of the Haymarket Centre began in 1971. The resulting red-brick complex linked major department-store buildings, including Littlewoods and C&A, which were positioned roughly 120 metres apart. The development transformed a dense historic area that had included hotels, a tram depot, the Leicestershire Horse Repository and Bread Street. A four-storey Littlewoods store opened on the site in 1967, while a new C&A store followed the demolition of Lea’s store in 1970. The completed Haymarket Centre provided retail floors, multi-storey parking, offices and a theatre. The theatre, initially planned as a 650-seat replacement for the Phoenix Theatre, was eventually expanded to approximately 710 seats and became an important entertainment venue for Leicester. Haymarket has changed substantially since its opening. A major refurbishment in 1996 replaced the original brown-and-beige interior with a lighter design, added a glass roof, reconfigured escalators and stairs, altered toilet locations and changed access arrangements for the high-level car park. A separate public project led to the construction of a bus station on Charles Street. Several pedestrian bridges once connected the complex to surrounding retail areas, but these were progressively closed or removed. The bridge to Lewis’s disappeared after that department store was demolished in 1993, while the Charles Street bridge was closed in 1997 and removed in 2007. The retail offer has evolved alongside broader changes in British town-centre shopping. Historic occupants included Littlewoods, C&A, Lewis’s, Allders, Woolworths, British Home Stores, HMV, Somerfield, Habitat, Superdrug, Bejam, MK One and Poundworld. In the 2000s, Woolworths left its unit and Peacocks subsequently occupied the former space. Current and recent occupiers have included value, fashion, convenience, health, food, banking and specialist retailers such as Primark, TK Maxx, B&M, Matalan, Deichmann, Holland & Barrett, Ryman, Tesco Express, Heron Foods, OneBeyond, The Entertainer, Card Factory, Blue Banana, Metro Bank, Costa Coffee, Burger King and Halifax. The complex has also hosted nightlife and live entertainment. Former venues around the Clock Tower entrance included the George Bar, Niche, Ice and D9, while another upper-floor venue operated under names including the Top Rank Suite, Bailey’s Nightspot, The King of Clubs and Mr Kiesa’s Discothèque. Bailey’s hosted music and comedy performers. The Haymarket Theatre closed in 2007 after the opening of Leicester’s Curve Theatre, but it reopened in early 2018. A public sculpture, The Metal Tree by Hubert Dalwood, stands near the theatre entrance. Transport is central to the centre’s role. The original bus station was demolished in 2015 along with several nearby food and public-house premises. A rebuilt and expanded Haymarket Bus Station opened in 2016, creating a major northern city-centre transport hub next to the shopping centre. In 2021, Leicester City Council acquired the shopping centre on a 99-year leasehold basis for £9.9 million, bringing the property under municipal ownership and aligning it with wider efforts to manage and regenerate the city centre. Haymarket remains an active shopping destination, although its tenant mix and facilities continue to reflect the pressures and redevelopment needs affecting traditional UK urban retail centres.
History
The Haymarket site was identified for comprehensive redevelopment during the post-war reshaping of Leicester city centre. Initial plans were prepared in 1960, but they were overtaken in 1961 by the declaration of a larger Comprehensive Development Area. The proposed scheme was intended to combine retailing, offices, accommodation, entertainment and transport infrastructure. Taylor Woodrow was awarded the development contract in early 1966. The first major component was a new Littlewoods department store, opened in May 1967. The imposing concrete building stood close to the Clock Tower and had four storeys with balconies on two elevations. In February 1969, Taylor Woodrow submitted a planning application for the shopping centre, which Leicester City Council conditionally approved the following month. In 1970, Lea’s store at the junction of Humberstone Gate and Charles Street was demolished to allow construction of a new three-storey C&A store. The redevelopment removed a substantial amount of the older urban fabric. Four historic hotels—the Bell Hotel, the Stag and Pheasant, the White Hart and the George—were demolished, as were buildings along Bread Street. The site had also included a tram depot and the Leicestershire Horse Repository. Construction of the main Haymarket Centre began in 1971. The red-brick complex was planned to connect the Littlewoods and C&A buildings and to provide retail floors, car parking, offices and a theatre. The Haymarket Centre opened on 4 June 1973. Retail activity was concentrated on the lower levels, with upper floors accommodating car parking and Haymarket House. The theatre was integrated into the scheme and was designed as a substantial replacement for Leicester’s temporary Phoenix Theatre. It became known as the Haymarket Theatre and operated as a venue for theatrical productions, music, comedy and other live performances. Leicester City Council purchased a 99-year lease of the theatre in 1974. Over the following decades, the complex developed as both a shopping centre and an entertainment district. Department stores and high-street chains occupied prominent units, while smaller premises housed independent traders. The area around the Clock Tower entrance also supported nightclubs, including venues that successively operated under names such as the George Bar, U R Zeus, Niche, Ice and D9. Another venue on the opposite side of the entrance was known at different times as the Top Rank Suite, Bailey’s Nightspot, The King of Clubs and Mr Kiesa’s Discothèque. Bailey’s was associated with appearances by music and comedy acts including Tommy Cooper, Bernard Manning, Mud, Slade, Showaddywaddy, The Three Degrees and The Drifters. The surrounding connections changed as Leicester’s retail geography evolved. Lewis’s department store was demolished in 1993, leading to the removal of the footbridge that connected it to the Haymarket. The centre underwent a major refurbishment in 1996. Its original brown and beige palette was replaced with a predominantly white interior, a glass roof was installed and escalator and staircase arrangements were redesigned. Toilet facilities were relocated, the children’s ladybird ride was removed and the spiral ramp to the high-level car park was replaced by a straighter ramp with a revised entrance from Belgrave Gate. A separate Leicester City Council project involved purchasing and clearing a row of Charles Street shops to make room for a new bus station. The Charles Street footbridge was closed in 1997 and ultimately removed in 2007. Retail turnover continued through the 2000s: Woolworths announced its departure in 2006 and left its unit in early 2007, with Peacocks opening there later that year. The Haymarket Theatre closed in 2007 after Leicester’s new Curve Theatre opened in the Cultural Quarter, although the venue reopened in early 2018. The original bus station was demolished in 2015 together with several adjacent food and hospitality premises. A larger replacement bus station opened in mid-2016, reinforcing the Haymarket’s function as a transport interchange as well as a shopping destination. By this period, the tenant mix included national discount, fashion, food, footwear, health, stationery and financial-service operators alongside independent retailers. In 2021, Leicester City Council purchased the shopping centre for £9.9 million. The acquisition gave the local authority control of a strategically important city-centre asset and placed the centre within the council’s broader responsibility for managing Leicester’s retail and transport environment. Haymarket continues to operate as an active mixed-use complex, though its present identity is shaped less by traditional department stores than by a varied combination of value retailers, convenience outlets, services, food businesses, transport facilities and public-facing amenities.
- 2021
Council acquires the shopping centre
[1]Leicester City Council purchased the shopping centre for £9.9 million.
- 2018
Haymarket Theatre reopens
[1]The theatre reopened after a period of closure.
- 2016
Expanded bus station opens
[1]The rebuilt Haymarket Bus Station opened beside the shopping centre as a major northern Leicester transport hub.
- 2015
Original bus station demolished
[1]The former bus station and several nearby premises were cleared to enable construction of a larger transport facility.
- 2007
Theatre closes and Charles Street bridge is removed
[1]The Haymarket Theatre closed after the opening of Curve Theatre, while the previously closed Charles Street footbridge was removed.
- 1997
Charles Street footbridge closes
[1]The pedestrian bridge across Charles Street was closed before its eventual removal in 2007.
- 1996
Major refurbishment completed
[1]The centre received a substantial interior and access redesign, including a glass roof and revised escalator, staircase and car-park arrangements.
- 1993
Lewis’s connection removed
[1]The demolition of Lewis’s department store led to the removal of the footbridge linking it with the Haymarket complex.
- 1974
Leicester City Council acquires the theatre lease
[1]The council purchased a 99-year lease of the Haymarket Theatre.
- 1973
Haymarket Shopping Centre opens
[1]The centre opened on 4 June 1973 as the United Kingdom’s second shopping centre after Birmingham’s Bull Ring.
Products and positioning
A convenient, accessible and value-oriented city-centre shopping destination serving Leicester and the surrounding region, with retail, food, entertainment, transport and public amenities integrated into one historic mixed-use complex.
Fashion retail
Fashion and clothing retail
The centre’s fashion offer includes large-format and value-oriented retailers such as Primark, TK Maxx and Matalan. These stores provide clothing, accessories and seasonal merchandise for a broad mass-market customer base, supplemented by footwear retailers including Deichmann and independent specialist shops.
General merchandise
Discount and household retail
Discount and general-merchandise operators such as B&M, OneBeyond and related value retailers serve customers seeking household goods, seasonal products, everyday essentials and low-priced merchandise. This category is an important part of the centre’s practical, value-focused positioning.
Food retail
Food and convenience retail
Convenience and grocery provision has included Tesco Express and Heron Foods, alongside cafés, restaurants and fast-food operators such as Costa Coffee and Burger King. The mix supports both planned shopping trips and quick purchases by commuters and visitors using the adjacent bus station.
Entertainment
Leisure and entertainment facilities
The wider Haymarket Centre has historically included a theatre and nightclubs. The Haymarket Theatre hosted theatrical, musical and comedy performances, while former nightclub venues around the Clock Tower entrance operated under several names. The theatre closed in 2007 and reopened in 2018.
Mixed-use property · 1973
Retail and public transport complex
Rather than selling a single proprietary product, Haymarket operates as a branded destination combining shopping units, food businesses, transport infrastructure, car parking, theatre facilities and accommodation within the wider complex. Its adjacent bus station is a defining part of its current public function.
Brand decisions
2021
Leicester City Council acquisitionM&ABackground
The shopping centre is a strategically located city-centre asset connected to retail, transport and public facilities.
Action taken
Leicester City Council purchased the shopping centre’s 99-year leasehold for £9.9 million.
Aftermath
Ownership moved to the local authority, giving the council direct control over the property and its role in future city-centre management and regeneration.
Acquisition price. £9.9 million (2021)
2015
Replacement of the original bus stationStrategyBackground
The existing bus station and adjacent premises were cleared to make way for a larger transport interchange serving the northern side of Leicester city centre.
Action taken
The original bus station was demolished, together with several nearby food and hospitality outlets, and construction proceeded on an expanded replacement facility.
Aftermath
The new bus station opened in 2016 and strengthened the Haymarket’s role as a transport-linked city-centre destination.
1996
Comprehensive refurbishment and access redesignStrategyBackground
The ageing 1970s complex required an updated internal environment and revised circulation arrangements as Leicester’s city-centre retail pattern developed.
Action taken
The centre was closed for refurbishment. Brown and beige finishes were replaced with a lighter palette, a glass roof was installed, escalators and stairs were rearranged, toilets were relocated and the high-level car-park access ramp was redesigned.
Aftermath
The work modernised the centre’s interior and changed how shoppers and vehicles moved through the complex.
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