The Merrion Centre in Leeds is the second largest shopping centre in the city. Although I much prefer the larger Trinity Leeds nearby, they still have a nice selection of brands here, and the location being right by the First Direct Arena is useful to hop in without much of a detour before a show. As of January 2024, it's the 41st largest shopping centre in the UK in terms of retail space at 74,100 meters squared in area. Parking is expensive, and it's shared with the arena nearby, rates start at £3.50 for one hour, but when you're parking in a city you always seem to get similar rates. The inside of the shopping centre looks ordinary pretty much like any mall which opened in the UK around the 60s/70s. It's easy enough to follow the layout, there is a large map which shows not only the shops inside the centre, but the rest of Merrion Way, including the outlets just outside including Pizza Express, Starbucks and the Co-Op, and then leading to the arena and Ibis Hotel. There is a large Morrisons supermarket located here and an Amazon Hub featuring two Amazon Lockers for deliveries/returns. There are many budget shops located here which you might not find elsewhere in the city centre including Iceland, Heron Foods and Home Bargains and one or two charity shops. 3* - OK, the shopping centre isn't somewhere you'd go out of your way to visit, luckily due to being within the city centre of a big city, you don't have too, useful if you're looking for a specific store here but otherwise it's just another reasonable addition to Leeds' shopping scene. read more

Merrion Centre - Shopping Centers Near Me - Leeds, ABE

The Merrion Centre is one of the larger shopping centres of Leeds and as such offers a little bit more choice in shopping. One of the most obvious shops within the Merrion Centre is the huge Morrisons, and accompanying car park, which is useful for residents across the city. The range of shops includes KRCS Apple Store, Fuji Hiro, Yorkshire Linen Co., Costa Coffee, Peacocks, O2 store, Thorntons and a great deal more. At the back of the Merrion Centre there are a number of indie style shops too, which often are overlooked, but are worth going along to check out. Some of the more innovative elements of the Merrion Centre include their impressive Christmas display which each year puts a smile on the wee kid's faces as they toddle past! Currently, or at least when I last visited, there was a really intriguing and interesting art installation along the walls of the entrance adjacent to Morrisons. I noticed that there were peep holes in the wall and odd lights, and on further investigation noticed that if you looked through the eye holes there were video projections, displays and models on show! It was really very cool. All in all, Merrion is a pretty decent place to shop. Certainly, it has enough of a range of stores to satisfy most people's tastes, needs and desires. read more

Merrion Centre - Shopping Centers Near Me - Leeds, ABE

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I doubt I would be alone in describing the Merrion Centre as rather depressing from the outside, and pretty grim in decor on the inside. It's clunky and outdated, and don't even get me started on that ruddy floor. Holy hell, has anyone tried to get up that ridiculous incline in the really not so dry weather, only to find yourself sliding backwards if you're heading up, and trying to control your cartoon legs if you're on your way down. All that aside, the Merrion does provide a large covered shopping space in days when the weather is rubbish, so yanno, September through June, and there's a nice variety of stores that reside here, from the independant outlets, to the more recognisable chains, shopping, supermarkets, quick fix eateries, toy shops, clothing, fashionable and not so fashionable, and whilst it's not got the most sophisticated shops, and it's not the trendiest place to be found in, it's damn alright. People moan about it, but if it was to disappear, we would miss you. read more

Merrion Centre - Taken from official website - Shopping Centers Near Me - Leeds, ABE

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The Merrion Centre is a large shopping centre, and most of the shops there are aimed at the lower end of shoppers budgets. Actually, that can sometimes be quite a good thing. There are Poundshops and e-cig stores but also more interesting one off places, fashion boutiques and the odd cafe. It hosts a large Morrisons, the only KFC I'm aware of in Leeds, a Works and a bunch of other little stores. It's not the most glamorous shopping centre, but it seems to have endured in spite of having to compete with other, more up market locations. That can't be said for all parts of the city centre and I suspect it's because it's found its niche. Sure, there are empty lots and businesses do come and go, but it remains generally busy and manages to pull the crowds, so that has to be a good sign. read more

Merrion Centre - South entrance - Shopping Centers Near Me - Leeds, ABE

I like the Merrion Centre and its eclectic array of stores. It's very odd. Housed out back is the Merrion Superstore, which smells a bit funky, but in the main drag you've got The Works (great for stationery, cheap cards, books and gifts), an excellent photo shop where the staff are dead friendly, a Poundstretcher (excellent mooching possibilities here), a Superdrug, a Peacocks, a Woolies, a Boots, Shared Earth (best shop ever), and to top it all off the mankiest Morrisons in the world. There are also lots of other shops to delight and entice. Like the pawn shop. There are a few cashpoints opposite the florists, and although they tend to have long queues they're usually fast-moving so not so bad. Be careful if you come in from the St Johns side, the ramp gets slippy. read more

I have a very close relationship with the Merrion Centre, in that I have to walk through it every day for work. It houses such a wide range of shops from the awful (Brighthouse, Paper Kisses, that shop where fish eat the dead skin off your feet - bleck!) to the sublime (Bayliffe & Lupton, Third Estate, Fuji Hiro) It's a pretty cheap place to come and shop too, with absolute palaces of bargainous glory like The Works and Home Bargains. The branch of Thorntons in there always has a fabulous 'clearance' section which is a chocoholics dream! One part of the Centre which is often overlooked is the Merrion Market which houses some absolute gems. Charlotte's does some of the yummiest lunchtime fayre in the area with delicious baked potatoes, sandwiches and pasta salads to keep you going through the day. CraftWise will supply you with all your making-and-doing bits and pieces. And the stall with the man that does key cutting and shoe repairs is just brilliant, he re-heeled some boots for me on the spot for less than a fiver! Its a real shame that more people don't know about it or choose to go and shop in there, as a result the market has become really neglected and unloved, and there are far more unoccupied units than those that are used. It's a crying shame. So why not more than three stars? Well sadly the great stuff that's in the Merrion Centre is, well, in the Merrion Centre! It's a real relic of eighties design and is long overdue a proper refurbishment. Yes it's been titivated around the edges and patched up in bits over the years, but the place really is in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Thankfully a £13.2m refurbishment project proposal was given it's final rubber stamping by Leeds Council back in November last year and it's due to be completed to coincide with the opening of the new Leeds Arena currently being built just at the back of the Merrion Centre. I'm looking forward to seeing what the refurbishment will bring to the centre, I just hope it retains it's mix of large and small retailers and still has shops to suit all purses. read more

Ah, the poor misunderstood Merrion Centre. So it's not the glossiest, most fashionable place in Leeds to do your weekly shop, and it's interior (and exterior for that matter) could probably do with a facelift, but I have a soft spot for it, I must admit. Even the most scornful anti-Merrion naysayer must admit the sheer variety of shops here. There's something to fit pretty much everyone's needs from Home Bargains for the thrifty shopper to a recently opened Hungarian bakery. You've got a great choice of clothes shops here too. I must agree with Claire R in regards to the Merrion Market. It's so easy to overlook this place, as there's not exactly an array of flashing neon lights pointing it out to you, but you can grab some fantastic bargains there. I like that the Merrion Centre makes an effort with the wider community. Like right now, they have a mini beach play area for the kids (I suspect this is to tie in with the City Beach currently set up in Millenium Square, but it's still terribly cute). One thing that lets the Merrion Centre down is the sheer overkill of charity and credit card touting folk practically mowing people down in an attempt to make a sale. I appreciate that they're trying to earn an honest few bob but it still grates the nerves. Overall, I find the Merrion Centre a pleasing hub for picking up the majority of your essentials. I'm a fan! read more

Personally, there's something about the Merrion Centre I find a bit depressing. Maybe it's Morrisons' façade that, despite a much-needed refurbishment, still resembles a giant grey lego block...not really to my taste architecturally! However, I suppose it serves its purpose and for better or for worse has become a bit of a Leeds landmark. I also have some nightmarish memories of the old defunct escalators growing moss outside round the corner from Morrisons...why on earth were they there?? I've no idea but I blame the Merrion Centre! The Merrion Centre does have a broad range of shops, mainly on the budget end of the spectrum, and some more interesting independent shops such as ethical clothing shop Third Estate and belly dancing outfit retailer Afifi, but there are a few empty units and the interior has such a bog-standard shopping centre look that it can't help but exude middle of the road-ness. Despite this, I have become rather fond of the place over the years...and was delighted to see a recent exhibit of wonderfully imaginative steam punk machines, whirring and clattering away in a glass box in the main shopping area...that's the kind of initiative required to give the Merrion Centre the lift it so needs. read more

i think pinkystan said it all , apart from the smell not sure i've every smelled it really. used to have a great petstore, record shop & diy place , not sure they are all still there now. the fancy dress shop is the best part though, it's not your typical mass produced stuff its actual 60/70 /80s clothes etc with wigs & mass produced stuff available too. i wish they would do it up abit though as i havent been for ages cos it is old & seedy , ting is doing it up might force out the much loved greasy spoon & shops that have been there for years. read more

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This place really does need updating! It really is starting to show it's age! It looks seedy, rough and unloved. They could even just change the front entrance because it really is a disabled and elderly persons nightmare! read more

3 stars for the fact that they have at least recognized this place to be a bit of a dive and have tried renovating it. From the outside the Merrion looks much more presentable to what it once was. The Costa on the outside sets your hopes up as it all looks well put together and intriguing. However venturing inside is another story. Straight of the 80's, I can't imagine this place has changed too much since then. The shops here are not great, it is a place I come to if I need something specific and cheap however i.e. a pin board, I found one for £5. Perfectly attached to Morrison's you can actually get quite a lot of shopping done here even though it doesn't look ascetically pleasing. It's the perfect place for a student if you cant be bothered to walk that extra 5 minutes in to town, its cheap and cheerful. Don't expect much out of this place as its nothing short of a dive but it does have a few convenient shops to get that 'to do' list much shorter. read more

This little, old-fashioned shopping centre if good for finding anything you can think of. There are lots of little shops selling random things, like a hardware shop, etc. and also a big Morrisons with lots of cheap, student-friendly food/alcohol deals. There is also a great chippy/pizz/takeaway, very strangely decorated, like a middle aged lady's garden but with a takeaway counter in. The pizzas are great, HUGE and CHEAP. The chips are also good, especially with curry saucealthough I'm not too sure what the lumps in that areThe chips by themselves also taste great :) read more

The Merrion centre is a weird place. There's the slightly lightly refurbished Morrisons at the back, handy for the students on the way back to headingley. Then Woolworths, plodding along, crammed full of toys and the stalwart pick and mix. Julian Graves, always on a half price sale, Superdrug giving us cheaper toiletries and competing with the nearby boots. But shops aside, it's a bit of a weird place, not very frequented by the look of it either, stuck at the top of town you'd have to have a purpose to go up there. The big benefit of the merrion centre is the car park, it's one of the cheapest in Leeds and it's very easy to get to if you live in North Leeds. I think this part of town is improving though. Hopefully the new shops that are opening up in this shopping centre (Sains central, Costa coffee, re-vamped Morrisons) will help the others that might be struggling. Hopefully then they'll sort the floor out which is deadly when wet in bad weather. read more

This is pretty brief. I was surprised to spot Claire R's 2012 comment that the Merrion Centre is a 'real relic of eighties design'. It was built in the early 1960s and opened around 1964. read more

its a nifty place.. im pretty mad the strange bike dude has gone though.. definatly a star down for that.. but a decent selection of shops. all at the top of town. so you can usually get what you need, without trecking for miles. woolworths, the works, hawkin's, play, the model shop and £-stretcher. amoungst others . and look out for some renovations.. that old cinema cant stay derilect for ever.. the cash machines usually have a huge que though.. read more

There's a good stationery shop here, and a few other weird shops. It's geared at students and pensioners without much money. Avoid the Morrisons at all costs. It's crammed, expensive and very busy. read more