Centrale
Encyclopedia
Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon
, South London
, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group
and was opened in 2004.
Centrale is located on North End, Croydon, facing the Whitgift Centre
. It was developed from the existing but much smaller Drummond Centre . It now contains several large stores - House of Fraser
, Debenhams
and TK Maxx - and around 50 smaller stores including Next
, H&M
, Zara
, Budwals
and Build-A-Bear Workshop
.
and Quizno's Subs . Other food outlets available in the centre include McDonald's
(one of eleven in the London Borough of Croydon
), Auntie Anne's
and House of Fraser's World Of Food which has international cuisine available from a number of concessions including Yo! Sushi
. Recent reports suggest that the remaining un-let units in the centre will be opened to exclusive outlets opening their first London stores outside the West End
. The centre also houses a Mecca Bingo establishment.
It also boasts a 168000 sq ft (15,607.7 m²) House of Fraser
, 21000 sq ft (1,951 m²) Zara
and 51000 sq ft (4,738.1 m²) Next
all of which was opened in 2004, along with a larger H&M
, Mango
, Uniqlo
, and Timberland
.
from the eastern windows including the IKEA
Towers landmarks on Purley Way
. The building also has solar panels on the roof according to a report which was highlighting Croydon's Ashburton Learning Village
on 24dash.com. Centrale has many stores and does not have the typical numbering system of levels as many other shopping centres around the UK. Note that Tamworth Road is the equivalent to the lower basement, Lower Mall is the basement floor, North End is the ground floor and Upper Mall is the first floor.
stop, Centrale
, located adjacent to the centre on Tamworth Road. The stop operates as a fully functioning transport interchange with trams stopping on one side of the platform and local buses on the other. It operates, along with West Croydon
and East Croydon, as a Tramlink interchange on the 'Croydon Loop'. Along with this Centrale is very close to mainline railway station, West Croydon, which provides frequent services to Sutton
and the surrounding areas in the London Borough of Croydon
as well as services to Central London. East Croydon station
is around a 10 minute walk from the centre.
in Croydon. The centre previously was a large branch of clothing chain C&A
. It closed in 2004 to make way for St. Martins Property Group's new shopping centre Centrale, which is more than triple the size of the Drummond. Although the side of the centre where the Drummond used to occupy was never modernised and still stays like a complete opposite of the completely new and stylish Centrale.
The mall was never very popular due to the size of it being very small, this is proved as four of the seventeen units were still vacant when the mall closed. Revenue was also low at the centre, and it could never compete with the larger Whitgift Centre
across the road. The only reason why large stores such as TK Maxx and Debenhams
opened in the centre was because of it housed the only large suitable units in Croydon
.
Even though the Centre was mainly based inside, there are a row of shops outside at the back of the centre which are still considered part of it. The shops were on Keeley Road and was designated like a basement floor, the shops on the road were mainly specialist and are not well known outside of Croydon.
Shopmobility was also available in the centre along with, baby changing, toilets, lifts, escalators, stairs, entertainment area and seating. Smoking was never permitted in the centre and was not allowed on the premises. The centre was open seven days a week, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. - 6.p.m., Sunday 11.a.m. - 5 p.m. and late night shopping until 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group
St Martins Property Group
St Martins Property Group is a leading property development, investment and asset management company based in the United Kingdom representing the real estate interests of the State of Kuwait with their headquarters in London Bridge City, London. Their flagship projects are the London Bridge City,...
and was opened in 2004.
Centrale is located on North End, Croydon, facing the Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
. It was developed from the existing but much smaller Drummond Centre . It now contains several large stores - House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
and TK Maxx - and around 50 smaller stores including Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, Zara
Zara (clothing)
Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
, Budwals
Budwals
Budwals is a small chain of designer fashion stores founded in the London Borough of Croydon in 1970. The stores are owned by Croydon businessman, Bakhtawar Budwal who had been trading a single unit in the town for more than 27 years...
and Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an American retailer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and customized during their visit to the store, and is the...
.
Retail area
The 820000 sq ft (76,180.5 m²) development also houses Croydon's first and only dedicated indoor food court on the upper level. The Food Gallery was given planning permission after the main centre was built and opened in November 2005 with seating for 200 diners and food outlets such as Papa John's PizzaPapa John's Pizza
Papa John's Pizza is the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza. It is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Papa John's slogan is "Better Ingredients. Better pizza. Papa John's"...
and Quizno's Subs . Other food outlets available in the centre include McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
(one of eleven in the London Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
), Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel bakeries founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages...
and House of Fraser's World Of Food which has international cuisine available from a number of concessions including Yo! Sushi
Yo! Sushi
YO! Sushi is a British restaurant chain which was started in 1997 and is owned by Quilvest and the YO! Sushi Senior Management team. YO! Sushi specialises in delivering sushi to customers using the Japanese style 'kaiten' conveyor belt method...
. Recent reports suggest that the remaining un-let units in the centre will be opened to exclusive outlets opening their first London stores outside the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
. The centre also houses a Mecca Bingo establishment.
It also boasts a 168000 sq ft (15,607.7 m²) House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, 21000 sq ft (1,951 m²) Zara
Zara (clothing)
Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
and 51000 sq ft (4,738.1 m²) Next
Next (retailer)
Next plc is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East...
all of which was opened in 2004, along with a larger H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, Mango
Mango (clothing)
Mango, stylized MANGO, is a clothing design and manufacturing company. Isak Andic is the president.Its goal is "to be present in every city" in the world...
, Uniqlo
UNIQLO
is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer.The company was originally a division of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.. On November 1, 2005, it was restructured as a separate wholly owned subsidiary called Uniqlo Co., Ltd. , which is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock...
, and Timberland
The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear with a focus on footwear. Its three key locations are in Stratham, New Hampshire; Danville, Kentucky; and Ontario, California....
.
Design and Layout
The building has been designed to maximise the view of west CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
from the eastern windows including the IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
Towers landmarks on Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
. The building also has solar panels on the roof according to a report which was highlighting Croydon's Ashburton Learning Village
Ashburton Learning Village
Ashburton Community School was a secondary comprehensive community school located in the heart of the learning village. It is co-educational and has approximately 1200 pupils aged 11–16....
on 24dash.com. Centrale has many stores and does not have the typical numbering system of levels as many other shopping centres around the UK. Note that Tamworth Road is the equivalent to the lower basement, Lower Mall is the basement floor, North End is the ground floor and Upper Mall is the first floor.
Transport
As part of the development, Centrale committed to and paid for improvements to North End and the provision of a new TramlinkTramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
stop, Centrale
Centrale tram stop
Centrale tram stop is a halt on the Tramlink service in Croydon town centre, serving the Centrale shopping centre. The tram stop was provided and paid for as part of the development of the shopping centre....
, located adjacent to the centre on Tamworth Road. The stop operates as a fully functioning transport interchange with trams stopping on one side of the platform and local buses on the other. It operates, along with West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
and East Croydon, as a Tramlink interchange on the 'Croydon Loop'. Along with this Centrale is very close to mainline railway station, West Croydon, which provides frequent services to Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
and the surrounding areas in the London Borough of Croydon
London Borough of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...
as well as services to Central London. East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
is around a 10 minute walk from the centre.
Drummond Centre
The Drummond Centre was a shopping centre located on North EndNorth End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
in Croydon. The centre previously was a large branch of clothing chain C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
. It closed in 2004 to make way for St. Martins Property Group's new shopping centre Centrale, which is more than triple the size of the Drummond. Although the side of the centre where the Drummond used to occupy was never modernised and still stays like a complete opposite of the completely new and stylish Centrale.
The mall was never very popular due to the size of it being very small, this is proved as four of the seventeen units were still vacant when the mall closed. Revenue was also low at the centre, and it could never compete with the larger Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
across the road. The only reason why large stores such as TK Maxx and Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
opened in the centre was because of it housed the only large suitable units in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
.
Even though the Centre was mainly based inside, there are a row of shops outside at the back of the centre which are still considered part of it. The shops were on Keeley Road and was designated like a basement floor, the shops on the road were mainly specialist and are not well known outside of Croydon.
Shopmobility was also available in the centre along with, baby changing, toilets, lifts, escalators, stairs, entertainment area and seating. Smoking was never permitted in the centre and was not allowed on the premises. The centre was open seven days a week, Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. - 6.p.m., Sunday 11.a.m. - 5 p.m. and late night shopping until 9 p.m. on Thursday.
Floor Directory
| P3 | Car Park Levels 3-3a |
|---|---|
| P2 | Car Park Levels 2-2a |
| UM | Upper Mall Car Park Levels 1-1a |
| NE | North End Mall Department Stores |
| LM | Lower Mall Department Stores |
| 0 | Tamworth Road Entrance Level |
| -1 | Mecca Bingo Department Stores |