Grand Arcade (Wigan)

The Grand Arcade

Grand Arcade Shopping Centre, Wigan Town Centre
Location	Wigan, Greater Manchester, The United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°32′51″N 2°37′45″W / 53.54750°N 2.62917°W / 53.54750; -2.62917
Opening date	March 2007
Developer	Modus
Owner	Redefine International
No. of stores and services	43
No. of anchor tenants	3 Debenhams Marks & Spencer TK Max
Total retail floor area	439,000 sq ft (40,780 m2)
No. of floors	2
Parking	Milgate Street 600 spaces, Crompton Street 250 spaces
Website	Official website

The Grand Arcade is a covered shopping centre located in Wigan town centre. Built in 2007, it consists of more than 40 retailers gaining an annual footfall of 6.3 million people. It is owned and operated by Redefine International, a property investment business. It currently extends to 439,000 sq ft (40,800 m²), with units varying in size. The centre also houses a bronze statue of George Formby designed by Manx artist Amanda Barton and unveiled in 2007.

The construction of the mall started in 2005 at a cost of 120 million pounds. It was built on the former site of The Ritz and Wigan Casino, a nightclub which operated between 1973 and 1981 and was known widely for its northern soul music. Before construction began on the site, evidence was found by Oxford Archaeology North that Wigan was a significant Roman site in the late first and second centuries AD. These excavations revealed numerous artefacts, including a hearth, pottery pieces, and tiles. One significant discovery was a hypocaust, which was used as a heating system in a Roman bathhouse. The hypocaust was restored and relocated to Concert Square, a communal area within Grand Arcade.

The centre has three anchor stores: Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and TK Max. It has several other high street brands such as Boots and Waterstones. The Casino Café is themed on the historical Wigan Casino Social Club. In 2015 Clarks and New Look relocated their stores in Wigan to The Grand Arcade from The Galleries where they were previously based.