Shops and Shopping in Derby
Derby City Centre is quite compact with much of the central area a pedestrianised zone making shopping quite easy.
There are a good range of High street stores lining the Victorian buildings of pedestrianised Cornmarket and Victoria Street. Babington Buildings on nearby St Peter's Street houses a large Waterstones bookshop and the new Primark store has proved very popular.
Sadler Gate and Iron Gate are lined with 16th-century buildings and boast numerous gift shops, clothes shops, pubs and restaurants. The area is known as Derby's Cathedral Quarter.
Westfield Derby opened on Tuesday 9 October 2007 replacing the former Eagle Centre. Now called Intu, it is an all-weather shopping mall, located off St Peter's Street and London Road and is open every day. It is expected to change the face of the Derby's shopping centre attracting many visitors from out of town. The L340 million redevelopment scheme has completely regenerated the southern part of Derby city centre, bringing with it 732, 000 square feet of new retail space and an estimated 2,850 jobs. The new centre houses over 100 new shops, a food court capable of seating 800 people and an additional 2,000 parking spaces.
Stores include Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Topshop, Oasis, La Senza, W. H. Smith, Zara, Monsoon, River Island and many more. Late night shopping is available to customers on Thursday and Friday evenings with all stores open until 8pm.
There are also plenty of places to find something to eat at Westfield with the 800 seat Eatery Central hosting a mixture of national and international cuisine. There are plenty of coffee shops which offer you a break from retail therapy.
Intu Derby is open 7 days a week.
Monday 9am to 6pm
Tuesday 9am to 6pm
Wednesday 9am to 6pm
Thursday 9am to 8pm
Friday 9am to 8pm
Saturday 9am to 7pm
Sunday 10.30am to 4.30pm
Irongate in Derby
Irongate in Derby
Sadler Gate in Derby
|
There are several Markets. At the foot of Iron Gate is Market Hall which houses an indoor market (open Mon-Sat) selling clothes, fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and sweets. In the Lock Up Yard off the cornmarket can be found a fresh fish market. Another indoor market is in the Eagle Centre itself. Both these markets are open Mon to Sat.
A farmers' market is held in Market Place on the third Saturday of every month 8am – 3.30pm and a Continental market on several occasions throughout the year.
There are also quite vibrant shopping centres situated in all the suburbs and along the main routes into Derby City Centre itself. Normanton certainly has a multicultural flavour and is the place to be if you're looking for ethnic food, goods and restaurants.
Derby Cityscape is a government-funded body given the task of making Derby city centre a better place to live and visit.
It was created in recognition of the fact that the centre had seen relatively little development over the past few years in comparison to East Midlands rival cities Nottingham and Leicester.
The project brings together a number of partners including Derby City Council and the East Midlands Development Agency who will work with commercial and retail companies in the coming years to bring the plans to life.
Cityscape divides the city into a number of areas with different plans for each:
Castle Ward :
The area between Derby train station and the main centre will be turned into an urban community with bars and cafes, new homes and shops.
The idea is it should be a 'gateway to the city'.
Friar Gate :
Derby's 'business quarter' will see new office developments and a new purpose-built centre to house creative industries.
Civic Quarter/Beckett Well :
The heart of the city centre, including the new Visual Arts and Media Centre, new and upgraded open spaces at Market Place and Cathedral Gardens, apartments on Full Street, a new 4 star hotel and the Riverlights development