Next Meadowhall: Multi-million pound revamp over-runs hitting lucrative Christmas trade

The store at the end of The Gallery is still a fenced-off building site with equipment and unfinished work visible inside and out. The huge project started in July when bosses said the makeover would last three months and ‘significantly improve the appearance of the store’. And it would reopen on October 21. Now, more than three weeks late and with just six weeks to Christmas, it is missing out on the lucrative festive period.

Next is an anchor store at the end of the Gallery and the prolonged closure could mean fewer people on the mall, harming business at neighbouring shops including a huge Primark. It is also a main entrance into the mega-mall from the Orange car park which also serves the Gallery. Today, shoppers are sent down the side of the building and in via a service door. Hoardings state it will be open ‘soon’ and ‘opens autumn 2022’.

A Sheffield City Council notice states that Next Retail applied on October 6 to change the ‘licensable area’ following a refurbishment. No further details are given. The Meadowhall centre has 290 shops, an 11-screen cinema and The Oasis dining area with fast food outlets, pubs, cafes and restaurants. It lost a huge Debenhams, combined Topshop and TopMan and Miss Selfridge last year, but has since opened more than 25 stores including a new Goldsmiths jewellers. Next and Meadowhall were contacted for comment.

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