White Rose sees blooming success

White Rose Shopping Centre is celebrating after achieving a number of successes in 2024 and early 2025, showing strong retailer confidence and continuing to offer exceptional retail mix to guests, with more big brand names on the horizon.

The South Leeds shopping centre has announced record-breaking footfall, with 12 million guests visiting White Rose from April 2024 – March 2025, marking the second consecutive year of record-breaking footfall.

The success follows a momentous few years for White Rose, with impressive brand expansions including a flagship, 100%-electric M&S and as well as a new JD, which more than doubled its size at the centre.

Even more updates are planned for 2025 and beyond, with women’s fashion brand Vanilla and British bookseller Waterstones soon to join the centre, and a dramatic upsize and refurbishment already underway for Primark – almost doubling the existing store size.

The centre has also made its name as a family entertainment destination, with its newly-extended outdoor play area designed for children of all abilities, family-friendly restaurants including new additions Wingstop and German Doner Kebab, regular Kids’ Carnival events and festive ice rink, and all-day leisure offerings The Escapologist, Cineworld, and new arrival King Pins, opening later in 2025.

Steven Foster, centre director at White Rose Shopping Centre, said: “The impressive results we’ve achieved at White Rose are a true testament to the hard-working team and the amazing retail mix here at the centre.

“It’s a great show of confidence that the centre is attracting investment from existing retailers such as Primark, JD, and M&S, and we’re excited to see so many notable new names joining us too. We have ambitious plans for the future here at White Rose, and we look forward to many more celebrations to come.”

White Rose is also continually investing in its customer experience and accessibility at the centre, with a new, more prominent Guest Services desk, better-located to offer assistance; Changing Places and stoma-friendly facilities with wall hooks, shelving, and mirrors making visiting easier for all guests; as well as developing an Autism Guide with Specialist Autism Services and implementing weekly Quiet Tuesdays when music and demonstrations are switched off to allow for a calmer environment – all initiatives introduced to help remove barriers to visiting the centre, following feedback from the local community.