Which shopping outlet in England could I take my mum to

[frogthedippydog]

I live in Belfast and I would really love to take my mum on a shopping day/few days over in England to spoil her but I'm not sure where would be the best to take her. She loves shopping so she would really enjoy this and it would be so nice to spend time with her.

If you have any ideas of where to go I'd love to hear. I've heard of Cheshire oaks and the bullring but know nothing about them. Any advise welcome x

I live near the TC. I just can’t fathom people travelling a long way to go there.

Cheshire oaks is better and close to Chester and Liverpool which IMO are better for shopping.

Bicester village is more nicely laid out but full of rich tourists and very busy. Mostly very high end outlets

@Crikeyalmighty I do agree. There are some nicer shops like whistles etc near the south laines but Churchill square for 'mainstream' shopping is not what it used to be!

If you're looking for an edgy shopping area with independent stores head to Brighton OP. If not Bluewater is a safe bet with an abundance of choice.

Cribbs Causeway, Trafford Centre, Cheshire Oaks & Westfield Stratford/White City. Personally I wouldn’t bother unless you have a car! These retail parks were designed for those who can drive and aren’t easily accessible by public transport.

It's a mixed bag. Some is cheap but rarely substantially these days. It used to have amazing deals but that's not really the case anymore.

I don't believe any outlets really give that level of discount in shops anymore - it's all gone online.

Likewise the Trafford Centre is ok, but there are loads of empty units and not too many shops you can't find elsewhere.

Genuinely it's all a bit meh.

The TC and Cheshire Oaks do have ok places to eat though. Not amazing but decent.

I simply don't believe shopping expeditions are what they were post COVID.

Quite honestly if you want a shopping trip for something different go to an European city. Barcelona is decent for shopping. It's not going to work out much different in cost for you to go to Barca than any city in the UK tbh.

Bicester doesn't need a car. There are coaches from central London that go there specifically for tourists. Also the train goes straight there from London

@frogthedippydog
Some years back we got a coach from a London hotel that brings you to and from Bicester.
It went daily and there were pick ups throughout London.
Bicester is a "sister" of the Kildare Village outlet centre in Ireland.
But it's bigger.
"Designer" stuff but be aware that an investigative documentary on tv a wee while ago found that a lot of the bargains were not bargains at all.
Much of the stock had been made especially for the outlets and also TKMaxx.
If you went to London and did the coach trip to Bicester you could also shop in London - John Lewis, Selfridges, Harrods and the Westfield Centre.
A trip to London is always so lovely.
You'll get great tips on Mumsnet re accommodation and places to eat.

Gunwharf quays? Can fly from Belfast to Southampton and then the train is from the airport building, direct there? Hotels in GWQ to stay in. You can also do plenty of non shopping stuff as well.

Honestly, none of the 'shopping centres' - designer or otherwise, are worth a special trip. You will get the same shops in Belfast city centre / Victoria Centre. It's definitely a better idea to choose an interesting city that's easily commutable from an airport, and just combine sightseeing with shopping! Look in to the cities and see which one would interest your mum the most!

Can I throw in Newcastle?
It's a great city, has its own airport with easy access into the city centre via the metro, and has a thriving shopping centre - Eldon Square in the middle. There are loads of great places to eat. On weekend mornings you can get the metro out to Tynemouth which has an excellent market in the station.

There's a bus from Liverpool city centre right to Cheshire Oaks so it would be easy to combine a visit to both places.

Fly to Liverpool. Stay in Liverpool and shop in Liverpool - lots of good hotels around the docks and great shopping, bars etc. One of the best city centre shopping experiences left in the UK.
Get the metro to Ellesmere Port or Chester and then one of the fast, clean, X buses to the Oaks. Or a cab from Ellesmere Port station which will be just a few quid.
Have fun

And if you want even more and have another day, get the train from Liverpool to Manchester city centre for Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.
Don't bother with the Trafford centre

@Tickledtrout totally agree- I love liverpool for shopping- in fact I love Liverpool generally!! We've had a few city breaks there-

It's not worth going to Bicester Village unless you are in the market for Gucci handbags and the like. It used to be really good when it first opened and the discounts were excellent, but I've been twice in the last few years and it is all high-end designer shops now (with high-end designer prices).

The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol has a bus terminus. The biggest shops are John Lewis and M&S, which are at either end of the main atrium.
Also in Bristol is Cabot Circus in central Bristol-biggest shop is House of Fraser. Its also next to Harvey Nicks and Quakers Friars. Next to that is Broadmead and the Galleries, both are a bit of a dive but there's a big Primark. Most buses stop in the area.
Bath doesn't have a massive undercover mall, but a lot of the city centre is pedestrianised. The bus and train stations are virtually next door to the Southgate shopping centre.
Further afield is Clarks Village in Street. Its got a massive Clarks shoe shop and plenty of outlet shops.
Also have a look at Swindon. I think it's owned by the same company that run the one in Livingston, Scotland mentioned upthread.
You could make Bristol or Bath your base and the other 2 are only about an hour away by car (although if you're bringing a car over check out the clean air zone rules for both cities as they both have them and have different rules).