Merry Hill shopping centre celebrates record footfall figures for first half of 2025 - here's why
Merry Hill shopping centre near Dudley has reported record footfall figures for the first half of 2025.
Footfall data for the shopping centre in Brierley Hill, described as one of the UK’s top 10 super regional destinations, shows a 5.6 per cent year-on-year increase for the first half of this year thanks to the opening of a number of new food outlets and the popularity of relatively new entertainment and leisure offerings including Hollywood Bowl and the XF Gym.
A spokesperson for Merry Hill said: “The growth across Merry Hill significantly outperforms the UK super-regional shopping centre benchmark, which up until the end of May is tracking +2.6 per cent (as measured by Savills).”
They added that the centre is on track to exceed 15.5 million visitors in 2025, following a year of major investment and proactive asset management.
Jonathan Poole, centre manager at Merry Hill, said: “The first half of this year has truly showcased the momentum building at Merry Hill and we’ve loved welcoming visitors from near and far.
“Footfall has grown as visitors continue to respond positively to our evolving offering, including standout retail arrivals like Harvey Norman and the introduction of new leisure favourites such as XF Gym and the popular leisure mall with Hollywood Bowl at its heart. These additions reflect our ambition to create a dynamic, experience-led destination for all.
“Alongside our growing retail and leisure offer, we’ve been focused on delivering experiences that bring people together and make every visit memorable. Now more than ever, people are looking fun, shared experiences, and we’ve really leaned into that this year, from the UK’s largest Easter Egg to transforming the centre into a 1100m2 real indoor lawn with The Field and the world's first immersive QR treasure hunt this summer.
“2025 is already shaping up to be a milestone year for Merry Hill, and there’s more to come as we continue to surprise, delight and connect our community.”
Family entertainment venue Funstation's Carnival Golf & Games is among the next new additions planned for the centre.
The leisure attraction is taking over part of the space in the former Debenhams unit to host an array of indoor adventures including escape room games, mini-golf and arcade machines. It will feature the centrepiece Carnival Golf and two further themed courses along with video, virtual reality games in the 23,700 sq ft space.
Centre bosses said the arrival of the high-tech entertainment business would build on the popularity of Merry Hill’s leisure quarter, which has seen footfall rise by more than 26 per cent since the opening of Hollywood Bowl in September 2023.
