Meadowhall: Sheffield shopping centre has almost 100,000 daily visitors - what's the record?
Just under 100,000 people visited Meadowhall on Saturday, November 22, the boss has revealed.
It was one of the busiest November days in the shopping centre’s recent history, according to director Darren Pearce.
But the biggest day of the year is yet to come.
December 27, the day after Boxing Day and a Saturday this year, regularly sets the annual record of about 110,000 thousand people in the day.
This translates to about 25,000 people at any one time. The centre has a maximum capacity of 40,000, Mr Pearce said.
But above 30,000 people are bumping into each other and the numbers “self-regulate” as visitors leave.
Mr Pearce said: “We are having a great run into Christmas this year. I think people are very positive. They are eating out just as much and buying beauty brands, which are about going out and having a good time.”
The all time Meadowhall record is 120,000 people in one day, set when soon after it opened in 1990, he added.
At that time it was a phenomenon that would attract coachloads of people from around the region. It was also long before competition from other shopping centres and internet shopping, Mr Pearce added.
Star readers remember the upper floors were shaking on September 4 1990 as people flooded through the doors.
Today, Meadowhall has 290 shops and 50 places to eat.