City shopping in Newcastle is now centred on Grey’s monument. Northumberland Street that leads to Grey’s monument has always been considered the heart of the city’s shopping, but now all the main stores are to be found inside one of the numerous malls or shopping centres. Even so many of the stores now inside one of the shopping centres or malls can also be accessed from the surrounding streets and roads.

Fenwick’s is undoubtedly the most famous store in Newcastle. Established in 1862, it is not only the largest store in Newcastle, but is also one of the largest stores outside of London. The Newcastle store occupies several buildings that are joined together, so technically it can be said to be in the Eldon Square Shopping Centre and the Monument Mall, Blackett Street and Northumberland Street. However, to find it is quite simple, just head for Grey’s Monument. Fenwick’s is renowned for the quality of goods that it stocks and sells. It has a cavernous cosmetics section and produces a Christmas window display that can rival any other store anywhere in the world. Over the years Fenwick’s has become a small chain of eight stores. There are now stores in York, one in Leicester and the rest are in London and the South East. In 2001 it also took over the Bentalls chain of stores

Monument Mall is the city’s newest shopping centre and is on the opposite side of the Grey monument to the Eldon Square shopping centre. Spread over three floors the top floor is a dedicated food court that sits underneath the Mall’s dome. Daily opening times are 8am to 6pm apart from Sunday which is 11am to 5pm. Major stores located here include; Virgin Megastore, JJB Sports and BodyShop.

In the city centre itself is the five storey Eldon Square shopping centre. It is located near to Grey’s monument. It is easily accessible by car or bus and the Monument Metro station is right outside it. Normal opening hours are; weekdays and Saturdays 9am to 6pm, Saturdays Sundays 11am to 5pm. On Thursdays the centre is open until 8pm; it also has extended opening hours during the Christmas period. The centre has a wide range of shops in it including John Lewis, Boots, M&S and the famous Fenwick’s. Disabled and shop mobility facilities are available providing free and pre-bookable motorised scooters.

If you cross Percy Street from the Eldon Square, you’ll arrive at Eldon Garden. This is a smaller shopping centre where you’ll find the specialist and exclusive shops of the designer labels and fashion brand names. For example, here you’ll find: Armani, Prada, Jimmy Choo to name only three of the thirty retailers located here from which to purchase clothes, shoes, jewellery and all the accessories you might need. The café in the lower level hosts a lunchtime jazz session and the centre is sometimes used for fashion shows and charity galas.

Three miles away from the city centre is the Metrocentre in Gateshead. Metrocentre is one of the largest shopping precincts in the country and has all the major high street stores along with lots of local and specialist shops. Its 330 shops include; Debenham’s, M&S and House of Fraser. Alongside the shopping centre is an indoor theme park, cinema complex, bowling alley and lots of bars and restaurants. Normal opening hours are weekdays 10am to 9pm, Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sundays 11am to 5pm. The centre has extended opening hours during the Christmas period. Customers are well cared for by the centre’s shop mobility scheme at the 3rd level of the blue multi-storey car park and it has access for disabled people. The centre also has two shopping angels. They can be called upon to help you with decisions regarding purchases that you might be unsure of or they can also be your personal shopper. Metrocentre is off the A1 heading south out of Newcastle.

If you’re looking for antiques or crafts make your way to Vine Lane in the city or the Fern avenue area of Jesmond.

The city does, of course, have a market area, called Grainger market. The market is open Monday to Saturday and has over 250 stalls selling mainly meat and vegetables. It is also well known for its speciality stalls selling game meats. The market was built in the 1830s and was, in its time, Europe’s largest ‘undercover’ market. It still contains the last surviving Marks and Spencer Original Penny Bazaar. Grainger market is on Grainger Street, as you go from the Central railway station toward Grey’s monument.

Other markets in Newcastle are the Greenmarket, near the Eldon Square shopping centre. It sells mainly fruit and vegetables but you will also find stalls selling flowers and plants. There is also a small fish market near to the Green market. On Sunday mornings there is a Quayside market, where the stalls sell a wide range of goods providing plenty of opportunities for bargain hunters. Finally, at Armstrong Bridge there is a Sunday ‘arts’ market.