Hardly Westfield, but serves it's purpose (Victoria Centre)

Member Name: shopaholicleo

Product:	Victoria Centre
Date:	07/11/08 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A variety of shops

Disadvantages: You need to venture outside to get the full Nottingham experience

I thought I'd give this place an up-to-date review, seeing as it hasn't been commented on here for over 8 years! Affectionately named the 'Vicky Centre' by locals, this complex is slap-bang in the city centre, surrounded by the Hilton Hotel, TK Maxx, and numerous shops and restaurants. It's also right next to the bus station, and is also easily reached by car, though there is no tram stop nearby. Nottingham is a city that's definitely great for shopping, but I wouldn't say that the Victoria Centre makes a massive contribution to that.

Of course there is a decent sized Topshop, with numerous ranges as featured in their London flagship store, and other main players such as Monsoon, Dorothy Perkins, Gap, John Lewis and House of Fraser. The Tesco Express situated conveniently on the way to the carpark is also a hive of activity, but tends to get rather crowded with students and locals throughout the day. There are also numerous smaller fashion shops such as Republic, Paper Sun, and a handy indoor market upstairs with haberdashery, fabrics, hardware, food and other useful bits. The main problem I have is the outdated feel of the centre, which feels quite claustrophobic at times. Being a Londoner, I'm used to my precincts being modern and airy, sometimes with natural light, such as the glass roofs in the Whitgift Centre. In the Victoria Centre everything seems a bit crowded, with the space in the middle occupied by numerous stalls, escalators and people trying to sell you electricity. Add a constant stream of people, many with pushchairs, and you could have yourself a stressed out Saturday.

I also feel like the shops in the centre are too mainstream for me to be able to spend a whole day shopping there. You could probably get everything you need here, an outfit in Topshop, shoes from Faith, but the centre doesn't really represent all that's in Nottingham. To find other high street names such as Primark, New Look, H&M and River Island, you have to venture outside, and beyond the Market Square. There is also the trendy Lace Market area with vintage and independent boutiques, which is always a nice place to look around. I guess an artificial precinct with all of this included would take away from the individuality of this city, but it would be nice if the centre reflected some of the other shopping towns such as Birmingham or Manchester. Upstairs lets the centre down somewhat, and is filled with tackier or specialist shops, and pensioner friendly cafés. You'd be better off venturing into the Market Square or Cornerhouse complex for a bite to eat, as there are no real restaurants in the centre.

I guess that the Victoria Centre serves it's purpose as a shopping centre, with useful department stores and a Tesco Metro store. Although it lacks the modern features of it's counterparts, it does have adequate facilities such as car parking and toilets. The surrounding shopping area is vast, but at least it doesn't feel artificial and like a carbon copy of other cities. I would say that the centre is a useful addition to Nottingham's shopping facilities, but it is not all that the city has to offer.

Summary: Complements the other shopping areas