There’s only one place a new independent bumps shoulders with global fashion houses
The Metquarter is celebrating 20 remarkable years since it first opened as Liverpool’s “designer shopping centre.” Over that time, businesses have come and gone, evolved and weathered challenges such as Covid-19. Yet throughout it all, the sense of community and the rhythm of everyday life have remained largely the same across the past two decades.
When the shopping centre first opened in March 2006 at a cost of £75m, it was marketed as a higher-end shopping destination which was home to the likes of Armani, Gieves & Hawkes, Whistles and the only standalone Mac make-up store in the country.
Today, many of the bigger brands have been replaced by local, independent businesses, and joined by the likes of Liverpool Media Academy, the Everyman Cinema and the VSC food market on the first floor.
All Over The Shop is one of Metquarter’s recent and most innovative retailers. Despite what its pun-intended name suggests, the chaotic charm of the brand disguises what is in fact a lovingly curated selection of clothing, jewellery, and handmade goods, combined under one community-orientated roof.
When founder Bethan Flanagan first started making tie-dye tracksuits from her spare room during the lockdown of 2020, she might not have foreseen that in just six years she would be the owner of her very own shop in one of Liverpool’s most famous shopping locations.
She said: “The Metquarter has always been a great support for all of us as independents. Anything we need in terms of social media or coverage is available and we wouldn’t be here without them. I did look at Liverpool ONE to open my shop, but I don’t think it would be what it is today if it were anywhere else.”
MQ Flowers greets shoppers at the front door with beautiful arrangements and bouquets. The family-run florist has called Metquarter home for 16 years, offering arrangements made fresh every single day and ready for collection at the ground floor stand.
On being one of the oldest standing traders in the centre, MQ Flowers owner Darren Simpson said: “It’s changed over the years. We’re lucky to be at the front of the shop and among the last standing businesses to open years ago. The Metquarter itself has changed a lot, with the university students upstairs, but the day-to-day has always felt the same.”
Hundreds of Scouse lads visit the complex on a regular basis thanks to Tribal Society, one of Liverpool’s most in-demand fashion brands. The company was founded by Adam Cummings, from Old Swan, in 2018 after feeling there was a lack of stylish but reasonably priced jeans and t-shirts for men.
Fast forward to now and it has become a popular fixture in The Metquarter as well as its Chester store and online. When the brand isn’t drawing massive crowds across the city with blink-and-you’ll-miss-them activations, the store team are busy with a regular flow of customers.
Retail assistant Lilly Douglas said: “We get a lot of customers through online platforms but we’ve never suffered in the Metquarter. We always have things to keep people coming to the shop. There’s a positive environment here that, I think, is felt by everyone so it’s a really nice area to work. There’s nothing negative.”
Across the way is Say It With, a jewel in Liverpool’s business crown. Mums Charlotte Donoghue and Steph Porter grew close during a Spanish summer holiday together in 2014 and even became pregnant at the same, cementing their friendship.
At the time, Charlotte managed an independent candle business while Steph was on maternity leave from teaching children with special needs. Although neither was searching for a new career, a chance conversation about necklaces would snowball into them running a new business.
Steph admired one of Charlotte’s necklaces and sought to recreate it instead of paying the retail price. After hunting around to find out how, she decided it could be a money maker. Fast-forward to today and Say It With Diamonds has become one of the Metquarter’s most talked about businesses thanks to its massive selection of jewellery pulling people in from across the region.
Sales manager Rebecca Bogan said: “It’s really nice centre to work in . It feels like customers come specifically for us so there’s a really nice community feeling that also makes you feel valued. Not only that, but working alongside all of the other vendors, especially around events like Mother’s Day, is great because everyone brings something unique to the table we can all benefit from.”
A tranquil oasis comes in the form of Urban Calm, a beauty salon boasting the city’s only Dermologica Skin Bar and pedicure thrones. The spa offers a range of treatments including facials, full body massages, manicures, pedicures, eyelash treatments, tinting and waxing, with two more sites dotted across Liverpool in Baltic Triangle and Aintree.
As one of Metquarter’s oldest businesses, Urban Calm founder Nicola Byrne couldn’t be happier with its legacy. She said: “We opened upstairs around 17 years ago as a lash bar and opened the salon 15 years ago. Back then there were huge brands like Jo Malone and Hugo Boss, so to be one of the first independents alongside huge national names was great for us.
“We differed from other brands in the sense were were a destination for people and not just a place to make a purchase. We’ve had clients over 15 years who still come and see us, and have done through everything like Covid-19. We’ve always had a great community.”
The Art Quarter is a collective of local artists who originally formed in 2015 for the award winning ‘ONEart’ in Liverpool. Founded by Freida McKitrick and Clare Ellis, the pair opened the market shop to offer a place for others to showcase their work.
They said: “There’s a really strong creative community in Liverpool and this market is a wonderful way to celebrate that. We can’t wait to welcome visitors – supporting local has never been more important – and the Autumn Market is all about bringing people together to do just that.”
Staff member Elaine Hackett is in full agreement, adding: “The Art Quarter is a special place. So supportive of local artists and a great place to visit.”
Although some brands left Metquarter, including Hugo Boss and most recently Cricket, others have received a new lease of life. The GPO food hall temporarily closed doors to rebrand as Victoria Street Collective (VSC), offering a range of traders and international cuisines across 10,152 square feet on the first floor.
Away from businesses, Metquarter is also the birthing ground for stars. LMA dancers wowed the judges on this series of Britain’s Got Talent with a highly synchronised dance, titled “Murmuration”, which is the work of French choreographer Sadeck Berrabah.
Jennina O’Neill, centre manager at Metquarter, said: “Media, music and performing arts institution LMA joined the scheme in 2020 and has welcomed thousands of students through the doors. Since opening at Metquarter, the college has grown considerably and extended its footprint into further space at ground level, adding new courses to the curriculum.”
Looking to the future, she added: “As we look ahead, our main focus continues to be strengthening our retailer mix, presenting opportunities for more businesses to open their doors in a prime, city centre location and ensuring Metquarter plays a valuable role in the future of Liverpool’s high street.”
