The Forge Shopping Centre
Encyclopedia
The Forge Shopping Centre (also known as Parkhead Forge) exists in the east end of Glasgow
in Parkhead
. The shopping centre bore the name from the former William Beardmore and Company
steel works site that had closed in 1976.
was a Gateway
supermarket (at the time the largest in Scotland), but this changed over to Asda
early in 1990 and has remained as such ever since. The other two anchor tenants are In Shops and Marks and Spencer (originally Littlewoods
).
Recently, the centre was extended to allow space for a new department store. Currently, money is being spent on remodelling the centre with and modernising it. A new ceiling and tiles on floor can currently be seen, partly constructed near the Dunnes Stores/Primark exit of the centre.
Main stores include: Toys R Us, M&S Outlet, Next Clearance, Argos, Pets at Home, KFC drive-thru and Pizza Hut.
There is plans to remodel the retail park in the future. In line with regeneration of East end of Glasgow for the commonwealth games. It has also been indicated that 3 Leading UK Supermarkets' are interested in taking over the empty ex Woolworths store as part of a £20 million revamp.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in Parkhead
Parkhead
Parkhead is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road and Westmuir Street. Duke Street and Springfield Road also meet there, to form a turreted Edwardian five-way junction at Parkhead Cross...
. The shopping centre bore the name from the former William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company
William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding conglomerate based in Glasgow and the surrounding Clydeside area. It was active between about 1890 and 1930 and at its peak employed about 40,000 people...
steel works site that had closed in 1976.
Construction
The GEAR (Glasgow East Area Renewal) scheme was founded in 1976, then Europe's largest urban regeneration project of its kind, to provide "core areas with development potential" in the east end of Glasgow. A new shopping centre was part of the plan, ideally to replace the then recently closed Parkhead Forge plant of the Beardmore's steel works. The shopping centre was going to contain a supermarket, a new multiplex cinema and at least 40 units. Work on the shopping centre began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public on 10 October 1988. The main anchor tenantAnchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
was a Gateway
Somerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
supermarket (at the time the largest in Scotland), but this changed over to Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
early in 1990 and has remained as such ever since. The other two anchor tenants are In Shops and Marks and Spencer (originally Littlewoods
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
).
Extension
A second phase of the Forge Shopping Centre incorporated a new indoor market and a retail park site in the mid-1990s.Recently, the centre was extended to allow space for a new department store. Currently, money is being spent on remodelling the centre with and modernising it. A new ceiling and tiles on floor can currently be seen, partly constructed near the Dunnes Stores/Primark exit of the centre.
Current stores
The Forge has a range of shops including three anchor stores: Dunnes Stores, Primark and Asda and a multiplex cinema on site. A McDonald's drive-thru is erected in the vicinity of the car park.Forge Retail Park
The Forge Retail Park is not owned by the same owners as the shopping centre situated opposite the shopping centre, Situated on the Gallowgate Near Celtic ParkCeltic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
Main stores include: Toys R Us, M&S Outlet, Next Clearance, Argos, Pets at Home, KFC drive-thru and Pizza Hut.
There is plans to remodel the retail park in the future. In line with regeneration of East end of Glasgow for the commonwealth games. It has also been indicated that 3 Leading UK Supermarkets' are interested in taking over the empty ex Woolworths store as part of a £20 million revamp.