The UK’s only waterfront outlet shopping centre is getting a transformational £45 million revamp

With 90 outlet shops selling goods at up to 60 percent less than their normal price, Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays is a prime bargain-hunting spot. Now, a whopping £45 million is being thrown at the hub to turn it into a shopping destination ‘unlike anywhere else in the UK’. 

Gunwharf Quays discount shops include Brighton-born clothing brand Lucy & Yak and Aussie fashion brand Hush alongside high street staples like Boots, Clarks, Adidas and Oliver Bonas. Its 30 different eating and drinking options include indie matcha cafe Maddie’s, artisan coffeeshop The Fossil Thief and chains like Wagamama, Pho, Giggling Squid and the Alchemist.  

The venue’s planned revamp will include extending the spaces on the ground and first floor to boost alfreso dining options, and adding a new staircase and lift to improve access between levels. 

Yvonne Clay, centre director at Gunwharf Quays, said: ‘This is an incredibly special year for us. As Gunwharf Quays celebrates 25 years and Portsmouth marks 100 years of city status, it feels like the perfect moment to look ahead, as well as reflect on all we have achieved.

‘We are shaping a harbour-side experience unlike anywhere else in the UK – one that fully embraces our waterfront setting, attracts best-in-class brands, and creates a vibrant, high-quality place for our guests to spend time’. 

The proposals still need to be approved by the council before they can go ahead. But if they get the green light, work could begin in early 2027.

ICYMI: The UK’s second-biggest shopping centre is getting a slick £6 million makeover with more independent brands. 

Plus: Inside plans for a new ‘Garden Village’ near one of England’s greatest cities.

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