Best Shopping Centres UK: 10 places to shop this Christmas including Sheffield, London, and Essex

With Christmas right around the corner, millions of UK adults will be visiting shopping centres in hopes of ticking their Christmas presents off the list. However, finding the perfect gift is not always guaranteed at your nearest shopping centre and you might need to clock up the miles to make sure your loved ones get what they want on the big day.

The stress of Christmas shopping combined with the added pressure of finding a suitable store or somewhere cheap and easy to park, can lead many to breaking point this festive season. But with a bit of research, it doesn't have to be a labouring experience.

We've teamed up with cinch to reveal the best shopping centres to visit this Christmas based on the size of the complex, the number of parking spaces, parking fees, and the number of stores and restaurants. So, you have more stores to choose from, less parking stress and even the option to stop for a quick food break between shops (God knows we all need it).

Here's a list of the ten best shopping centres to visit this Christmas.

The top 10 shopping centres to visit this Christmas:

1. Bluewater (Greenhithe, Kent)

Size: 1,800,000 square feet 

Store count: 260

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 13,000

2. Meadowhall (Sheffield)

Size: 1,500,000 square feet 

Store count: 267

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 12,000

3. Metrocentre (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)

Size: 2,000,000 square feet 

Store count: 206

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 10,000

4. Lakeside Shopping Centre (Thurrock, Essex)

Size: 1,430,000 square feet 

Store count: 240

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 11,857

5. Trafford Centre (Trafford, Greater Manchester)

Size: 1,800,000 square feet 

Store count: 143

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 11,500

6. Merry Hill (Dudley, West Midlands)

Size: 1,400,000 square feet 

Store count: 204

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 9,209

7. Westfield London (Shepherd’s Bush, London)

Size: 2,400,000 square feet 

Store count: 391

Parking fees: £9.50 (Four hours)

Parking Spaces: 6,089

8. Westfield Stratford City (Stratford, London)

Size: 1,900,000 square feet 

Store count: 301

Parking fees: £10 (Four hours)

Parking Spaces: 5,000

Size: 1,060,000 square feet 

Store count: 131

Parking fees: Free

Parking Spaces: 4,500

Size: 1,790,000 square feet 

Store count: 170

Parking fees: £5 (Four hours)

Parking Spaces: 10,000