Clayton Square

Clayton square is a small shopping centre within the centre of Liverpool which bares many similarities to St. John’s market which is not far away at all. There seem to be too many of these places within Liverpool and to be perfectly frank these places are substandard and not really in keeping with this superb city.
Liverpool can be a great shopping experience, well that is if you avoid places such as this which really do not fit in with Liverpool’s chic image. There are various stores within Clayton square but all of them are fairly poor and there are not really many people who would spend their whole day shopping here.
The place doesn’t look bad and is well kept and well staffed in general but it is just not really a great place to be in. It seems as though there is much potential here but unfortunately it is just not being fulfilled.

It’s amazing how things change so quickly. Now that Liverpool1 seems to be devouring every shop and business in its wake like a black hole, the quality of shops in Clayton Square has also rapidly declined.
I remember when it opened and there was a buzz aound the city for the new shopping experience to rival the even then slightly grotty and down market St John’s Precinct. How the mighty have fallen. With each passing month there seems to be less reason to shop at CS and it is starting to resemble those malls found in satellite towns like Wigan or Bootle Strand!
It is, however, a very bright and open shopping centre and I’m sure anyone with a bit of nous could use it for totally different purposes. Despite the empty shops there is a nice coffee shop with plenty of rows of computers for internet access up underneath the big glass ceiling.

Opened in 1988 by Princess Ann, Clayton Square, as with other shopping centres in this area, has suffered a lot since the shiny, new Liverpool One opened up. Although a lot of stores like Disney and Thorntons have since moved out, there’s still a little heart left in this shopping centre yet.
Here you’ll still find inexpensive clothing and shoe shops, more upscale fashion stores, a Papermill shop, a Body Works, and various other shops. The Papermill is my favourite shop as I love crafting and writing, and fun paper is an essential for my happiness.
You’ll also find Le Boulevard Café upstairs where you can enjoy a cup of tea or breakfast at an time of the day. The café is open from 9:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Clayton Square is always clean, and there are is a constant surveillance by security guards. There are free, public restrooms.

Clayton Square is a small shopping mall situated in the centre of town. I’ve always been a fan of it because of its bright and spacious interior with a flowing design that gets you around easily from one entrance to another. It does seem somehow that since the development of Liverpool One back in 2008, Clayton Square has become a little less busy than it once was with a few shops closing down (recession obviously did not help either). Therefore, the atmosphere these days seems more faded.
The Opening of Clas Ohlson has upped its status recently but other than that, you have a fairly average variety of shops. Upstairs has a decent coffee shop and internet café but there is this general feeling that Clayton Square is less popular than many years ago.

This place is almost like a rabbit warren, with many different entrances and of course you can also get into the shopping centre through entering one of its shops through the external doors.
Now that Zavvi has closed, it is a little emptier and it will be interesting to see what they use to fill that space.
The Boots branch here is very big and stocks a bit of everything in terms of what Boots sells; kids clothes, perfumes, premium skincare and makeup, pharmacy, food, photo processing
There is a small internet café upstairs in the shopping centre, near to a café outlet. The toilets are free and are clean.
There are few interesting retailers here; there is another Body Shop, but there are 2 others each within 5 minutes of this one. Oasis is good though; it’s a narrow sized shop but has a good range nonetheless. There is also a branch of Whittards in here and it’s decent enough for a quick mooch.
You can also use it as a throughway between Clayton Square itself and Church Street. It’s near a Tesco, a load of bus routes and a Wetherspoons pub so it’s a great place to visit on a shopping trip in Liverpool, but make sure you visit Parker Street (just off Clayton Square), Liverpool One, Church Street itself and the Met Quarter to make your shopping trip complete.

I really like shopping in Clayton Square when I’m in Liverpool. It’s bright and airy with a good range of stores. Sadly with the new Liverpool One shopping area a lot of stores have relocated over there and there are a few gaps in the mall now. Clayton Square is accessed by Ranelagh Street (opposite Central Station), Church Street and Parker Street.
Upstairs has a large glass domed ceiling and there are a couple of cafes and coffee bars which are clean and comfortable and great for taking a break. There is a large Boots store, a Body Shop, Clares Accessories, Oasis, Principles and Jane Norman to name but a few.