Maidstone Shopping
Maidstone has more than 700 shops as well as two major shopping centres and a boutique style arcade. With such a vast and diverse selection of retail outlets the town is well-equipped in catering for all shopping needs, tastes and pockets.
Fremlin Walk
This development, built on the site of an old brewery, is an awe inspiring new shopping experience and one that has put Maidstone on the map as one of the UK’s top 50 shopping destinations. A £100 million project, this magnificent and up-market shopping centre is home to over 50 shops that offer choice, convenience, quality and value for money. As well as well-known High Street stores such as House of Frazer, Boots and Waterstones there are a multitude of shops offering the ultimate in latest fashion trends, luxury designer goods and that personal and stylish gift. This vast complex incorporates 350,000 square feet of prime retail space and includes parking spaces for 800 cars located under the House of Fraser store. Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee have the same opening hours as the shopping centre, however, the Spanish restaurant La Tasca is open 12pm until 11pm seven days a week. Late night shopping is up until 8pm Thursday evenings all year round.
The Mall Chequers
Located in the centre of the town with access from Gabriels Hill and King Street, the Mall Chequers is a shopper’s paradise with everything under one roof ensuring a convenient and practical shopping experience. Here, all shopping needs are catered for with independent retailers such as butchers J C Rook and Sons, to the larger stores such Boots, British Home Stores and Wilkinson’s as well as departmental stores TJ Hughes. Whether it be electrical goods, leisure and entertainment, fashion, opticians or travel agents, the Mall Chequers offers the shopper a vast selection of consumer brands within a safe and warm environment. The Mall’s award-winning car park offers convenient access to the shopping centre with over 1000 parking spaces located on 8 levels. There are disabled parking bays on level 2 with a further seven on the roof top and spaces for Mother and Baby can be found on level 4 in the multi-store car park.
Royal Star Arcade
Situated just off the High Street, the Royal Star Arcade is a covered shopping mall providing fashionable boutique style retail units. Retailers represented within the arcade include Berketex Brides, Monsoon and Viyella along with gift and collectable outlets such as Merchant Chandler and Oysters. The unit of Karen Millen, a global designer and brought up in Maidstone is located at 5 Royal Star Arcade and offers clothes collections that cover occasion, work, day and week-end wear.
Maidstone Market - Barker Road, Lockmeadow
Maidstone has held a market for 700 years or more and now has almost 100 stalls operating on Tuesdays and around 30 on Saturdays. On Thursdays in the Market Hall, auctioneer J Stuart Watson, a regular in the town for the past 25 years, oversees sales of antique and modern furniture, metal-ware, ceramics and collectables, whilst on Tuesdays from 7am until 2pm local produce and plants are on sale, enabling growers and producers the opportunity to sell direct to the public. There are a number of other varied and interesting events held at the Market Hall including collectors fairs of curios, objet d’art, family history, vintage toys and even the occasional dog show. A boot fair is held most Saturdays.
King Street, dedicated to King George III following his visit to the town in 1799 is home to a number of major building society branches, and Bank Street, well-known for its listed buildings of architectural and historic interest, has many cafes, restaurants and wine bars. While Week Street boasts two Marks and Spencer stores, Gabriel’s Hill, Market Buildings and Union Street offer a vast range of speciality shops such as china and glass specialists, jewellers, musical instruments retailers and photography shops.
