Record numbers show Glasgow’s out-of-town shopping centres are booming
“We’ve focused on creating a place where people want to spend time” – David Pierotti, Silverburn
Two of Glasgow’s largest out-of-town shopping destinations have hailed record annual numbers.
The Silverburn shopping centre and Glasgow Fort retail park, which comprises large and small store units and an array of restaurants, both saw record numbers of visitors during the course of 2025.
Bosses at Silverburn said the centre had recorded 16.5 million visits over the past year, marking its busiest year to date. The total represents a 10 per cent increase on 2024, with a “particularly strong” end to the year seeing footfall rise by 20 per cent during the key pre-Christmas trading week.
Over the past year, shoppers have seen a host of new brands open their doors at Silverburn including Bershka, Hollister, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Haribo, Wingstop, H Beauty, Black Sheep Coffee, Jo Malone and King Pins. This week, Haus of Pilates was named as the centre’s newest store, with more new brands set to open throughout the year.
In the past three years, Silverburn has transformed its retail mix, moving from a 20 per cent vacancy rate to near full occupancy. Centre managers said the growth highlighted the continued appeal of physical shopping, coupled with places to eat and drink, and “experiences that give people reasons to visit, spend time and come back again”.
General manager David Pierotti said: “Welcoming more than 16 million visits in a single year is a huge achievement and really reflects the role Silverburn plays in the lives of people across Glasgow and beyond.
“We’ve focused on creating a place where people want to spend time, whether that’s shopping, meeting friends, eating out or enjoying new leisure experiences and it’s fantastic to see that resonate so strongly with our guests.”
Meanwhile, Glasgow Fort saw an 8 per cent increase in footfall last year, compared to 2024. It also revealed that retailers across the shopping and leisure destination saw strong sales figures, with multi-retail, health and beauty, and jewellery outlets performing particularly well throughout 2025.
The site’s busiest day of the year was December 23, which also marked the busiest day since Glasgow Fort opened. Bosses said this had been driven by last-minute Christmas shopping and outings with friends and family, alongside the centre staying open until midnight.
Visitor numbers continued to climb following the opening of several new stores in 2024, including Primark, Victoria’s Secret and Adidas, which consistently drew “significant crowds”.
Centre director Phil Goodman said: “2025 was a real milestone year for us at Glasgow Fort. We’ve welcomed more visitors than ever before, opened some fantastic new places to shop and eat and delivered a busy programme of events - all of which have proven incredibly popular with our shoppers. Our focus has been on providing new and exciting experiences to make Glasgow Fort the perfect place for a day out.
“Alongside this mission, supporting our local community has stayed at the heart of everything we do, and we’re proud of the strong relationships we have with many community groups and charities. In 2026, we remain committed to building on these further and doing even more to support those who need it most.”
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