For 40 years, Metrocentre has been one of the UK’s most recognisable retail destinations. Home to 270 retailers across two million square feet of retail space, the Gateshead destination welcomes millions of visitors every year, but maintaining relevance across four decades requires continual evolution.
Today’s Metrocentre looks very different fto the one that opened in 1986. A key part of that transformation has been the integration of digital technology throughout the destination, creating new ways to communicate with visitors, support occupiers and provide additional commercial opportunities.
Over the past decade, Metrocentre has worked with ADI to develop a connected digital estate that extends beyond traditional advertising screens. From large-format DOOH displays and architectural LED installations to digital wayfinding, these platforms have become part of the centre’s identity and day-to-day operation.
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Centre director Gavin Prior said: “Today we’re 40 years old and as you walk through these malls now with the level of AV that we have and with the changes we’ve got coming through, you’d never, ever guess the age of this centre. Partnering with ADI to do it, we’ve seen massive, massive benefits – providing so much energy, theatre and engagement to our consumers.”
Increasingly, digital infrastructure is being planned as part of the fabric of retail destinations rather than as a standalone advertising medium. Alongside media revenue, displays now support visitor communications, placemaking and the flexibility to adapt spaces for events and seasonal activity.
Metrocentre has taken this approach across its digital estate, combining commercial screens with assets designed to support events, visitor communications and the wider character of the centre.
Through several phases of development, ADI has worked closely with Metrocentre to identify the right technology, locations and content opportunities to create an integrated network of digital assets across the venue.
The centre’s external LED displays provide premium DOOH platforms for brands while also allowing Metrocentre to communicate directly with visitors. With 20% of screen time reserved for Metrocentre’s own content, the displays provide a direct channel for promoting events, campaigns and experiences, reaching visitors who may not engage through social media channels.
Internally, large-format LED installations provide further opportunities for commercial campaigns while supporting centre communications. More recently, ADI delivered six digital banner screens positioned across key areas of the mall, helping integrate digital messaging across key visitor routes.
Prior explained: “If you look at those screens, they feel absolutely fundamentally part of the fabric. So we have worked really heavily with ADI to produce the right screens in the right location, giving the right messages.”
Integrating modern digital displays into a venue originally designed in the 1980s presented unique structural considerations. To achieve a seamless look without heavy engineering, Metrocentre utilised ADI’s proprietary MT LED series.
Designed and manufactured in-house by ADI, the panels are 50% lighter and slimmer than traditional displays. This allowed large format screens to be mounted onto lightweight structures across complex internal and external spaces, while using less energy to support long-term operational efficiency.
Drew Burrow, head of bespoke and creative sales at ADI, noted: “The longevity of this product makes it well suited to long-term venue developments. The MT series allows us to provide retail destinations with a reliable and more sustainable product that delivers exceptional image quality while fitting discreetly into existing architecture.”
As well as a source of ad revenue., Metrocentre’s screens provide a flexible communications platform that allows the centre to respond quickly to changing requirements – from promoting new retailers and brand launches to supporting events, takeovers and seasonal activity.
With content managed centrally, operational teams can update messaging quickly, giving the centre greater flexibility to respond to changing retail activity, events and visitor requirements.
With 17 million visitors annually, the digital platforms enable Metrocentre to communicate relevant information as it happens, helping visitors understand what is taking place throughout the destination.
Events such as the Summer of Sport demonstrate how the screens support programming beyond traditional advertising. They become part of the event itself, providing live content, visitor information and branding across shared public spaces.
For a destination that first opened its doors 40 years ago, Metrocentre’s investment in digital infrastructure shows how established retail environments can continue to adapt without losing their identity. Rather than simply adding screens, the focus has been on creating a connected digital environment that supports commercial objectives, improves the visitor experience and operational flexibility, and becomes embedded within the architecture of the space.
Metrocentre reflects a wider trend across retail and leisure destinations, where digital infrastructure is increasingly planned as part of the built environment rather than added as a standalone media asset.
“ADI have worked closely with us to transform Metrocentre’s DOOH portfolio. The impactful large-format screens provide a platform for the centre’s self-promotion and brand communications, alongside acting as premium sites for revenue generating media campaigns,” Prior continued.
“As we continue transforming and futureproofing Metrocentre, ADI have been a valued partner for innovation and digital integration over many years. They provide the expertise and understand our vision for the centre, and the experiences, environments, and revenues we want to drive forward.”
