Hedge End Retail Park Opens

1990s

The Hedge End Retail Park was developed alongside the M27 near Junction 7 during the 1990s, bringing Marks and Spencer, Next, Boots and other national retailers to the town. The retail park was part of the wave of out-of-town retail development that reshaped shopping patterns across England. For Hedge End, the retail park was transformative, putting the town on the map as a retail destination and reducing the need for residents to travel to Southampton or Fareham for mainstream shopping. The park also created local employment and generated significant traffic on Tollbar Way and the M27 junction.