Watford is a major regional centre for the northern home counties. It is the
most westerly of these commercial centres and the only one in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire County Council designates Watford and Stevenage to be its major
sub-regional centres, heading its list of preferred sites for retail development.
The primary shopping area is the Harlequin Shopping Centre, a large
purpose-built indoor mall with over 140 shops, restaurants and cafes built
during the 1990s, opened officially in June 1992. The owners of the shopping
centre, Capital Shopping Centres, rebranded all their shopping centres,
resulting in The
