Shoppers and retailers defied the recession and the pouring rain today for the opening of Wales’s largest shopping centre.

Ten thousand people poured through the doors of St David’s retail complex in Cardiff within the first half hour of opening and some queued from 7am.

People huddled under umbrellas to watch an outdoor fashion show before breakdancers backflipped through the paper screen covering the doors and the hordes streamed into the 1.4m sq ft centre.

The £675m project took three years to complete and 10 years to plan and the centre has already received 16,300 applications for 4,000 retail jobs.

The centre, jointly owned by real estate investment trust Land Securities and Capital Shopping Centres, is the largest shopping centre to open this year in Europe, they say.

Capital Shopping Centres owns other major retail parks, including Lakeside, in Thurrock, Manchester Arndale and Metrocentre in Gateshead.

Neil Carron, project director of St David’s, which is an extension of an existing shopping centre, said opening a major retail complex in the middle of a recession was not ideal but he was still optimistic about the economic outlook.

“I think everyone knows how difficult the last 12 months have been but we’re delighted with what has been achieved here, with some retailers making their debut in Wales.”

“We’re here for the long term. John Lewis has taken a lease of 250 years which indicates how long we’re planning to be here. It’s not just about today and it’s not just about next week.

“The signs are good but you can’t take anything for granted and you deal with the circumstances as they are.”

Fifty shops opened in the St David’s extension today and 30 more will open before Christmas, leaving 30% of the floor space still empty.

Mr Carron added: “Opening in a recession is the reality of the situation, but we’re pleased with what we’ve achieved given this is 2009, not 2006. Nobody is taking anything for granted but we’re looking forward to a good Christmas.”

Mark Howler, store manager at Apple, said: “We’ve had over 800 customers already and it’s incredible. Cardiff is a major city, it’s a creative hub, so I’m very hopeful.

“I don’t have any fear about the recession, with the team that we have here we have a fantastic opportunity to be hugely successful.”

Shopper Hilary Edbrooke, 48, a Lloyds TSB employee from Cardiff, said: “It’s absolutely fabulous and it’s really good for Cardiff.”

Marilyn Melhuish, 51, a housewife from Cardiff, said the shopping centre was “electrifying” and added: “It was definitely worth all the time and money and I think the recession won’t put people off.”

Prospective employee, Tim Evans, 20, a student from Cardiff, was one of the first people through the doors.

He said: “It’s pretty exciting, it’s overwhelming. It’s obviously good for the city and it’s going to make me spend a lot more money but I’m going to try to get a job here too.

“There’s lots of recruitment going on so I’m quite hopeful.”

Claire Evans, 20, a student from Cardiff, came with her baby Miah, one.

She said: “It feels like I’m not in Cardiff because it’s so massive and modern. I’m a bit disappointed not all the shops are open but there’s so many stores that I’ll be here to buy stuff for my baby. I’m such a shopaholic.”