The following sounds like a lot of suggestions that probably won't go ahead!

Surely the council ultimately doesn't have much power to tell people what to do with their land, eg 'get rid of that car park', and 'shut down that cheap shop and open up a posh one'..

From Crain's:
Axis idea for streets

By: James Chapelard
The creation of a “major new shopping street” from the Lowry Hotel to Piccadilly Station is one of the key recommendations of a confidential report on Manchester's future as a retail destination.

The 60-page document, Manchester City Centre Retail Strategy, has not been published but Crain's has seen a copy.

It was commissioned by city centre management company Cityco, which stressed the findings are only proposals at this stage and will have to be carefully examined by Manchester City Council.

The proposed new axis route suggested in the report begins on King Street West and follows Lower and Upper King Street, York Street, New York Street, Minshull Street and Auburn Street, past Argent's new Piccadilly Place development before ending at Piccadilly Station.

Consultants suggest it should be made pedestrian-only, with traffic calming measures introduced at the junctions with Deansgate and Portland Street to encourage unrestricted pedestrian flow.

The report's authors, property consultants Drivers Jonas and Lunson Mitchenall and master planners Benoy, say the route would link the city's various shopping areas and create a series of circuits, opening up new retail development opportunities.

The report suggests key sites for redevelopment could be the Primark building on Market Street, which it says would be better suited to a high end retail anchor like John Lewis.

It could also be redeveloped with a “landmark” mixed use tall building containing apartments, a hotel and commercial space, the report says.

The strategy also earmarks Albert Bridge House on King Street West, which overlooks the Irwell and is currently a Department for Work and Pensions office, as a site for a landmark tall building and a potential major retail anchor.

At the eastern end of the axis, the NCP Major Street Car Park is suggested as a potential new public space with a cafe pavillion while Manchester Metropolitan University's nearby Aytoun Campus and an adjacent car park are identified as a location for a foodstore with bars and restaurants overlooking the canal.

The Oddfellows Building could be redeveloped to introduce more shops at the junction of Spring Gardens and Fountain Street, the report adds. It also calls for continuous “high quality retailing” to improve the offer between the retail core in Market Street and Piccadilly Station.

Cityco chief executive Gordon Reid said no decision had been made on whether any proposals would be taken forward. He told Crain's: “This is a piece of advice. It should not be assumed that all of it will be taken forward.”

Competition

The report was commissioned to ensure that Manchester's retail offer keeps space with rivals over the next five to 10 years.

The authors conclude that more space will need to be developed to attract retailers not currently represented in the city.

It adds: “Given the very low vacancy rate within the retail core, and the high level of rental values, it will be necessary to expand the retail circuits in the city centre to create a variety of prime, secondary and tertiary retail opportunities.”

The report's authors suggest that new public spaces, notably in Upper King Street, could also be created to drive footfall and encourage “café culture”.

The document calls for a detailed strategy to “increase the upper market and luxury” brand offer on King Street because of its vulnerability to Allied London's The Avenue, which has already attracted big names such as Armani, Hugo Boss, DKNY and Paul Smith. The Avenue opens in 2009 and will rival London's Bond Street, according to Allied London.

The report says effective links between the Avenue and the rest of the city's retail offer “are essential to stop it becoming a single destination development”.

It therefore calls on planners to improve links between Spinningfields and King Street by redeveloping Lincoln Square with better shops and improved public spaces.

A spokesperson for MMU said its business school would be moving to its All Saints campus on Oxford Road within two years adding: “As regards the future of our Aytoun Campus, we have not sold or entered into any negotiations with anyone as yet regarding the site — the only contact we have had is with the planning department at Manchester City Council which has advised that a mixed-use permission would be likely.”

nice idea, except virtually none of the buildings along those streets could accommodate any retail because most of the buildings don't contain any retail units.

Oh - to be an 'consultant' !

Get paid loads of money to sit around and think up fucking stupid pie-in-the-sky ideas that have no grounding in reality.

Anyone know how i go about becoming an 'consultant'?

It could also be redeveloped with a “landmark” mixed use tall building containing apartments, a hotel and commercial space, the report says.

The strategy also earmarks Albert Bridge House on King Street West, which overlooks the Irwell and is currently a Department for Work and Pensions office, as a site for a landmark tall building and a potential major retail anchor.

Hmm...

to sacrifice Albert Bridge House, or not? Sure they don't mean Manchester House?

Number of shoppers up at Trafford Centre

By James Chapelard

Trafford Centre in Trafford is bucking the national trend with a 10 per cent increase in footfall in the first six months of 2008.

A total of 16.3 million people visited between January and June compared with 15.2m last year, according to the Peel Holdings-owned centre's own figures.

Exit surveys carried out by Peel in May showed that average consumer spend per visit had risen from £77 to £93 in the space of 12 months.

The Trafford Centre released its footfall figures to Crain's following inaccurate reports in the national press last week which linked the centre with a study that found that out-of-town centres had experienced a 5.8 per cent fall in visitor numbers for June. Retail analysts Experian said their study had not contained any specific figures for the Trafford Centre.

Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at the Trafford Centre, said the extra footfall was in part because of the opening of the new homeware destination Barton Square, which has had 500,000 visitors since it opened three months ago.

Mixed picture

McKinnon said: “Spending has gone up and the number of people has gone up. But retailers are telling us it's a mixed picture and there are winners and losers among them.

“In 2007 we had 32m visitors. We have predicted a five per cent increase in 2008.

“Given what has happened with the High Street and the retail sector if we achieve five per cent we will be very happy.”

TGI Friday's has signed up for a 7,000 sq ft unit in the Trafford Centre's Great Hall, the food destination whose design is based on an Italian Palace.

Ego Restaurants has also taken space in the Great Hall following the departure of Brasserie Palmes D'Or. Topshop meanwhile has doubled the size of its store to 25,000 sq ft by moving into the space vacated by BHS when it moved its home department to Barton Square.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/FREE/230178799/-1/toc/-/-/number-of-shoppers-up-at-trafford-centre

Atisreal in line for ILVA

By Simon Binns

Property consultancy Atisreal will be tasked with finding a new tenant if the administrators of ILVA give up the lease on the Icelandic-owned furniture chain's 120,000 sq ft store on Great Ancoats Street.

Charles Hill, based in Atisreal's Leeds office, said the property would allow a retailer to “make a statement” in Manchester.

But Nick McAllester, associate director at the Manchester office of Colliers CRE, said: “A lower end supermarket — such as a Lidl — or a discount store might be interested, but you might have to carve it up into two or three smaller units.”

Owner Town Centre Securities declined to comment.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/FREE/979337782/-1/toc/-/-/atisreal-in-line-for-ilva

Some news at last on the Royal Exchange Shopping Centre.


Potential occupier in discussions over mothballed Royal Exchange

Good deals on rents would attract fashion boutiques, says retail agent

By James Chapelard

Fresh hopes have been raised that Manchester's mothballed Royal Exchange Shopping Centre may soon be reborn as a high end retail destination for small boutiques.

In May 2006, plans were announced to transform the Grade II listed building, but the project was never completed and the centre remains empty and closed.

Quintain, the London-based property developer and investor, which leases the centre from real estate manager Prupim, told Crain's it was about to submit a planning application to refurbish the centre's entrances.

A spokeswoman for Quintain said “detailed discussions” were under way with a potential occupier. Three more were in early discussions about taking space, the spokeswoman added.

Outlets

Agents Jones Lang LaSalle say the 22,000 sq ft centre, on two levels, contains a 50ft central atrium and has room for 15 boutique outlets, ranging in size from 400 to 1,000 sq ft. There is also space for a 2,250-8,600 sq ft spa and a 3,500 sq ft restaurant on the first floor.

While the retail sector may be buoyed by news of potential occupiers, Quintain's comments will undoubtedly be met with some caution.

In August 2006, Jones Lang LaSalle announced that new tenants would be signed up by the autumn of that year but nothing materialised.

The entrances on Market Street, Cross Street and Exchange Street are shuttered or boarded up. A look inside reveals stripped walls and no building activity.

Retail sources said a Terence Conran restaurant was tipped as a potential anchor tenant in 2006 but no deal came through.

One person familiar with the Manchester retail scene said: “There is dead frontage. It is not helping the city centre. It looks shabby. It would be nice to see something happen with it.”

Another retailing source, who looked at the space 18 months ago, said the rents at the time were too high. With the current retail slump, where retailers are driving hard for bargains from landlords, the rents would now be “totally unrealistic”, and would have to come down, the source added.

Quintain denied the scheme had been a victim of the credit crunch and insisted it was still working to fill the space.

The Quintain spokeswoman said: “We have not signed up anyone. We are in detailed discussions with a potential occupier and we have discussions at an early stage with three other organisations. We are very active on the scheme at the moment. We are working on a planning application to refurbish the entrance which will improve access to the building. We expected to have occupiers in the scheme fairly shortly.”

Nick McAllester, associate director at Colliers CRE, said Quintain should be able to let the space if they create bargains for potential tenants.

He said high end fashion boutiques, which have requirements in the city and are not suffering as much from the slump, were in the market for good deals.

“There are potential tenants out there but they will be looking for flexible deals and good incentive packages to help them with some of their start-up costs. It is a tenant friendly market. If they have good deals they should be able to let it.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/FREE/134796695/-1/toc/-/-/potential-occupier-in-discussions-over-mothballed-royal-exchange

From Propertyweek.

Manchester's retail space more expensive than Milan
09:32 | 08.07.08
By Deirdre Hipwell

Retail rents on Manchester’s Market Street are more expensive than Via Montenapoleone – one of Milan’s most important retail streets, according to Colliers CRE.

Colliers in its Spring 2008 Global Retail Highlights report published today said that rents on Market Street have reached £185.43/sq ft a year compared to £184.04/sq ft a year in Milan.

It said Manchester’s Market Street was also more expensive than many other European cities’ retail areas including Rome where rents are £184.04/sq ft a year and Amsterdam where rents are £158.27/sq ft a year.

Market Street also came in as more expensive that global retail locations such as Singapore where rents are £184.15/sq ft a year and Las Vegas’ rents of £70.20/sq ft a year.

Nick McAllester, associate director retail at the Manchester office of Colliers CRE, said: ‘Market Street remains 100% prime in Manchester even though rents have remained fairly stationary over recent years due to nearby areas such as the Arndale extension, New Cathedral Street and The Triangle, soaking up demand.’

I wonder if they could target the Royal Ex. for an antiques bazaar? I'm sure they used to have several in there pre-bomb and it's an area that is totally unrepresented in the city. I feel certain that if they had a dozen specialist shops situated together they could form a commercially viable attraction.

claudia strater expand into new markets (hol)

08/07/2008

Dutch fashion label Claudia Sträter is looking to expand into potential new markets, including opening new shops in England, Belgium and Ireland. By August this year, the fashion brand will open 20 concessions, of which the first eight will be located in the UK in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin, Ireland. Another thirteen stores will then launch in the Netherlands and Belgium later on in the year.

http://www.mpdclick.com/mudpie/action/viewListItem?identifier=news&id=43460&listId=19


Claudia Sträter to Expand In Great Britain

Opening of 20 Shop-in-Shops at the House of Fraser

In the next 18 months the Dutch Fashion Label Claudia Sträter will be expanding in England and Ireland: the fashion house intends to open 20 shop-in-shops in the future.
Some of the locations where the first eight shop-in shops are opening their doors in August 2008 are Oxford Street in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Dundrum.

http://www.claudiastrater.com/

Love Saves the Day, is now open in the Carver's Warehouse extension at Piccadilly Basin.


Love Saves the Day: more love

Jonathan Schofield on a good-looking addition to Dale Street

Love Saves the Day (LStD) has opened a third outlet since bouncing back to life.

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The new Dale Street venue in the Northern Quarter is perhaps the best looking of them all, but without the old building charm of the Deansgate operation. As with the nearby Thomas Street venture the emphasis is very much on the outlet as a coffee shop rather than a deli, although a select and entertaining range of products are available – Fresh Pasta Company produce, Penrith Old Smokehouse lemon and pepper smoked salmon and so on. This LStD version also places great emphasis on inviting customers to hang round and sample its large range of reasonably priced wines.

The space forms part of Carver’s Warehouse. The original building here is two hundred years old, the part LStD occupies is the new extension fronting on to Dale Street. This has high windows and a wide door. The result is a very attractive space flooded with light. The building work was done by architectural and civil engineering practice Martin Stockley Associates who occupy part of the building and provide ready custom.

Stockley’s share space with Marketing Manchester and Visit Manchester. These are the main marketing, conference and tourist organisations for the city and regularly host visiting journalists. This writer knows how idle hacks can be: with the coffees, wines and snacks in tempting distance of meetings, LStD can expect a lot of web and print inches.

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The wine deals are superb, with an individual selection which criss-crosses the world from Old World to New, from a French La Columbe Chablis to a Chilean Soleus Merlot. The wines are all £5.95, with any two for £11 and six for £32. This is a good idea for the company because it increases sales and good for the customer as it encourages variety. There’s a good few bottled local ales too from the likes of Holts and Millstone with a similar deal of £2.50 each, three for £6.50.

Given the paternalistic government we have at present no doubt deals like this are discouraged as irresponsible drinking. But Confidential thinks that drinking fine wine and good ale is a very responsible act and should be encouraged. There should be government courses set up to promote Epicurean principles of pleasure and make people happier in themselves. Or so a companion and I gently mused as we shared a bottle of lush Merlot. Alcohol excites the brain, see, we should all be giving it a go.

Finally coffee and cakes. LStD has a number of own blends including the big strong Deansgate, and the milder but still full flavoured Northern Quarter. Both are recommended for their rich character and both can be drunk on the premises or taken away in packet form (£4.50) to prepare at home. The homemade chocolate fudge cake and the carrot cake are excellent too and cost £2.70 a slice, the carrot cake is made by a member of the Joyce family, co-owners of LStD.

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In its southern reaches Dale Street is one of the classic Manchester streets of textile warehouses and workshops. It retains its narrow canyon-like grandeur, but there’s never been any reason to linger before, now there is. With suitable and mind-expanding refreshment included.

Look out for a good range of events on the LStD website too.

Love Saves the Day Deli and Cafe
77 Dale Street
City M1 2HG
0161 236 9611

www.lovesavestheday.com

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6IlTpJpqiNwF6IHqi&realname=Love_Saves_the_Day_more_love

Still ahead of the game

Can Manchester hold on to its slot as the leading retail light of the Northwest or is Liverpool stealing a march after the opening of the mammoth Liverpool One scheme? By John Ryan

Open any paper over the past few weeks and whether it's Sir Paul McCartney singing at a concert in the city or the opening of Liverpool One, it has been hard to avoid mention of the city that until recently has been used by some as a byword for privation.

Yet behind all the City of Culture razzmatazz, there has been one nagging question: will all of this redress the economic imbalance between Manchester and Liverpool? After all, this may be Liverpool's year, but it's probably Manchester's decade.

Certainly, if inward investment is anything to go by, Liverpool will have made great strides by the end of this year. Grosvenor's £950 million shopping complex in the heart of the city is impressive. But it is not yet full and this leads to the inevitable query about whether the strategy of a phased opening for the scheme was related to a sluggish leasing pattern.

Meanwhile, 35 miles away, Manchester has The Trafford Centre, the Arndale Centre and a host of smaller developments in the city centre, as well as a reputation for being the commercial heart of the Northwest. In fairness, most of Manchester's shopping schemes and their tenants have been around for a while, so it seems a good time to see how the city is measuring up to the improved Liverpudlian competition.

The first thing that's worth noting is that Manchester has not been entirely dormant this year either. Barton Square, the furnishings and homewares extension of The Trafford Centre, opened in March, adding a new string to the edge-of-city scheme's bow. But is central Manchester still worth the trip for disaffected Liverpudlian shoppers?

A quick shimmy around the enormous Arndale Centre reveals a mixed picture. This is a shopping centre of two pretty unequal parts. There is the old Arndale, habouring retailers such as TK Maxx and Bhs and then there is the new part that has been open for under two years. This end of the centre is booming and, with the exception of a couple of voids, one of which had housed a branch of Animal while the other was stripped, shoppers are thronging its fashion stores.

The stores range from the enormous Next, still the UK's largest, to smaller outfits such as Superdrug and G-Star Raw. Next has undergone a major revamp since opening and now has features such as mannequins standing on translucent, illuminated plinths and black frames that separate departments. All in all, this is the bright, young, fashionable side of Manchester's mid-market shopping and for those who get bored with looking at yet more motif t-shirts there is always Waterstones.

When it opened in September 2006, the Arndale Waterstone's was hailed as the next stage in the development of book retailing. Little has changed internally since then. The mildly disappointing fact is that this long, narrow store with its white interior and industrial concrete ceiling remains something of a one-off and only a few elements of the design have been taken elsewhere.

They are, however, a well-read lot in Manchester and this was one of the busiest stores in town. It has a sister store just off the historic St Ann's Square that conforms more closely to the Waterstone's stereotype. Dragons' Den star and Rymans and La Senza entrepreneur Theo Paphitis was in situ in this branch signing copies of his book and fending off the crowds. There are, naturally, bookshops in Liverpool too, but the degree of design effort and investment that is evident in Manchester bookshops not apparent in the centre of Liverpool.

In the new section of the Arndale, the Zavvi store is a highlight. This was a major element of the extension to the shopping centre when it opened in its previous incarnation as a Virgin Megastore. The change of name has been accompanied by a modest revamp of the interior, with a switch to the new brand's emerald green for the signage and checkout graphics.

Those who had tired of looking at books seemed to have ended up here and it was apparent, from the queues at the tills, that money was being spent. We may be on the verge of a recession, or a severe downturn – depending on who you listen to – but from the variety of shopping bags that were being carried around the centre by shoppers, the new part of the Arndale is alive and well.

However, in the older section of the shopping centre, it's a different story. This area also has shoppers, but for the most part they seem to be in the mall's public areas rather than the stores. The simple reason for this is that many of the stores are closed or mid-way through closing-down Sales and, with Madhouse occupying two units, the tone of this part of the centre is distinctly low key. That said, there are highlights, with Republic and JD both appearing to have splashed out on the spaces that they occupy. What is pertinent about the Arndale, as in most other parts of the city centre, is that those retailers that have chosen to populate its interior have put their best feet forward. This is a city filled with the best that retailers have to offer. Even if these stores are not flagships, they will be pretty important in retailers' portfolios.

Step outside the Arndale and the Exchange Square branch of Selfridges marks the beginning of a series of streets filled with mid-market and luxury stores. On one pedestrianised thoroughfare, LK Bennett rubs shoulders with Radley, Reiss and Ted Baker, among others, and there is a Louis Vuitton shop under construction. Interestingly, all these stores trade from more or less equally sized units, all with a narrow plate-glass frontage and a long, deep interior. In each case, this has meant that features have been incorporated deep within each store to draw the eye into the space and tempt the shopper in. Each has done this differently, creating a street with a truly differentiated offer.

With the possible exception of Leeds and maybe Glasgow, there is nowhere outside London to compare with all of this. And, when the shopper finally arrives at the outdoor market on St Ann's Square, it is clear that this remains a city centre fashioned for leisurely browsing.

So does Liverpool measure up? Manchester may be losing a few retailers, Calvin Klein Underwear in the Triangle development being one example, but there are still pretty robust signs that as one retail door shuts, another opens. In Liverpool, the jury is still out. Liverpool One is a remarkable achievement architecturally and the two department stores that have kept faith with the project, Debenhams and John Lewis, are both fine examples of what the retailers can do. The problem is that Liverpool's gleaming new scheme could become the de facto city centre while all of its immediate surrounding hinterland becomes a refuge for low-rent discount operators. There are still few signs of new formats beyond Liverpool One, although they are on the way, and the centre's offer, while good, is doggedly mid-market.

For sheer breadth of offer and the seeming ability to reinvent itself on a regular basis, Manchester still looks a better bet for shoppers than its metropolitan twin. Alderley Edge WAGs may now have Liverpool's Met Quarter in which to indulge their high-spending ways, but if they choose to accompany their affluent footballing partners to Manchester on match day, they will still find much to divert them. The same is probably true of the population at large. Work remains to be done in Liverpool.

http://www.retail-week.com/Stores/2008/07/still_ahead_of_the_game.html

Cliff forms joint venture to re-develop Barton Square

By Simon Binns

Former Ask Developments director Stephen Cliff has formed a new development company called Vision Developments, a joint venture with Irish-based property investor Morgan Leahy.

The new partners are planning to re-develop Barton Square, the thoroughfare behind Manchester’s historic Barton Arcade, which connects Deansgate and St Ann’s Square, and create a new street with a variety of retail and leisure uses. Leahy already owns Barton Arcade and also the adjacent Lancaster Building, which in total comprises a Victorian retail frontage along Deansgate of around 100 metres.

Cliff said; “The new street is a progression of the works already underway to rejuvenate the Arcade. Our aspiration is to animate and improve the under-utilised Barton Square.

“Morgan Leahy and I have a strong relationship to build on. We are both extremely excited about the possibility of bringing Barton Square up to its full potential.

“It is massively under-exploited given its character, heritage and central location. We are confident we can create a vibrant quarter there.”

Cliff said the new partnership would open the door to “some fantastic possibilities.”

“The immediate future is challenging, but with a sensible approach and the right projects, Vision Developments is well placed to meet those challenges.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/FREE/379888073/1084/-/-/cliff-forms-joint-venture-to-re-develop-barton-square

Ex-Ask man’s Vision has Irish backer

11.07.08

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/8243/bartonsquaredl8.jpg

Former Ask development director Stephen Cliff has set up a property company with backing from Irish investor Morgan Leahy.

Limerick-based Leahy, who made his fortunes in the Irish parcel delivery business and is best known for buying the Ask-developed Bauhaus office scheme in Manchester in 2004 for £20m, launched Vision Developments this week.

Cliff, who left Ken Knott’s Ask last month, said the partnership would combine his development skills with Leahy’s investment expertise.

He and Leahy already have two projects under way in Manchester and Liverpool.

The first involves the redevelopment of Barton Square, a building behind Manchester’s historic Barton Arcade, to create a new thoroughfare and scheme similar to London’s Leadenhall Market.

In Liverpool, Cliff and Leahy have formed a joint venture with Huntsmere to create a mixed-use scheme on Crosshall Street in the centre of Liverpool, comprising 70,000 sq ft of offices for lease and purchase, and a 50-bedroom boutique hotel.

The scheme’s estimated value is around £40m.

Cliff will continue to be involved with Ask on a consultancy basis on specific projects.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=3117881

On Market St Schuh has closed, Shelly's next door is now a Dolsis clearance store and Orange across the street is being refitted.

Schuh on Market Street is being refubished plans for the new signage have recently been approved.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?086074/AO/2008/C1

Some old, some new
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Thanks marky great photos as per usual.

The new Louis Vuitton is looking good, is good to see that Cotswold have started work on their new Deansgate store was wondering if anything was happening with that and HSBC is certainly looking different to when Waterstons used to be there looks like the whole building has been given a makeover i know that HSBC own four floors of space in the building. Hopefully now work will start on the HSBC at King Street.

seems like manchesters still doing well with the high end type shops.

but crocks? who would wear such ugly shoes?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/039-7.jpg


Manchester - Deansgate: 15 August 10:00am

Our 3rd store in Manchester is almost ready to open. This great spot in Manchester is thought to have been named after the lost River Dene, which may have flowed along the Hanging Ditch connecting the River Irk to the River Irwell, at the northern end of Deansgate; thanks wikipedia! Now you will find a large House of Fraser, many great pubs and bars and everything you need to make an enjoyable day of shopping in Manchester. Pop in and see us on opening day and be sure to check back in a few weeks to get all the details including our address, opening day details and our opening offers.

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/webpoint/webpoint.cfm?BRAND_NAME=&FULL_RANGE=0&FUSEACTION=main&SHOWMESSAGE=0&GOTOLOCATION=0&SESSION_EXPIRED=0&BRAND_FULL_DESCRIPTION=&MENUSTATE=N

seems like manchesters still doing well with the high end type shops.

but crocks? who would wear such ugly shoes?

I read a post on another forum today when a girl said she had just invested in her 16th pair of crocs! I thought they were all the same, she must have every colour imaginable :lol::nuts:

Move Metro 'to make Northern Quarter busier'

By James Chapelard

Market Street Metrolink station should be removed to relieve a “bottleneck” in Manchester's retail core and encourage footfall into the Northern Quarter, according to a new report.

Consultants have recommended that the stop should be relocated to High Street and that Debenhams should be remodeled and renovated — “subject to Debenhams finding an acceptable alternative location”.

They say the changes would create a retail gateway leading down Tib Street into the heart of the Northern Quarter. The advice is contained in Manchester City Centre Retail Strategy, a confidential study done for city centre management company Cityco, by master planners Benoy with property consultants Drivers Jonas and Lunson Mitchenall.

“The entrance to Tib Street is a key gateway to the Northern Quarter from the prime retail pitch of Market Street. The existing Metrolink stop provides a barrier to pedestrian movement,” said the report. “Several buildings along Tib Street are visible from Market Street and currently do not take full advantage of the potential retail opportunity on offer.”

The report's authors have made a series of suggestions which will now be considered by Manchester City Council.

They also call for the part-pedestrianisation of lower Oldham Street, the creation of a new market within Stevenson Square and a feasibility study into a second Cornerhouse complex on an unidentified site in the Northern Quarter.

Earlier this month, Manchester City Council announced plans to redevelop Church Street multi-storey car park into a new 13-storey building with office and retail space similar to Camden Market in London.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/FREE/7130837/-1/toc/-/-/move-metro-to-make-northern-quarter-busier

Bank building set to be transformed

By James Chapelard

The Grade II* listed former HSBC building at 100 King Street in Manchester might soon get a new lease of life — as a retail destination.

Its owners, West Yorkshire-based property developer Marshall CDP, has obtained retail consent for the ground floor and basement.

It also wants to install a free standing glass platform in the centre of the banking hall and larger windows, according to a current planning application being dealt with by Manchester City Council.

Marshall CDP has not said what it intends to do with the Sir Edward Lutyens designed building but Manchester city centre management company Cityco said retail would suit the area. Cityco chief executive Gordon Reid told Crain's: “We would hope that there would be some interest from the retail sector, to at least use the ground floor of this building. A retailer would be consistent with Cityco's desire to strengthen the King Street circuit.”

One property source who saw the boards on the building said: “It is a good spot. But it won't be easy to find a retailer because the building has no large windows at ground level. It is going to have to be a destination retailer. They are going to have to do something special. Old bank halls are great but they are very inflexible.”

Marshall CDP did not return calls.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080714/FREE/804296761/-1/toc/-/-/bank-building-set-to-be-transformed

Hamleys unveils fresh look on Regent Street

World-famous toy retailer Hamleys unveiled the first part of the refurbishment of its flagship Regent Street store last week, with a mock-up of a London bus at its heart.

Hamleys has overhauled the ground and top floors of its seven-floor London store.

Hamleys trading director Paul Currie said the new look is intended to enable the retailer to "bottle the Hamleys brand in order to make it more portable".

He added: "This brand has got massive equity that has never really been captured and taken outside London."

Designed by US consultancy Chute Gerdeman, the ground floor features a mock-up of a London bus and a tree filled with toy bears – part of what the retailer describes as "Regent's Bear Park" – designed to capitalise on the store's proximity to Regent's Park.

The top floor features an organic café, called Regal Tea Café, a party room and an -electronic-toy department, -selling robots, toy cars and gizmos aimed at men and teens, said Currie.

The refurbishment of the entire store is expected to be completed by 2010, to coincide with Hamleys' 250th anniversary.

The toy retailer plans to transfer elements of its London refurbishment to new stores. It will open a shop in Dubai in August, which will feature a mock-up of a London bus and a cardboard cut-out of Regent Street, which it calls a Regent Streetscape. On the streetscape, its shop will be called The Joy Emporium – the original name for the Hamleys store when it opened in 1760.

Currie said Hamleys will focus on further standalone stores in the UK once the Dubai outlet is up and running. Possible locations include cities in the north of England, such as Manchester and Liverpool, and Scottish cities, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. However, there are no firm plans at present.

http://www.retail-week.com/Stores/2008/07/hamleys_unveils_fresh_look_on_regent_street.html

“subject to Debenhams finding an acceptable alternative location”

Intresting as that fits with what I was told last year regarding Debenhams being in talks with the Arndale about moving to the corner unit. Like I mentioned I have heard no more on this but maybe they are still in talks.

I take it they want to make Debenhams like what they are doing to Lewis's Department Store in Liverpool. e.g. Making a new street and making sure all floors have tenants

More Floors used (in a location where its over £100/sf.)= More income=More Profit for Landlord.

Debenhams only uses up to the 3rd Floor in the Rylands Building.
On the subject of space, Lewis's and Debenhams - Does anyone know whats happened with the Offices devolpment in the Upper Floors/Ballroom in the Old Lewis's Building (Primark) Here? Not heard or seen anything since.

Is it Debenhams or Lewis's that has a ballroom on one of the upstairs floors? Has anyone got any pics?

It's Lewis's that has the Ballroom. As far as I am aware the office idea was scrapped a while back.
I would love to see the upper floors of Lewis's used as convention and party space with Ballroom left intact if it is still their?

Lewis's are searching for a city centre location, would the HSBC building not be suitable for them? a good location surrounded by high end retailers.

Lewis's are searching for a city centre location, would the HSBC building not be suitable for them? a good location surrounded by high end retailers.

do you mean john lewis?

Has anyone got any photos of the new Krispy Kreme in Selfridges Exchange Square? Thanks.

Crocs

Came out off East Bury and almost ran over this dizzy chav grannie in her red top and red crocs.

One of my friends told me how he had took his crocs to kashmir, left them outside the house, they had been chewed by his dads dog all night and then dumped in the snow to freeze. Despite that they were still in top shape.

That sold them to me. Got myself a tidy brown pair for the Med.

Happy as larry until his cousin (on trying to sell me some industrial tools) took me to his warehouse only for me to see packed at the back dozens and dozen sof cheap plastic crocs ready for the shops on the Med.

So think is collecting football programmes socially odd, whilst collecting croc shoes is socially Ok?

Is Top Gear, a train spotters programme for petrol heads?

Manchester Arndale rebrand to be unveiled this week

Retail mall the Manchester Arndale is unveiling a new brand identity and related promotional campaigns on Thursday 17 July which will see the shopping complex back on TV after an absence of six years.

The new creative has been created by ad agency Robson Brown which is overseeing the marketing activities of the campaign which is based on the strap line ‘Centre of the City’. The campaign will also include point of sale, print, outdoor and radio.

The media value of the campaign has not been disclosed.

Instant Business has produced the digital platform and Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster has created the PR campaign. The 30 second TV commercial has been produced by The Gate.

Glen Barkworth, manager of the 1.4 million sq ft shopping centre, which houses over 240 retail units said: “The ‘Pulse’ signature has been created to encapsulate the strap line we’re employing. Vital to our success is our retailers, who attract over 30 million shoppers every year.”

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-marketing-services/manchester-arndale-rebrand-to-be-unveiled-this-week-200807153038/

Levi's Store is opening in the former Mexx unit in the Arndale

Levi's Store is opening in the former Mexx unit in the Arndale

I thought they closed the store that was where the 3 store is becuase it wasn't making any money. Levis posted a huge drop in profits last yr, I think they only made something like $1m profit.

Lets hope Levi do better then Blend and Mexx, i presume it will be an Original Levie Store like the one in the Trafford Centre.

Also the Manchester Arndale website has now been relaunched to go with the new marketing that has been launched today.

www.manchesterarndale.com

Northern light

As the Trafford Centre approaches its tenth birthday, director of operations Gordon McKinnon talked to Graham Parker about the centre's development plans

17 July, 2008

Ten years ago, when the Trafford centre opened on a derelict industrial site wedged between the M60 and the Manchester Ship Canal, industry reaction focused on the Vegas-style architecture - all classical statues and preserved palm trees - and was in danger of ignoring the fact that John Whittaker's Peel Holdings had in fact created a phenomenal retail machine.

But one man was more aware than most of the Trafford Centre's pulling power - Gordon McKinnon was, at the time, Manchester's city centre manager and he knew all too well that Trafford had both critical mass and accessibility on its side at a time when the city centre was still reeling from the 1996 bomb attack.

A couple of years later, McKinnon took the short trip north-west from the city centre and became director at The Trafford Centre. Since then, his mission has been to keep the centre one step ahead of the competition. And there's been plenty of that: the past two years have seen the city centre stage a comeback with the Arndale Centre extension, while new centres have opened in Wigan and Warrington, both firmly within the Trafford Centre catchment.

And now Liverpool One has arrived. Liverpool's fashion-conscious and free-spending shoppers, starved of retail on their doorstep, have grown used to making the trip along the M62 to Trafford. It's too early to tell how many will continue now that they have 2 million sq ft of new retail and leisure in their city centre.

But for the time being, Peel's efforts have been paying off, with footfall up a massive 10.4 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter of 2008. McKinnon puts this down to a £126m programme of improvements, which began three years ago with the creation of a 200,000-sq ft John Lewis store where the centre's Festival Village once stood. Attracting every developer's anchor of choice was a coup, and according to McKinnon it changed perceptions of the centre. "It gave us access to a different customer base - older and even more ABC1."

The arrival of John Lewis has transformed the northern end of the centre, which has attracted a coterie of aspirational brands like Armani Exchange, Vivienne Westwood, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Karen Millen and Hugo Boss. "There's been a very definite move for that sort of retailer to come to the centre since John Lewis arrived," McKinnon says.

The other new developments have seen John Whittaker shed any remaining vestiges of architectural reticence. The Great Hall is a phantasmagoria of marble and crystal, complete with the world's largest chandelier, while Barton Square is dominated by a Venetian-style campanile and fountains tinkle in shady courtyards. But nobody should dismiss them as a rich man's flights of fancy. McKinnon explains that they have been carefully targeted to expand the Trafford Centre offer and broaden its demographic.

The Great Hall opened last year on what was temporary events space behind the Orient food court. Its role is to extend Trafford's catering offer to match the wider customer base. "We already had 55 eateries and the highest food & beverage revenue of any UK mall, but we wanted to bring in a different offer," says McKinnon. He summarises it as "upper mid-market casual dining" and it's attracted the likes of Carluccio's, Las Iguanas and Pesto, the new brand from the founder of La Tasca.

This year has seen the completion of Barton Square, a 200,000-sq ft extension purely for homewares brands. Linked to the existing centre by an ornate covered bridge, Barton Square is anchored by Marks & Spencer in 40,000 sq ft. British Home Stores took 29,000 sq ft on a single floor, and according to McKinnon it's "absolutely flying." Habitat also took 21,000 sq ft for its northern flagship, which features a new shopfit, and McKinnon says it's immediately become the number two store in the entire chain.

The new store for chic urban homewares brand Dwell has gone one better - McKinnon says it's the number one store in the 12-strong UK chain. And another interesting new arrival is the Canadian-based HomeSense which took 19,000 sq ft. "There's nowhere else like Barton Square in the country, and if you're an upper-mid market homewares brand you have to be there," says McKinnon.

McKinnon points out that few other developers could do what Peel has done at Barton Square - hold a piece of land for 15 years until the right use comes along. And this long-term view is reflected in its approach to the entire Trafford site. The centre only occupies 150 acres out of 500 acres of Peel-owned land, bounded by the motorway, the Ship Canal and the Bridgewater Canal, which McKinnon calls the 'Golden Rectangle'.

"Only now is the masterplan becoming a reality," he says, and the most prominent new development has been Chill Factor, the UK's newest and biggest indoor ski attraction. In the six months since it opened Chill Factor has been 100 per cent fully booked. It also features alpine-themed shops and restaurants. At the same time, the adjoining golf centre, the JJB soccerdome, the David Lloyd tennis centre and the Tulip Inn hotel have been brought together under the banner of the Trafford Quays Leisure Village. "They will work hand-in-glove with the shopping centre," says McKinnon. "We now have uniformity of branding."

The change will spark a new marketing push into the leisure market, promoting Trafford to travel operators as a single destination for weekend breaks, capitalising on the Trafford Centre's strong reputation in the industry which saw it emerge as one of the winners at this year's Group Travel Awards.

But while there's lots of activity around the edges of the centre, McKinnon is still focused on operations within the mall, and the opening of Barton Square has created a bit of liquidity in what is a notoriously tight mall. Even with headline rents of over £400 zone A, few retailers are willing to leave Trafford.

Decanting Bhs into Barton Square created the opportunity to reconfigure Sir Philip Green's holdings in the centre. Bhs retreated to the lower half of its former two-level store while the upper level has become a new flagship store for Topshop/Top Man. "It's a fantastic arrangement, a real win-win," says McKinnon.

At the same time, Marks & Spencer has expanded by adding two mezzanines to take its store to 55,000 sq ft, in addition to the 40,000 sq ft it has in Barton Square.

But as well as looking after the shops, McKinnon has been acquiring something of a political profile in Manchester, as part of Peel's controversial campaign against the proposed congestion charge.

McKinnon is adamant that the congestion charge must be defeated. "It's extremely bad news for everyone in Greater Manchester," he says. "It will hit business anywhere within the M60 and it will add to the costs of employees as well as businesses."

He points out that any of the 10,000 shop workers that drive to work at the Trafford Centre would be hit with the charge if they were not to be late for work, and it could eat up as much as 12 per cent of their take-home pay.

The background is that Greater Manchester has bid for funding to upgrade its public transport infrastructure from the government's £1.2bn Transport Innovation Fund. But the money comes with strings attached: any council winning a grant has to implement congestion charging. "Of course we want to see public transport improved, but the government is blackmailing local authorities," says McKinnon, "and our view is that this is a price not worth paying."

And Peel's campaign is gathering momentum. Over 150 companies have joined the group of businesses opposing the charge, and polls show 80 per cent opposition. The crunch could come when voters in Bury take part in a referendum on the charge. If they mandate their council to vote against it then there will no longer be the requisite majority of local authorities in favour of the charge, and the plan could collapse.

Perhaps McKinnon will have a double cause for celebration when Trafford hits its tenth birthday this autumn.

http://www.shopping-centre.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2725/Northern__light.html

G Star Raw is now open on upper Regents Crescent at the Trafford Centre.

I heard that in actual fact a lot of the stores at Barton Square are trading poorly. So much so, that phase II has been postponed.

I heard that in actual fact a lot of the stores at Barton Square are trading poorly. So much so, that phase II has been postponed.

What's phase II? I thought it was all finished!

He points out that any of the 10,000 shop workers that drive to work at the Trafford Centre

Point 1. There aren't 10,000 shop workers employed at the Trafford Centre. That's bollocks.
Point 2. More importantly, if that's true, which it isn't, that's 10,000 car journeys to and from the Trafford Centre on a daily/weekly basis by the workers alone. Shocking! No wonder Peel don't want the congestion charge.

There's lies, damn lies and Peel lies.

What's phase II? I thought it was all finished!

phase II openings. A lot of the units in the centre are still empty.

ha there are only frigging 10,000 spaces at the trafford centre!

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/customerservices/directory/carparks

peel are a bunch of laughable shits.

its sickening how this corporate giant are masquerading as the voice of the people over the charge. cynical as fuck. I hope that the public of manchester see through their bollocks and make their own mind up.

So? There are 10 000 people who work at the Precinct (which there arent but hey.......) and every single one of them will pay the CC will they? Every single one of them has to cross the zones do they? That seems a bit unlucky doesnt it? What are the chances of that eh?

The Trafford Centre does have buses and with the charge it will(2016) get trams. The 100 million people that work there don't all have cars. I know people that work there and have worked there are not many have had cars. Also lets point out something alot of the people that work at the Trafford Centre in shops are on that low a wage aka minimum wage or just above by about 10p. Alot are also students working part time and most don't have cars anyway. If your working in Mcdonalds and own a car, you've been saving for months.

The Trafford Centre / JJB / Chill Factore area really, really wasn't built with pedestrans routes and on-site public transport in mind. There's inadequate, poorly signposted pavements and fencing surrounding developments that forces indirect pedestrian routes to follow the roads.

The Trafford centre would benefit from the metro stop on it's doorstep but everything else is much more of a walk that you imagine and disected by very big and very busy roads.

The Trafford Centre does have buses and with the charge it will(2016) get trams. The 100 million people that work there don't all have cars. I know people that work there and have worked there are not many have had cars. Also lets point out something alot of the people that work at the Trafford Centre in shops are on that low a wage aka minimum wage or just above by about 10p. Alot are also students working part time and most don't have cars anyway. If your working in Mcdonalds and own a car, you've been saving for months.

Isnt there a concession in TIF for reduced rates for low paid workers?

The Trafford Centre / JJB / Chill Factore area really, really wasn't built with pedestrans routes and on-site public transport in mind. There's inadequate, poorly signposted pavements and fencing surrounding developments that forces indirect pedestrian routes to follow the roads.

The Trafford centre would benefit from the metro stop on it's doorstep but everything else is much more of a walk that you imagine and disected by very big and very busy roads.

People look at you like an idiot if you try walking anywhere around Dumplington. In fact ive been stopped by the police who thought i was up to no good but all i was doing was trying to cross the road and got stuck on the central reservation!
I felt like Alan Partridge when he walks down the by-pass to the garage to buy 24 litres of screenwash!

According to their website there are 230 stores and 60 dining outlets.

They would have to employ 35 people each to have 10,000 staff.

Some of the bigger stores will employ more than that whilst the smaller ones will obviously employ much less.

I would think that if you include all shifts, weekend staff and the people who deliver goods to the centre, there are probably 10,000 people who work there but not all at the same time.

Isnt there a concession in TIF for reduced rates for low paid workers?


Yes. Peel lose another argument.

phase II openings. A lot of the units in the centre are still empty.

There are five empty units within Barton Square that is out of fourteen stores, there is still apparently Lombok and Porcelanosa and possibly Heals aswell to open, so if those stores open there will only be two empty units.

Bargains boost JL and Lowry

Chris Barry

18/ 7/2008

BARGAIN hunters have boosted sales figures at John Lewis department stores, the chain announced today, as bosses at Salford's Lowry Outlet Mall said they remained confident about its prospects, with consumers increasingly seeking goods at clearance prices.

Revenues at John Lewis shops surged 5.9 per cent for the week to last Saturday, reversing four weeks of falls as cash-strapped shoppers flocked to its summer sales.

The employee-owned firm, viewed as a bellwether of British retailing, said fashion items, electrical and home technology goods and homewares all performed strongly.

Out-of-town branches also showed signs of improvement, having come under pressure as consumers cut back on shopping trips because of high fuel prices.

Its Trafford Centre outlet enjoyed a 1.3 per cent rise in sales, although revenues declined by 2.7 per cent at Cheadle.

Selling operations director Nat Wakely described the figures as a `super result' and said the success was spread across different sectors.

Global Insight economist Howard Archer said today's figures were in marked contrast to eight declines in year-on-year sales that had been seen in the previous nine weeks.

However, he added: "The rebound in John Lewis sales in the latest week does not fundamentally alter our view that consumers are increasingly tightening their belts. "Significantly, the improved sales performance occurred during John Lewis' clearance sale, and we strongly suspect that it was a consequence of increasingly pressurised and price-conscious consumers looking to concentrate their purchases when there are perceived genuine bargains available."

Rob Hallworth, manager of the Lowry Mall - which is part of the privately-owned Wilmslow-based Emerson property empire - said: "Although the market is tough, and that's the case for everyone, we know we have a good offer here and that in times like this people are looking to make the money they do have go further.

"With the discounts we offer - at least 30 per cent from the high street - some retailers are having really good success."

The return of US sportswear giant Nike next month, after a 10-month absence, will also be a boost to the centre, which, Mr Hallworth says, is investing in an `aggressive' TV, press and radio advertising campaign.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1058748_bargains_boost_jl_and_lowry

Geox to open three UK stores

Comfort footwear brand Geox is to open three more stores taking its UK portfolio to five.
Geox has set its sights on upping its presence in the UK market, where sales grew by more than 113% between in 2007.

The brand will open stores in Manchester on August 1, Reading on August 15 and on London's King's Road in September.

The new stores will follow Geox's current standalone stores in Bluewater in Kent and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, and will replicate the same contemporary global store concept selling footwear for men, women and kids.

http://www.drapersonline.com/news/2008/07/geox_to_open_three_uk_stores.html

Nike were advertising for staff in last Thursday's men (week last Thursday). A new store will be opening at the Lowry Outlet Mall. It does seem a little strange as it only seems a few months ago since the last Nike store closed.

There are five empty units within Barton Square that is out of fourteen stores, there is still apparently Lombok and Porcelanosa and possibly Heals aswell to open, so if those stores open there will only be two empty units.

I can quite easily say that Heal's will definitely NOT be opening at Barton Square.

According to their website there are 230 stores and 60 dining outlets.

They would have to employ 35 people each to have 10,000 staff.

Some of the bigger stores will employ more than that whilst the smaller ones will obviously employ much less.

I would think that if you include all shifts, weekend staff and the people who deliver goods to the centre, there are probably 10,000 people who work there but not all at the same time.

Is there really 230 stores in the Trafford Centre? Now I haven't done a store count on my visits, but I can't believe there are 115 stores on each level or roughly 58 stores on each of the lower and upper sides.

Still of the opinion that 10,000 is way off the mark.

even if its true, its irrelevant, they don't all go to work at the same time and not all of them drive to work.

Nike were advertising for staff in last Thursday's men (week last Thursday). A new store will be opening at the Lowry Outlet Mall. It does seem a little strange as it only seems a few months ago since the last Nike store closed.

People have been working in the Old Nike store for a month. One guy told me it was going to be Next from what he heard. They are adding extra air con pipes at the moment.
The previous Nike was making very little money and last yr I was told it would be reduced to half it's size and if the mall wouldn't let them split the unit they would close it. I am not sure if the previous store was franchise like the Arndale store that opened and then closed. They don't seem to have much luck with there stores in the UK. In the States they have loads of stores.

Also remeber that work has now started on the new Nike store on Market Street in the former Clintons Cards unit and that is being run by Nike themselves this time instead of a franchise so maybe the new Nike at Lowry will be run by the company aswell.

All's well with Afflecks

Deborah Linton

19/ 7/2008

LESS than six months after it was saved from closure, Manchester shopping emporium Afflecks is booming.

This time last year, traders feared they would have to leave the northern quarter complex after former owner Elaine Walsh revealed she did not plan to renew her 25-year lease.

But after months of negotiations, landlords Bruntwood stepped in to buy the building and saved it from closure.

They took over its management on April 1 and since then have welcomed 12 new businesses, the expansion of five existing stalls and scores of new customers.

Three stall holders have also revived the once-popular third floor café which had closed.

Rejuvenated

Manager Tony Martin said: "We're really getting Afflecks back to how it used to be. When we moved in, the buzz it was known for had gone - but we're crammed full now on Saturdays and there's a good flow of trade through the week."

Rachel Lever, 25, and sister Kate opened their Call Girl Clothing stall in the centre last month. Rachel, from Chorlton, said: "It was a childhood dream of ours to run a stall here and we were devastated when we thought it would close.

"As soon as things started looking up, we knew it was the right time and it's the best thing we've done."

History

Formerly Afflecks Palace, the name was changed to Afflecks because the original name and most of its distinctive artwork belonged to Mrs Walsh.

There are now 40 businesses trading from the centre, which is decorated with new artwork from local artists and has a vintage games arcade as well as the newly-opened Café 3.

Kay Roberts' underwear boutique, Origini, is also new.

Kay, 29, from Hulme, said: "This is my first shop and there's no better place for it to thrive - it's bursting with individuality and one-offs."

Roxxy Watson, who has run clothing stall Strawberri Peach for 15 years, said: "It's been a busy few months.

"More people are coming through the doors and there's a warm, positive atmosphere."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1058892_alls_well_with_afflecks_

Is there really 230 stores in the Trafford Centre? Now I haven't done a store count on my visits, but I can't believe there are 115 stores on each level or roughly 58 stores on each of the lower and upper sides.

Still of the opinion that 10,000 is way off the mark.

the trafford centre has always promoted the fact that it had 10,000 parking spaces.

when it openend, it was said to have 280 shops, however since the dimise of the festival village, this has been reduced to about 230. obvioulsy it is slightly less has some units have been combined. (h&m springs to mind)

the trafford centre has always promoted the fact that it had 10,000 parking spaces.


no-one is disputing the spaces, its in reference to Peel claiming the charge would affect their 10,000 staff, when really the staff affected are likely to be in the minority. The 10,000 spaces thing was just to underline how irrelevant their point is.

Peel's argument that they have 10,000 staff is invalid, and this is proved by their own boasting about having 10,000 car parking spaces. If the majority of the centre's employees drove to work (which obviously they'd need to to be affected by the charge as they claim), and all at the same time, then the majority of the centre's parking spaces would be taken. Where would all the customers park? Eh? Eh?:tongue:

The returning Nike store at the Outlet mall will be much smaller. A wall has been built in the unit splitting it into 2 so only the front part will be a nike store. The area at the back has 2 store fronts that face out onto the waterfront and will most likely end up as offices like the ones on the outside next to M&S.

It offical bye bye Ilva, the store should be closing in the next few weeks.


Ilva Furniture stores to close

Ilva Furniture, which fell into administration last month, is to shut its three UK stores after a buyer could not be found.

About 400 employees will lose their jobs when the stores at Thurrock, Manchester and Gateshead are shut over the coming weeks.

Kroll's corporate advisory and restructuring group handled the administration.

Kroll partner Peter Saville said: "All employees have been made aware of the situation and a wind-down programme is being implemented at each of the stores. We are grateful for the ongoing understanding and support of employees, customers and suppliers throughout this difficult time."

The Icelandic-owned retailer launched in the UK just two years ago. Poor trading was blamed for forcing a "strategic withdrawal".

Ilva is continuing to fulfil customer orders in the normal course of trading. Any customers with concerns about their orders should contact the retailer on +44 (0) 845 245 8285.

Other retailers to have slipped into administration in recent weeks include Floors-2-Go, The General Trading Company and ScS.

http://www.retail-week.com/NonChannelContent/2008/07/ilva_furniture_stores_to_close.html

Sales down at John Lewis’ Manchester stores

By James Chapelard

The sale slump has continued at John Lewis’ two Greater Manchester department stores as the group announced an overall increase of 0.4 per cent in like-for-like sale across all its stores.

John Lewis’ store in Cheadle saw an 8.4 per cent drop and the group’s Trafford Centre store saw a 3.1 per cent drop in sales for the week ending July 19.

But overall the privately-owned retail today reports an increase in sale on the back of selling clearance lines.

The group also saw sales increase by a third on its website helped by a 50 per cent increase in visits to the website.

Patrick Lewis, director of retail operations, said: “After a slow start, the week picked up well, netting a solid increase over the last four days. Selling through clearance lines was still our major focus, but it was encouraging to see the extra transitional stock that we’ve sourced hitting the mark.”

Across all stores like-for-like fashion sales were up 5.7 per cent, electricals and home technology were down 0.6 per cent while sale of homeware were down 4.7 per cent, according to the company’s weekly sales bulletin.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/FREE/194524387/-1/breaking/-/-/sales-down-at-john-lewis-manchester-stores

New planning applications have been put in for the Lowry Outlet Mall, they are for the area around the piazza inbetween the mall and the Lowry.


Lowry Designer Outlet
The Quays
Salford

Erection of two canopies to Mall fascia

http://publicaccess.salford.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=K3SA2FNP00400


Lowry Designer Outlet
The Quays
Salford

Display of twelve non illuminated hanging signs

http://publicaccess.salford.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=K3QAYHNP00400

Also Nikes unit at the mall now has been given planning approval so that it can have the following uses A1/A2/B1 and/or D1.

http://publicaccess.salford.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JXKNJBNP01N00

There seems to be some interior work being carried out in the former Kookai shop on King Street. Not sure what it's going to be.

Thats good the Kookai store has been empty for a good few years now.

Owner sounds out market for Debenhams building

By James Chapelard

The Rylands Building, home to the Manchester branch of Debenhams, has been informally offered to potential buyers for £60m.

Owner British Land has sounded out investors about the Grade II listed building on Market Street after talks fell through with a potential buyer earlier this year.

In February, British Land — which owns the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield — admitted that the credit crunch had wiped £1.3bn off the value of its portfolio. Since September it has sold £600m of low-growth property.

British Land bought the freehold to the 466,540 sq ft building in 2005 from Debenhams, as part of a £495m sale-and-leaseback deal in which it acquired 23 department stores.

The building was the biggest in the portfolio in terms of floor space, even surpassing the Debenhams Oxford Street store in London by 100,000 sq ft.

A person familiar with situation said: “It has been offered in recent months as an investment. I think they are keen to sell it.”

A sale would be unlikely to affect Debenhams, which has 31 years left on its lease.

Debenhams shares have fallen by a third since the start of June and 78 per cent since the company was brought back to the market by CVC Capital Partners, TPG Capital and Merrill Lynch Private Equity in May 2006 at 195p a share.

A new report, Manchester City Centre Retail Strategy, commissioned by city centre management company Cityco, has suggested the building should be remodelled as a gateway to the Northern Quarter, with the unused upper floors brought back into use.

A spokesperson for British Land said the property was not formally on the market but added: “There is not an asset on the portfolio we would not consider selling at the right price and the right time.”

The seven-storey building, a former warehouse, was built in 1932 for Rylands & Sons, the cotton manufacturers.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/FREE/271248221/-1/toc/-/-/owner-sounds-out-market-for-debenhams-building

Rash of sales knocks King Street off its throne

By James Chapelard

Manchester's King Street, once the jewel in the crown of city centre shopping, has fallen on hard times. Nearly a third of all shop leases — a total of 16 — are currently for sale.

Three other shops, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani and DKNY have signed for outlets in Allied London's The Avenue, leaving a question mark over their future presence.

Diesel is the latest business to put the lease of its 3,800 sq ft King Street store on the market.

Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, All Saints, Mulberry, fashion retailer Flannels and Dorothy Perkins, currently have leases on offer while empty units include the former Starbucks, Virgin Brides, Lotus Bar & Dim Sum, V Shop and Jake Shoes.

Agents say that some King Street shops are trading poorly while demand from potential newcomers is low.

The street has 54 units altogether and rents range from £235,000 per year to £69,000 for smaller units, only slightly cheaper than Market Street.

In recent years the street has also suffered as new, more modern space has become available, notably Manchester Arndale's extension, New Cathedral Street and now The Avenue, which is sucking up interest for any new entrant to Manchester.

Andrew Hynes associate at Cushman & Wakefield, admitted things were tough on King Street. He said: “Some people on King Street are not trading very well. There is very little demand for it. Anyone new to Manchester will look at King Street but they will be tempted elsewhere. King Street is having a hard time. The fact that so many leases are on the market tells its own story. Looking forward I think it will come back. It will reinvent itself once the oversupply of retail space has worked itself through.”

Advisors to city centre management company Cityco and Manchester City Council recently said The Avenue, in Spinningfields, which is due to open in 2009 and has 400,000 sq ft of retail space, would challenge King Street's traditional upmarket and luxury brand offer. The report, Manchester City Centre Retail Strategy, said the issue should be looked at and has called for a strategy to be put in place to attract high end retailers to the area.

Chris Renshaw, retail agency associate director at Manchester-based GL Hearn said: “If all these retailers are going to pull out what are you going to end up with? If people were reasonable on rents, more shops might come back.”

A further threat to the street comes from Allied London's announcement earlier this month that it wanted to double the number of shops in The Avenue from 18 to 36.

But Nick McAllester, associate director of Colliers CRE, said The Avenue might act as a “counter balance” in the future by attracting footfall away from the traditional retail core, around Manchester Arndale, into that area of the city centre.

He added: “King Street has had a hard time. Partly because of big rents and footfall drying up. It has been hit hard by the Arndale extension and New Cathedral Street.

“There is better quality space on the market for smaller rents. There has been poor demand up King Street because there have been better opportunities in the city.”

Nicholas Wainwright, managing director of jewellers Boodles, said: “It is still the best shopping street in Manchester easily, the attraction is that it's narrow and without cars. The problem is the car parking. You pay £12.60. It's ridiculous.”

A Diesel spokesperson said: “At this moment, Diesel (UK) Ltd do not wish to comment on this matter.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/FREE/16494570/-1/toc/-/-/rash-of-sales-knocks-king-street-off-its-throne

Arndale stores to open longer

Kevin Feddy

28/ 7/2008

STORES in Manchester's Arndale are to stay open later on weekday evenings, as shoppers change their habits.

Out-of-town complexes have previously benefited from evening trade, but rising fuel prices have led to a slowdown.

In contrast, demand from city centre workers has led Arndale bosses to extend Monday to Friday opening times by an hour to 9pm.

The announcement came as they published figures showing footfall rose 10 per cent in June against the same month last year.

It is up by 11 per cent for the year so far.

Centre manager Glen Barkworth said: "We've certainly seen an increase in shoppers since opening the Apple, Disney, TK Maxx and Aldi stores in 2007. Up to 20 per cent of our shoppers are now arriving after 5pm."

He said interest had been heightened by a series of openings, including footwear retailer Crocs. Future leasings include Poundland, Nike, Bonmarché and Levi's.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1060071_arndale_stores_to_open_longer

The difficulites King Street is facing is nothing more than the entirely predictable end result of what was a dreadfully misconceived redevelopment of the Arndale Centre.

Foot fall is so concentrated within that mall now and increasingly so given the poor links it affords to the rest of the city centre. Manchester's planners should stop trying to deliver us an in-town Trafford Centre and give King Street and the Northern Quarter a chance.

Exit is now open at the Arndale.


Exit

Lynda Moyo heads for the Exit sign

Where is it:
Exit
Manchester Arndale
Upper Floor
City
M4 3AQ

www.exit.uk.com

The History:
Exit was set up in 1992 by Richard Teall in Afflecks Palace, where Rocket currently resides. They then moved to a unit on Oldham Street where they remained for nine years. Last week they moved again, this time away from the creative Northern Quarter and into the commercial Arndale. The decision was made to move to the Arndale as they noticed trade in the Northern Quarter was slowing down drastically. They hope the Arndale will provide the extra footfall and return Exit to its glory years.

Who shops there:
Exit caters for predominantly male shoppers, between 16 and 30. They also sell a range of female clothing and footwear. What all Exit customers have in common is one thing…coolness. They either possess it or are searching for it. The Exit staff have made it their sole ambition in life to spread cool all over Manchester. So much as walk past and you’ll feel the breeze.

Exit have had enough visits from footballers to make their own Premiership team. Other famous names include Dizzee Rascal, DJ semtex, Robbie Williams, Geri Halliwell, Jason Orange, Bez, Jazzy Jeff, Common and erm Hunter from the Gladiators (I think we can safely say he was in search of cool).

What does it sell:
Clothing, shoes, hats, and skateboards. Buy a bandana for next to nothing or splash out on the Famous Stars and Straps iPod ghetto blaster, for £250. Well worth it given that only 400 exist worldwide.

Why go there:
The Exit crew are a friendly lot. Even if you don’t buy anything, you will leave feeling like you’re at least down with the kids now. Also watch out for exclusive items you can’t get anywhere else in the city. Exit currently stock exclusive Nike SB's, are one of four UK shops with a Vans syndicate account, a gold star New Era account and are Manchesters exclusive stockists of Adidas skateboarding, Rogue status, Famous stars and straps, SuperLovers, Harajuku lovers, and soon to come The Hundreds.

The future:
Expect more stores, but expect Exit to keep it northern. There are no plans to sell out to the South.

Verdict:
Cool as.

http://www.bodyconfidential.co.uk/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6KWXpNwB6IaqiNwA&

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/3596/exit1ys3.jpg

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9973/exit2uz4.jpg

Tous to open first UK store on Regent Street

By Ben Cooper

Spanish jewellery and accessories retailer Tous is to make its UK debut on London’s Regent Street in October.

Tous – which boasts global fashion icon Kylie Minogue as the face of its 2008 International ad campaign – will open in the former Principles store on Regent Street near Oxford Circus.

The retailer will also open a store at the Westfield London scheme at White City and is understood to be considering a concession in Selfridges’ Oxford Street store.

Tous is one of several Spanish retailers to open on Regent Street in the past year, including Desigual and Hoss Intropia.

The retailer, which was advised by property agent CB Richard Ellis, has ambitious plans for the UK. It wants 20 to 30 stores over the next three years, initially in central London, but then moving to other key UK cities such as Manchester and Liverpool.

The retailer is taking on the accessories and jewellery offers of retailers such as Jigsaw and Italian brand Furlow, which have similar price points.

Tous was founded in 1920 and began its international expansion in the early 1990s. It now has a portfolio of more than 350 stores in 36 countries.

http://www.retail-week.com/

The difficulites King Street is facing is nothing more than the entirely predictable end result of what was a dreadfully misconceived redevelopment of the Arndale Centre.

Foot fall is so concentrated within that mall now and increasingly so given the poor links it affords to the rest of the city centre. Manchester's planners should stop trying to deliver us an in-town Trafford Centre and give King Street and the Northern Quarter a chance.

For once i disagree with you.
I think the Arndale has its place and its not the Arndale's fault King Street is struggling. It is 'the market' and greedy landlords that have priced tenants out to look for better value accomodation.
King Street would now suit the better class of independent retailer who have perhaps out grown the NQ but arent a national chain. Sadly they cant afford the rent and King Street is withering on the vine. That part of town needs a 'readjustment' period and landlords should be more realistic about rents down there. Sadly landlords dont give a shit about empty units dragging the area down and will just pass it on to another faceless commercial landlord (who will then put up the rent again!).
Capitalism baffles me sometimes!

I'm inclined to agree with you Longford. King St, has a multitude of different owners and lacks the focus that a sole ownership and managed retail collective such as the Arndale can deliver. They could do with setting up some sort of co-operative, or conjoined business plan, perhaps the council could chair this, to give King St and it's surrounds a clearer vision and direction. As you suggest, retailers such as Exit (prime example), who feel that they have out-grown the Northern Quarter, should be ushered this way.

For once i disagree with you.
I think the Arndale has its place and its not the Arndale's fault King Street is struggling. It is 'the market' and greedy landlords that have priced tenants out to look for better value accomodation.
King Street would now suit the better class of independent retailer who have perhaps out grown the NQ but arent a national chain. Sadly they cant afford the rent and King Street is withering on the vine. That part of town needs a 'readjustment' period and landlords should be more realistic about rents down there. Sadly landlords dont give a shit about empty units dragging the area down and will just pass it on to another faceless commercial landlord (who will then put up the rent again!).
Capitalism baffles me sometimes!

isn't there some legislation that means landlords now have to pay full rates for empty units? Could this help the situation?

The Arndale is overdeveloped, I'm disappointed that Manchester thought to combat the Trafford Centre it needed its own version. The real way to combat it is to offer something unique and different. Instead they are drawing footfall away from places like King Street (which, ironically, does offer something different).

The extension of the arndale is much nicer than the stuffy, suffocating old section but it makes the mall as a whole far too big. I think it would have worked better developing it as two seperate buildings and keeping that road that ran down to exchange square, perhaps having shops running the length of the road. I think the ego of the developers, and the prospect of being europe's biggest indoor shopping centre, pervaded.

For once i disagree with you.
I think the Arndale has its place and its not the Arndale's fault King Street is struggling. It is 'the market' and greedy landlords that have priced tenants out to look for better value accomodation.
King Street would now suit the better class of independent retailer who have perhaps out grown the NQ but arent a national chain. Sadly they cant afford the rent and King Street is withering on the vine. That part of town needs a 'readjustment' period and landlords should be more realistic about rents down there. Sadly landlords dont give a shit about empty units dragging the area down and will just pass it on to another faceless commercial landlord (who will then put up the rent again!).
Capitalism baffles me sometimes!

There definitely seems to be some truth in that. Rent requirements on King Street would appear to be unrealistic at this moment in time. And as you say, a progressive and open minded landlord can successfully reinvigorate a well worn pitch appropriate for the sort of retailers you mention such as the transformation that is taking place at the Barton Arcade at the moment (even if they did kill off Suburb, the bastards!).

However for me, this is only part of the picture. Footfall has also unquestionably fallen on King Street in a period of overall growth in Manchester city centre's retail sales. For me, it speaks volumes that a shops such as Diesel and Tommy Hilfigher that occupy prominent units and have traded successfully for many years are looking to dispose of their leases.

Instead of trying to manufacture an unfeasible new North-South axis, these bloody consultants have missed the blindingly obvious in my opinion. That is, addressing the problems caused by the increasing concentration of footfall within the Arndale Centre, the poor linkages it offers to surrounding streets and in particular the poor East-West linkages through the Anrdale and throughout the wider retail core. Spring Gardens, Brown Street, Pall Mall, Cross Street and St Anne's square are all currently underperforming, unattractive or low profile streets which combined with the dead-end that is the western facade of the Arndale Centre pose a set of particuly difficult problem.

The revitalisation of these streets and in particular a radical remodelling of the Arndale Centre in order to better connect it to the central shopping core will enable the whole of the city centre to function more effectively. In particular it will drive the regeneration of the Northern Quarter and King Street much more efecticvely than some of the suggestions the consultants have come up with in their report for CityCo, as reported by Crains recently.

Sleepy - You seem like a fella who knows what he is talking about (and is annoyingly reticent to reveal your true identity) so if you have time and can be bothered, how about given us a couple of ideas how to address some of the problems you outline above?
Imagine you had unlimited funds and owned all the buildings in question. :)
Just for fun - dont ring in.

Sleepy - You seem like a fella who knows what he is talking about (and is annoyingly reticent to reveal your true identity) so if you have time and can be bothered, how about given us a couple of ideas how to address some of the problems you outline above?
Imagine you had unlimited funds and owned all the buildings in question.
Just for fun - dont ring in.

Know what I'm talking about or good at blagging it? :lol:

Anyway, ideas.

SHORT TERM
Encourage private sector stakeholders to contribute to investing in public realm improvements on key east-west running streets such as Brown Street, Pall Mall, Cross Street, St Anne's Square, High Street, Fountain Street and Deansgate in the same vein as Bruntwood have done so successfully at Spring Gardens.

Get CityCo and said stakeholders round a table to hatch a realistic and co-ordinated strategy for these streets in terms of mix of uses and general offer.

Form a public / private partnership similar to Piccadilly Partnership in order to forge a consensus as to challenges and opportunities specific to retailing in the city centre. Im sure this exists in one form or another already though.

LONG TERM
Shape conditions such that a radical remodelling of the Arndale Centre becomes feasible and a commercially viable proposition. Remodelling in this instance would essentially mean extending said east-west running streets into the Arndale Centre thereby re-establishing a rational and user-friendly street pattern, enabling people to move more freely throughout the retail core without the physical and psycological barrier that is the present day Arndale.

Such conditions could be brought about through working with rival developers to encourage the development of competing high street retail destinations in the city centre and providing impetus for this by reconfiguring bus routes and downsizing / relocating interchanges around the city centre rather than the one or two overly large interchange we have at present.

Alternatively (or in addition) work with the owners of the Arndale Centre to identify development opportunities either through asset swap or a framework for a phased, higher density, high value, mixed use comprehensive redevelopment of the centre with the core aims outlined above as the principal objective of any such scheme. The centre sits next to the CBD where land values are astronomical so I would imagine that such an approach whilst expensive and ambitious at least exists within the realms of possibility in the long term.



There. Where shall I send the invoice?

I was actually looking for a more of a Sim City approach but appreciate your time!

I like the idea of turning back time and re establishing a proper street pattern and would like to see Pall Mall cutting straight in to the Arndale, opening up Halle Square and linking through into the winter garden (why they didnt do this anyway i dont know - making a ginnel through where the old c&a used to be - its empty now i think - so you dont go round the bloody houses to get through).

From Crains. :banana:

Possible Tesco site on market for £88,000
By Simon Binns


The Manchester city centre site earmarked by Tesco for its fourth city centre store has unexpectedly gone up for sale.

The Christopher Wray shop on High Street, which closed last week for a 15-day “stocktake and refurbishment”, is being marketed by London-based agents Nash Bond at an annual rent of £88,000.

John Puddifant, an agent at Nash Bond, said Tesco was still interested in opening a convenience store there but the landlord, an independent owner, had encountered problems satisfying some of the retailer's requirements.

“The landlord needed a variation on the lease on the times he could open and also needed a licence to sell alcohol,” he said. “I think he had problems getting those past the council, so the unit has been taken to market. But Tesco are still keen on the site.”

Size an issue


According to the agent, the unit had also attracted enquiries from some of the small independent food retailers situated in Manchester Arndale Markets directly opposite, but they had been put off by the size of the 4,800 sq ft premises.

“We did have some approaches from the market traders opposite,. But that has died away, mainly because it was too big for them,” said Puddifant. “The problem is that nobody is really looking for that size of unit at the minute. It may be that we have to carve it up into two or three smaller units if there has been no real movement after three months.”

The unit is being offered as a sub-lease that expires on September 2019 with a rent review every five years.

Tesco declined to comment.

Well Tesco may have decided not to open on High Street anymore but they do have plans to open a new store on Princess Street at 55 Princess Street, the plans for the store are here

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JZTI4IBC6K000

Well Tesco may have decided not to open on High Street anymore but they do have plans to open a new store on Princess Street at 55 Princess Street, the plans for the store are here

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JZTI4IBC6K000

That's the Aurora building. The new-build office block that they can't let. I think there maybe someone on the top floor but other than that it been empty since completion, hence the application for change of use.

It could make sense but the developers would have had higher hopes than having to resort to branding their building with a supermarket chain. Trouble is it could make it even harder to rent out the middle floors.

How well will 'Grade A' office space and Tesco go together? Not so good, methinks.

Geox is now open in the Main Dome at the Trafford Centre.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/directory/geox

That's the Aurora building. The new-build office block that they can't let. I think there maybe someone on the top floor but other than that it been empty since completion, hence the application for change of use.

It could make sense but the developers would have had higher hopes than having to resort to branding their building with a supermarket chain. Trouble is it could make it even harder to rent out the middle floors.

How well will 'Grade A' office space and Tesco go together? Not so good, methinks.

Where would they take their deliveries?

There seems to be a narrow street behind it. Bow Lane.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=55+princess+street&sll=53.479668,-2.243496&sspn=0.00117,0.002414&ie=UTF8&ll=53.479744,-2.243877&spn=0.00117,0.002414&t=h&z=19

I don't know whether this is already posted in Offices post, from Crains:

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/FREE/71397621

Fentons takes lease at 55 Princess Street
By Simon Binns

1:53 pm, July 31, 2008

Personal injury solicitors Fentons has let two floors at 55 Princess Street, formerly known as Aurora, in Manchester city centre.

The 57,000 sq ft building is owned by Glasgow-based LNC Properties and had struggled to attract tenants since it was finished in 2006. The only other occupant is surveyors firm Atisreal, who have the top floor.

Fentons will take the fourth and fifth floors, totalling 16,021 sq ft, on a 10-year lease and will be relocating from Trafford.

Quoting rents are £27.50/sq ft. DTZ and King Sturge are joint letting agents. Lambert Smith Hampton represented Fentons.

Don't think it has. Cheers, Andy. These office lets are all good news. The more of these there are the more chance the likes of Axis will get going again.

Wedding Blues For Web Gift Firm

Hundreds of couples waiting for their wedding gifts will be left disappointed after online service Wrapit confirmed it was going into administration.

The group, which handles around 2,500 to 3,000 wedding lists a year, has appointed KPMG as administrators.

The company recently said it had fallen into financial difficulty, blaming the credit crunch and problems in the retail market.

It also said problems were compounded when a couple of refinancing deals fell through at the last minute and blamed HSBC bank for withholding "one million of our money", leaving it in a cash crisis.

Wrapit said HSBC has failed "to cooperate financially, or even provide an ongoing credit card processing facility".

The move is likely to mean delays and disappointment for hundreds of couples awaiting gifts from the business.

Wrapit also said: "HSBC have accepted that they will be responsible for ensuring that all those people who bought gifts through Wrapit using either a credit card or a Visa debit card get a full refund, if they request one.

"So the only people who will lose out will be those who bought using a Switch/Maestro card or a cheque. These amount to about 20% of purchases. (American Express users will get a refund through AmEx).

"HSBC now have it within their power to minimise the pain caused to 2,000 couples (and, probably, 100,000 of their guests) and ensure that no Wrapit customer loses any money - and, as things stand, they will not take it."

The group has about 100 staff and 15 showrooms around the country.

Wrapit was co-founded by former fashion journalist Pepita Diamand in 2000 to allow couples to compile their lists, with guests able to buy items online through the website

The firm buys and delivers the items, with an aim to send them within eight to 12 weeks of the list being closed.

But customers of the wedding present firm have already faced big delays in receiving their gifts, with some newlyweds claiming to have waited for six months or more.

One disgruntled couple set up a Facebook site attacking Wrapit - called "Wrapit's wedding list service - worst customer service ever?" - after delays to their gifts.

Wrapit has a central warehouse in Acton, west London. Its showrooms are in London and Wandsworth, Aberdeen, Beaconsfield, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Canterbury, Darlington, Glasgow, Harrogate, Manchester, Newbury, Newcastle and Norwich.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Wedding-gifts-firm-Wrapit-goes-into-administration/Article/200808115067344?lpos=Business_7&lid=ARTICLE_15067344_Wedding%2Bgifts%2Bfirm%2BWrapit%2Bgoes%2Binto%2Badministration

Can't find the scran thread.

From Crains.

They need the dough

By: Simon Binns

Manchester's restaurant menus are showing the impact of the credit crunch and rising food prices in different ways — one is charging more than £2 for a previously complimentary basket of bread while others are choosing to swallow a hit on profits. Room, on Spring Gardens in Manchester, has decided to start charging £2.25 for bread, which had been free until three weeks ago. It has also slashed the price of a bottle of champagne by half.



Other restaurants have dropped expensive ingredients from their menus and have resorted to cheaper alternatives, as owners and consumers feel the pinch.



A Room employee, who asked not to be named, told Crain's rising food costs had meant a change in menu strategy.



“We've started to charge for bread, and we'll have to wait and see how customers react,” he said. “So far, there have been no complaints.”



Room has also decided to remove fillet steak from its menu, which was the most expensive item at £22.50, and replace it with pork chops, which cost £15.50.



“Meat prices have gone up and consumers don't want to pay over £20 for a dish currently,” said the Room employee. “We are trying to work around the cost increases without passing it on to the customer — so focusing on altering the product instead.”



Andy Hennessy, manager at Croma on Clarence Street, said he was prepared to take a short-term hit on profits to try and keep customers.



“We're holding our own but it has been a struggle,” he said. “We are definitely quieter than last year and we are expecting profits to be down. The price of everything has gone up, but instead of trying to pass it on to customers, we've maintained existing prices, which we see as value for money.



“Consumers are feeling the pinch too, so we'd rather have bums on seats and take the hit to profits. We've tried to squeeze our suppliers or even change them to try and keep our costs down.”



Paul Heathcote, who owns Grado and the Olive Press in Manchester city centre, told Crain's: “We're all fighting for market share — it has been tough since the start of the year.



“The rise in food prices took us by surprise in January, February and March — we thought it was a blip but the price of meat and fish have continued to rise. It is just starting to fall away now, as demand for high-priced consumer products has dipped recently.



“We have had to readdress our pricing in all of our restaurants. Everyone's had to.



“I can understand Room's position — you can either put your headline prices up or charge for extras and you can easily lose business by raising your headline prices. People notice it more if your main courses are becoming more expensive.



“Bread is a high volume product day to day. You can get through a substantial amount. What some have chosen to do is keep prices the same for main courses, but the extras that used to come with the meal now don't, and are chargeable side dishes instead. So if you pay for a steak, all you get is the lump of meat.



“Diners have started to trade down, so instead of a fillet steak, they'll have rump. What we are buying in has changed too. We're now using shins of beef and shoulders of pork — different cuts of meat that are cheaper which people are now prepared to try.”



Rachel Mealing, an account director at Manchester PR firm Golley Slater, dined at Room recently and was surprised that bread was no longer free.



“I suppose that from an environmental point of view, less food is wasted if people only order what they actually want to eat, but charging for bread could be a deal-breaker for me. I probably wouldn't pay for bread, unless I was seriously hungry.”

Second Crown Point shopping park gets go ahead

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has granted developers Langtree Group detailed planning permission for the 135,000 sq ft Crown Point East Retail Park in Denton.

The scheme includes provision for 500 car parking spaces, a 32,000 sq ft industrial/trade park as well as 88 apartments in two blocks.

The development, at junction 1a of the M67 motorway close to Junction 24 of the M60, is divided into 15 individual units from 3,600 to 25,000 sq ft.

Langtree, based in Newton-le-Willows, said in a news release that the development would create a new link road around Denton town centre to provide access to the retail park.

Including mezzanine level floor space, the development will offer 165,000 sq ft of retail floor space and 9,000 sq ft of A3 restaurant space.

Kieran Grealis, the group’s regional development director said: “Langtree is very excited about the detailed planning permission for the mixed-use scheme which will regenerate a prominent site in Denton town centre.

“The scheme draws on the principles to transform the former Oldham Batteries site into a retail park which will complement the existing out of town retail offering at Crown Point North, making Denton a vibrant location for both shoppers and retailers.”

Mark Thompson, Head of Out of Town Retail at Colliers CRE said the new park would be as successful as the nearby Crown Point North on the other side of the M67, where Tesco Home Plus, BhS and TK Maxx are trading.

Colliers CRE and Cheetam & Mortimer are joint agents on the scheme.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/FREE/392277501/1026/-/-/second-crown-point-shopping-park-gets-go-ahead

Langtree, based in Newton-le-Willows, said in a news release that the development would create a new link road around Denton town centre to provide access to the retail park.

All the better for directing people away from Denton itself so they dont have to trouble themselves with the rapidly declining town centre.


“The scheme draws on the principles to transform the former Oldham Batteries site into a retail park which will complement the existing out of town retail offering at Crown Point North, making Denton a vibrant location for both shoppers and retailers.”

.....and knocking the final nail in the coffin of another town centre.

Why dont they just demolish the whole of Denton and replace it with a retail park.

This is 'town planning' at its very worse and no one seems to give a fuck.

Was speaking to the assistants in American Apparel in Liverpool t'other day, they seemed pretty sure that there would be a store opening in Manchester by the end of the year. Didn't seem to know much else though.

Can't find mention of it anywhere though apart from some good old unsubstantiated rumour here http://blog.bigmonsterhitslittletokyo.co.uk/2008/07/american-apparel-to-open-in-manchester.html which suggests a site in the Northern Quarter, which is possible but would be a surprise considering their sites in London and Liverpool tending to be prime high street locations.

Heard that American Apparel will open on Edge Street in the large unit next to the Market restaurant...would bring a lot of footfall to the area. Also high end clothing concept store prob opening up in the Pink post office building in the next couple of months.

Also high end clothing concept store prob opening up in the Pink post office building in the next couple of months.

Can you reveal anymore about this urbanresearcher sounds very interesting, and where exactly do you mean as I am not too sure.

Is good to hear about American Apparell, they have been rumoured to be opening in Manchester for a while and this is the first time that a location has been named it is interesting over the Northern Quarter location for them, but as urbanresearcher says it will bring alot of footfall around that area.

Triangle’s footfall up 31 per cent

By Simon Binns

Manchester’s Triangle Shopping Centre has recorded a 31 per cent increase in footfall for the period April 1 to June 30.

From January 1 to June 30, the centre has seen a 21.5 per cent increase in overall footfall against a national 2.85 per cent deficit.

Michelle Atack, marketing manager for Triangle Shopping Centre, said: “Creative marketing has played a significant part in increasing our footfall with a mixture of internal and external events, some large and some small, taking place every month.

“These will continue throughout the coming months as we do all we can to support our retail outlets and restaurants.”

The Triangle has recently started transporting customers to the centre by bike taxis that operate in the city centre.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/FREE/950325894/1083

Jeffery-West

Lynda Moyo thinks that West is best

WHERE IS IT:
No.1 Barton Arcade
Deansgate
Manchester
0161 835 9284

THE HISTORY:
Mark Jeffery and Guy West are the founders of Northampton-produced footwear company Jeffery-West. A customer will only ever buy a poor make of shoes once, but to buy into Jeffery-West is more than just purchasing a pair of shoes. The new Manchester store is like entering a gentlemen's club, a place you will want to revisit time and time again.

WHO SHOPS THERE:
Modern men who want shoes with old fashioned quality and service. The shop is big enough to store a full range of footwear but small enough to provide an intimate, intricate service.

WHAT DOES IT SELL:
Men's footwear. You may be only used to seeing Jeffery West footwear in department stores. The Manchester boutique is now seven-weeks-old and is one of 4 exclusive shops in the country. The shop is based on and decorated with items from the owners' own home. It's worth a look even if you don't actually need to buy. The shop is a feature all by itself. The proof is in the pictures.

WHY GO THERE:
With most footwear manufacturers farming out ubiquitous styles to be knocked up in the Far East or opting for injection moulded plastic footwear and cemented sole units with cost durability and branding seemingly driving the footwear market in the 21st Century - it's refreshing indeed to see Jeffery-West's commitment to hand-finishing over computer programming, ornamentation over blandness, and style with a huge degree of substance. After all, it is well worth spending money on a decent pair of shoes.

THE FUTURE
We're hoping Jeffery West won't open any more stores in order to retain the exclusivity of the four boutiques. Sometimes less is more.

VERDICT:
In their own words: 'style never goes out of fashion'.

http://www.bodyconfidential.com/index.asp?sessionx=IpqiNwy6KWXlNwB6IaqiNwA

New renders of the redevelopment of Barton Square (the Barton Square behind Barton Arcade)

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7167/bartonsquare01yn0.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/2312/bartonsquare02al3.jpg

From here

http://www.morganleahy.com/barton_square.php

http://www.visiondevelopments.net/bartonsquare/

Can you reveal anymore about this urbanresearcher sounds very interesting, and where exactly do you mean as I am not too sure.

Is good to hear about American Apparell, they have been rumoured to be opening in Manchester for a while and this is the first time that a location has been named it is interesting over the Northern Quarter location for them, but as urbanresearcher says it will bring alot of footfall around that area.

The Pink Post Office:

http://www.spacemanmelonfarmer.co.uk/pubstagger/day2photos/IMG_1459.jpg

Kuoni Travel is opening in the former Kookai shop on King Street.
Cotswold is closing its Oxford Road Store to reopen it as Cotswold Rock Bottom

Thanks neil, I presume Kuoni will close their store that is next to Barton Arcade when they open their new King Street store.

Cotswold on Deansgate opens 15th August and Cotswold Rock Bottom on Oxford Road reopens on 22nd August.
Cotswold Rock Bottom is Cotswolds value range only available in five other stores and is the second Rock Bottom store for Cotswold.

Looks like something could finally be happening with the former British Airways Travel Shop on Deansgate.

Plans have been submitted for the store to be divided into two seperate stores.

Hopefully with the store being divided into two it will get let quicker then what is has now, as with Fat Face moving to St Ann's Sq before the end of the year it will look quite bad to have such an empty strip of stores at the top of Deansgate.


41 - 43 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2AY

Elevational alterations to allow formation of two new shop fronts and entrances in relation to the sub-division of one retail unit into 2 no. separate retail units (Use Class A1)

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JWY239BC01W00

No documents are online yet though.

Poundland opens in Manchester Arndale on Thursday 14th August, so we go from having no pound stores in the Arndale to having two of them (Poundland & Poundworld) within the space of about 3 months.

Protestors lose Tesco fight

Deborah Haile

7/ 8/2008

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a Tesco store in Chorlton have been approved - despite objections from hundreds of campaigners.

Protesters fear the planned petrol station and Tesco Express store on Manchester Road will increase traffic and threaten independent traders.

The plan was rejected by Manchester council last December - but that has now been overturned on appeal.

Planning inspector Paul Crysell said the Tesco store 'would not undermine the vitality and viability of Chorlton district centre'.`

If campaigners want to keep fighting against the store, they will now have to appeal to the High Court.

Debbie Ellen, from Keep Chorlton Interesting - which has been battling the plan for 16 months - said they were `considering the options'.

She said: "We argued the increase in traffic will have a significant impact on Manchester Road - and we have grave concerns about pedestrian safety.

"The inspector does not know the area, yet he has the final say. This does not seem a good way to decide local development."

Debbie added that if the development goes ahead, she hopes people will continue to support village stores.

Esso and Tesco say the development will improve choice and convenience for locals.

A spokesman for Esso said: "There are over 170 Tesco Express shops at Esso service stations, providing customers with more choice and convenience.

"Experience in other towns and cities has shown that the community benefits - customers and other retailers alike."

A spokesman for Tesco said: "A new Tesco Express store will significantly enhance the range and choice of convenience shopping within the local area."

Eamonn Boylan, from Manchester council, said: "We have just been informed of the inspectorate's decision. It sets out in full the reasons for their conclusions and we will consider the recommendations."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1061547_protestors_lose_tesco_fight

Secondhand record shops round-up

Sean Smiths asks whether these retail rarities are about to be deleted

Fourteen years after he was name-checked in Oasis's 'Shakermaker', Peter Howard – alias Mr Sifter – still gets fans turning up at the shop he's run on Fog Lane in Didsbury since 1983.

"We get them coming from all over, and they say, where else is there to go in Burnage? You have a hard time thinking of anywhere," he says as he quickly bags up a couple of country singles for a bloke who's parked on a double yellow.

"It's probably saved us. And we've milked it like mad. The last one we had was Tony Blackburn doing something for GMTV."

Not all of the secondhand record shops in Manchester have Sifter's good fortune. Times are hard for the high street giants, but the economic downturn is causing small independents like secondhand music retailers real problems.

Squeezed by supermarkets, online retailers like eBay and Gemm, and the free-download culture, the outlook looks bleak. There's also the problem that they're dealing in formats that are, essentially, as dead as disco.

Over the last three years, Vox Pop – owned by David and Andrew Shaw, Mr Scruff and his manager Gary McLarnan – has gone from a record shop with a café attached to a café with a record shop attached. Despite ditching the shop's cheaper stock last year and focusing on fewer, higher value items, the site on Turner Street is now solely occupied by Cup café.

"We made a decision. The only reason we had a record store was for vanity," says McLarnan. "There are less people buying records. In essence, it was costing us money to sell the records on the shop floor whereas it doesn't cost us money to sell them online."

Vox Pop now sells most of its stock through various online specialists, though collectors can book a day in the warehouse. Punk rock personal shopper optional.

"The concept of physical stores selling great records with librarian-type heads serving you, it's something we didn't want to let go of," says McLarnan. "But we didn't have a choice. And we're selling higher value items much more quickly online than we ever did in the shop."

Online competition is affecting even long-established secondhand retailers, such as Kingbee Records, which has occupied the same spot on Wilbraham Road in Chorlton for the last 21 years.

"It is hitting us," says owner Les Hare, "but we're surviving and we're doing a bit on the internet ourselves. It's not the way I want to go. I want to have a shop where people can come in, browse and listen to things.

"But it is getting harder. I'm getting less people through the door but they're probably spending more per head. Once they've made the effort to come, they're more inclined to buy, I think.

"There always seems to be stuff coming in," adds Hare. "But I think people are coming from further afield, to sell and buy. As other shops up and down the country close, it's almost a case of last man standing."

"There's a guy in Grimsby who's been in touch this week," says Rae Donaldson in Vinyl Exchange on Oldham Street. "He's got 15,000 old rock albums and 2,000 reggae and sixties soul CDs. He's emigrating. We probably won't take it."

While there are still plenty of records around, Colin White in Vinyl Revival tells me, real bargains are few and far between.

"You don't find the rare stock any more. Everyone's a dealer these days. I used to go to car-boots and there were no other dealers there. You had your pick of the records. Two years later, you had 20 guys out there with record bags."

"Stuff isn't turning up like it used to," says Peter Howard at Sifters, before adding, with the coal-black humour endemic to the trade: "The winter used to finish them off, you know, and their kids used to bring their stuff in. That was always good for classical. There's too many people living too long, this is the problem."

To some, secondhand record shops are merely places where blokes with few social skills go to express the kind of list-making, object-fixated perfectionism that might in other circumstances be mistaken for autism or obsessive compulsive disorder. For others, they are one of the last remaining outposts of aesthetic individualism on an increasingly corporate high street.

Specialising in Manchester-related music and memorabilia, as well as punk, reggae and soul, shops like Vinyl Revival are, says Colin White, "for people who like to root around, who like to handle things and check the condition before they buy it.

"With downloads, you don't get any form of package, you just load it into your iPod. People seek out the vinyl format because they want something to hold, something to look at. They don't just buy records for the records. Factory was a perfect example. Great art and album sleeves. Half the bands on there were rubbish but you bought them for the artwork."

"You'll find things in here that you're not going to find anywhere else," says Les at Kingbee Records, which is particularly strong on northern soul, reggae, punk and jazz. "I like to think we've got a good reputation for giving people decent prices for stuff."

"The range and volume of stuff we carry is better than any other secondhand shop, probably, in the North West," says Rae Donaldson at Vinyl Exchange, now celebrating its twentieth year in business. "We do some types of stuff really well. We've got a lot of good metal CDs, for example. Downstairs on vinyl, you're talking about rock and all its genres, indie, progressive, psychedelic, hip hop, R&B, and obviously, club music – house, techno, and all the variations."

Possibly the longest-established secondhand retailer in the city is Smithfield Exchange, formerly Cecil's, on Smithfield Street. Long-time owner Cecil Cohen died last year and it passed to Robert Mon, who worked in the shop part-time.

The amount of vinyl has shrunk considerably since my last visit, but Mon felt he needed a clean start and cleared a lot of stuff that had accumulated during Cecil's tenure, replacing it with more DVDs and memorabilia.

"It's ticking over, y'know, we're getting there," he says.

I take the opportunity to buy a pristine copy of Peter Brown's 135bpm 1979 stomper 'Crank It Up (Funky Town)', released by seminal Miami label TK. A line in it goes: "Ain't gonna be no stories written about me when I'm gone, but while I'm still around, I'm gonna sing my song .."

Maybe disco isn't as dead as we thought.

*Confidential visited Beatin' Rhythm for this piece but they told us they'd "rather not be thought of as a secondhand record shop".

Kingbee Records
519 Wilbraham Road
Chorlton
Manchester
0161 860 4762
www.vinylnet.co.uk

Sifters Records
177 Fog Lane
Didsbury
Manchester
0161 445 8697

Smithfield Exchange
42 Smithfield Street
Manchester
0161 833 4609

Vinyl Exchange
18 Oldham Street
Manchester
0161 228 1122
www.vinylexchange.co.uk

Vinyl Revival
5 Hilton Street
Manchester
0161 661 6393

Vox Pop
www.voxpopmusic.com

http://www.bodyconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6KWfpNwB6IaqiNwA&

Manchester - A Bigger Better Topman

Topman is proud to announce the opening of a new store located at Trafford, Manchester.

Bursting with the latest in mens fashion, you'll find everything you could want for the coolest and most versatile of wardrobes.

Look out for the Topman street team over the opening fortnight for your chance to win a £250 shopping spreeand a Redken For Men Goody Bag.

Opens Mid August 08

http://www.topman.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaticPageDisplay?storeId=12555&catalogId=17551&identifier=tm1%20manchester%20a%20bigger%20better%20topman

Schuh is now reopen on Market Street following the stores refurbishment.

From Crains.

Better out-of-town sales for John Lewis


John Lewis said its stores took £47.4m last week, a 3.7 per cent rise on the same period last year.

The Trafford Centre store increased sales by 1.4 per cent while the Cheadle store saw a slight decline of 0.4 per cent. This compared with last week’s falls of 10.6 per cent and 15.1 per cent respectively.

John Lewis said it was “very reassuring to see the much better score from the out-of-town branches, which have been finding the going more difficult of late”.

South Manchester Reporter.

Tesco gets go-ahead
Helen Clifton
7/ 8/2008


CAMPAIGNERS, traders and politicians have reacted with dismay to the news that Tesco has won its appeal to build a new store in Chorlton.

Despite 596 objections and a 16-month campaign against the plans for the Manchester Road Tesco Express, the independent Planning Inspectorate this week overturned the Council’s decision to refuse the application.

Resident Debbie Ellen of the Keep Chorlton Interesting campaign said the decision was "appalling".

She said: "It is completely nuts. They are already planning another Tesco in Whalley Range. They are like an outbreak of smallpox.

"As always, the decision has been taken completely out of the hands of elected people and the local residents of the Manchester community. We don’t have any appeal process and once this store is there we won’t have any say.

"We have always argued that it is a completely inappropriate place for a large convenience store. The size of the store is going to go up three-fold.

"It is already a really difficult part of Manchester Road, and with a big Tesco Express in the middle of it, it is just going to be a complete nightmare."

Stefan Najduch, owner of the Barbakan Delicatessen opposite the site, said: "I’m disappointed, but not surprised. I knew they would bludgeon their way through. Everywhere Tesco goes, it is the end of the community. The shops are declining, and we are not busy at the moment. I think it will have an adverse effect on trade."

On December 20, 2007, Manchester City Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to refuse the application to build the store. But Tesco appealed against the decision.

The existing Esso station could now be demolished and replaced with three petrol-filling pumps, a 288 sq metre shop, and a new 12-space car park.

Councillor John Grant, a member of the council’s planning committee, campaigned against the store.

He said: "I can’t see it really helping to keep people within the local Chorlton economy.

"I just think that this will function as an isolated unit. I would have been much happier if the petrol-pump part of the plan had been decommissioned."

Lucy Powell, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Withington, said: "It isn’t the end of the road." She added that she would be looking into the possibility of mounting a challenge.

She said: "The fact that the decision could be overturned by people in Whitehall in the face of a local decision made by local decision-makers, in my opinion is wrong."

In his report, planning inspector Paul Crysell stated that he believed the development would not "undermine the vitality and viability of Chorlton District Centre", and added that he did not think the store "would damage the quality or character of the Centre".

A Tesco spokesperson said: "A new Tesco Express store will significantly enhance the range and choice of convenience shopping within the area."

A spokesperson for Esso Alliance, which submitted the original application, said: "There are over 170 Tesco Express shops at Esso service stations, providing our customers with even more choice and convenience. Experience in other towns and cities, where these sites have been open for several years, has shown that the local community benefits, customers and other retailers alike."

New retail units are now starting to get marketed for stores at Manchester Fort, they will be building three new stores in part of the car park where Next is.

Some information here
http://www.wilkinsonwilliams.co.uk/Branded/Manchester%20-%20Manchester%20Fort%20Shopping%20Park.pdf

The plans for the three new retail units that will be built at Manchester Fort are now online and it still seems that KFC will be taking the bigger unit as their signage is all over the bigger unit in the planning application.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?087335%2fFO%2f2008%2fN1

No gloom at Trafford Centre

Paul Britton

10/ 8/2008

MANCHESTER bargain-hunters are defying the credit crunch by packing into the Trafford Centre.

Car parks were nearly completely filled on Saturday as more than 134,000 shoppers escaped the rain to visit the indoor mall.

Trafford Centre bosses say the five busiest Saturdays of the year have all been in the last two months - despite the economic gloom and it being the height of the holiday season.

And the figures - set against the backdrop of the credit crunch and increased fuel and shopping prices - represent a sharp rise from footfall levels recorded this time last year.

Many of the centre's 235 stores have also reported that the high visitor numbers are being converted into sales, a spokesman said.

He added: "We are setting records and we are definitely breaking year-on-year footfall figures."

It is believed that the poor weather and the success of circus show Afrika! Afrika! contributed to Saturday's huge visitor numbers.

The preliminary figures show July 19 was the busiest Saturday of 2008, with the centre attracting in excess of 140,000 visitors. It is followed by July 5, July 12 and June 21 - where around 134,000 people visited.

A spokesman for the Trafford Centre said the figures represented a marked increase from footfall recorded this time last year.

Exceedingly busy

He said: "It was an exceedingly busy Saturday - the fifth busiest of the year to date. Even though we had so many visitors, it was spread over a 12-hour day. The malls were never crowded and there was plenty of room.

"We are definitely breaking year-on-year records for footfall. The sales are also very good and retailers are very happy. The footfall is being converted into sales, although we are still calculating exact numbers.

"It is turning into a very successful summer for us, even within the backdrop of the credit crunch. People come to the Trafford Centre for a variety of reasons - a blend of entertainment, shopping and leisure. It is considered a day out."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1061954_no_gloom_at_trafford_centre

From Crains.

Luxury beauty products brand Molton Brown is opening a spa and store in Manchester city centre. The company, a London-based subsidiary of Tokyo-quoted Kao Corporation, has taken 2,500 sq ft at 7 St Ann's Square which was formerly occupied by Nike. Fit-out of the Prudential-owned unit will start soon and the spa is expected to open before Christmas

The monster is on the march.

From Crains.

TESCO EYES ANOTHER MANCHESTER STORE

Tesco has made another move to add to its portfolio of stores in Manchester city centre with an application to open a new shop near the Town Hall. The retailer wants to occupy the ground floor of 55 Princess Street, formerly known as the Aurora Building, which is owned by Glasgow company LNC Properties. The building is being marketed by Chris Lloyd at DTZ and quoting rents are around £27.50 per sq ft. The ground floor is around 9,000 sq ft in size. Property consultancy firm Atisreal currently occupies the top floor and personal injury solicitors Fentons recently let two floors in the building. The Manchester office of GL Hearn is acting for Tesco. Tesco declined to comment.

From Crains.

TOPSHOP A SIZE UP AT TRAFFORD CENTRE

Clothing retailer Topshop is to close its store in the Trafford Centre — and open a bigger one a few hundred yards away. The new store, which opens on August 21, will be located in the former Bhs store opposite the New Orleans Food Court, which is more than 16,500 sq ft in size, including a 5,000 sq ft Topman concession. The new store will have areas designated for specific departments and forms of clothing, and will be fitted out with neon lights. The till area will be housed in an arched wooden dome and the entrance will feature plasma screens showing the latest videos. “The look and feel is masculine yet fun, a real move on from the last store,” said a Topman spokeswoman. The Trafford Centre and Topman refused to disclose the rent and lease details.

Also high end clothing concept store prob opening up in the Pink post office building in the next couple of months.

http://www.spacemanmelonfarmer.co.uk/pubstagger/day2photos/IMG_1459.jpg

From Crains:

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080811/FREE/291919539/-1/toc/-/-/high-street-sucks-says-independent

'High Street sucks' says independent
By Joanne Birtwistle


A London-based independent fashion retailer is opening a multi-brand clothing store in Manchester's Northern Quarter next month.

The 1,300 sq ft store will be called The Thomas Street Post Office after a former occupier of the building.

Edben, the company behind the new venture, owns the Carhartt shop on Oldham Street.

Directors Ben Joseph and Edwin Faeh also own Ben Joseph, a clothing wholesaler which is UK representative for the Carhartt brand, as well as Japanese label Edwin Jeans, London-based Tonite and Pointer Shoes.

All four labels will be sold in the shop, along with other streetwear brands from New York, LA, Sydney and London.

“Upstairs will be fitted out with wood and glass, and will have womenswear as well. Downstairs will be have more of a techie, street feel for menswear,” said Alex Morris, northern wholesale and retail manager. “We have other stockists in Manchester, like Selfridges, but for our own store we wanted to create a destination store.

“Our stores have a nice point of difference at a time when high street shopping sucks. It's horrible out there with Primark and TK Maxx. We chose the Northern Quarter because it's away from the mass market high street. We felt Manchester was lacking a good street wear store with brands from LA, New York and Japan.”

Richard Gill, co-owner of clothing store Wood on Oldham Street said he was unconcerned about competition from either store. “It gets people away from Market Street. That can only be a good thing for the area,” he said.


The website site to look out for is(not currently live):

www.thomasstpostoffice.com

Charles Tyrwhitt signs four stores

Charles Tyrwhitt has signed four stores on the back of rising sales

Charles Tyrwhitt is to open four new stores on the back of a 25% increase in sales.

Charles Tyrwhitt, which specialises in selling formal shirts and ties, will open the first of the four shops in Cambridge this week. The opening will be followed by new stores in London's Lime Street, London's Holborn and Manchester - traditionally areas dominated by Charles Tyrwhitt's rival TM Lewin.

Charles Tyrwhitt founder Nick Wheeler said: "No matter what the economic weather, people still need to wear a shirt and tie."

Charles Tyrwhitt has sales of around £50 million annually.

http://www.drapersonline.com/news/2008/08/charles_tyrwhitt_signs_four_stores.html

I think they will either be opening at The Avenue or King Street.

Poundland is now open in Manchester Arndale in a double unit, opposite Peacocks and Costa Coffee on the ground floor in the Wintergardens.

Anyone know what's happened to ILVA?

Anyone know what's happened to ILVA?

its closed down

Outlet Mall update

Closed Down
USA Pro
Budda Bag

Closing Down
Lilly & Skinner

Reopening/Opening
Nike
Chicken Cottage
A new clothing store to be run by the mall owners

It is a shame about USA Pro closing seeing as it only opened at the beginning of the year, but at least there is still some new store opening

Calvin Klein is now open on Lower Peel Avenue at the Trafford Centre

Replay-(UK subsidiary is Fashion Box UK). Seeking to expand franchise stores. Plans stores in Manchester & Leeds. Has 7 uk stores.

http://www.replay.it/

It looks like Bershka has closed at Manchester Arndale, there is no mention of them on the Arndale website anymore and there is also no mention of any U.K. stores on the Bershka website.

It looks like Bershka has closed at Manchester Arndale, there is no mention of them on the Arndale website anymore and there is also no mention of any U.K. stores on the Bershka website.

They didn't seem to put much into the roll out of these in the UK. I would have thought at the price point they were at they would have been suitable for a roll out to towns and not just cities. Shame as they had some nice clothes that were not worn by everyone like Topman.

Just had a look on there site and the stores are still listed. London Oxford St, Manchester, Plymouth & Newcastle. So one has closed as I am sure they opened 5 stores. Very poor in 4 yrs since they arrived in the UK.

Bershka also opened at Westfield Derby and still are open there according to the Westfield Derby website, maybe the Arndales website has just got it wrong.

http://www.westfieldderby.co.uk/store_profile-4322.htm

Also according to the Arndales website Levi is now open in the former Mexx store can anyone else confirm this or if Bershka has actually closed.

Another Vivienne Westwood store is opening in Manchester this time an Anglomania Store the first ever Anglomania Store in the U.K, it will be opening in November 2008, i wonder where it will be located.

http://www.hervia.com/storelocator.php

It looks like Bershka has closed at Manchester Arndale, there is no mention of them on the Arndale website anymore and there is also no mention of any U.K. stores on the Bershka website.

yeah, bershka was a decent shop.

i thought it was just having a refit when i went past the other day

Bershka also opened at Westfield Derby and still are open there according to the Westfield Derby website, maybe the Arndales website has just got it wrong.

http://www.westfieldderby.co.uk/store_profile-4322.htm

Also according to the Arndales website Levi is now open in the former Mexx store can anyone else confirm this or if Bershka has actually closed.

I walked by yesterday Bershka definitely looked completely closed down. If I remember right the signage has gone. Also Mexx is still Mexx and also looks very closed down..

It looks like Bershka has closed at Manchester Arndale, there is no mention of them on the Arndale website anymore and there is also no mention of any U.K. stores on the Bershka website.

hmm, possibly to be replaced by pull&bear which has proved more popular for inditex after succesful openings in liverpool and belfast?

From Crains.

Upmarket travel operator Kuoni is to open in Manchester's King Street. The operator plans to open 10 outlets in cities across the UK following the success of its High Street Kensington store in London. Nick Hughes' Kuoni managing director for the UK said: “We will continue our strong partnership with the trade but we want to offer customers the chance to talk to us.”

hmm, possibly to be replaced by pull&bear which has proved more popular for inditex after succesful openings in liverpool and belfast?

Yes i would think that the store would be rebranded to one of there other brands like Pull & Bear as the store is a pretty big one.

From how-do:

Manchester Arndale marketing remains in Newcastle
Monday, 18 August 2008
http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-marketing-services/manchester-arndale-marketing-remains-in-newcastle-200808183280/

Robson Brown has won a 7 figure contract to devise and implement a marketing campaign for Manchester’s Arndale Centre.
The shopping centre has undergone major work since the Manchester bomb and has included a £150m development programme by owners Prudential.

Robson Brown has been working with the centre for six years and they’ll be using television, radio, online and outdoor media; the first commercials are being broadcast on Granada.

"Inspired by Spielberg’s 1977 film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, we shot the TV commercial using a pulse which radiates from the centre and draws people to Manchester Arndale from all over Europe," explained Nick Carter.

"The shoppers emerge from their Arndale experience looking stylish, confident, and almost heroic, with the pulses emitting from above their heads. This is the ‘Arndale effect’!"

The 'pulse' spells out "ARNDALE" in Morse Code, presumably to hit the affluent cub scout market.

"We were highly impressed with Robson Brown’s expertise within the retail sector. As well as devising a stunning creative strategy, they have delivered a clearly targeted and inventively planned media itinerary," said Arndale’s general manager Glen Barkworth.

:lol:

It looks like Jessops has closed at Manchester Fort after being a clearence store for a while.
Also Lloyds Pharmacy looks to have closed aswell as they are no longer listed on the website not surprising though considering that the store lease has been on the market for a while now.
Finally Lilley & Skinner are no longer listed on there aswell but we knew they were closing down.

http://www.manchesterfort.co.uk/stores.aspx

Jessops store lease
http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000042841BWBL.pdf?id=8c39bb048fe84c41aac0a258a236d59c

Lloyds Pharmacy store lease
http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000086856NLOI.pdf?id=50bcd2fdbfcd4025b74e7e9c2f3735b6

Jessops at the Fort was closed about a month ago when I last visited the Fort.

At the outlet mall M&S is now closing earlier and has stopped taking the outlet mall discount card which gives 10% off. I asked why they had stopped taking it and they said that the store is not as busy as it was so they can no longer accept it.

Retail will dominate square's new era

David Thame

19/ 8/2008

ALLIED LONDON'S chief executive, Mike Ingall, remains confident that the city's office market will survive - and could thrive - in a recession.

Allied London has abandoned plans for a speculative office development at 1 Crown Square, but is in talks which could lead to another 400,000 sq ft of office lettings at its Spinningfields development.

The developer says it will no longer risk speculative development of a 55,000 sq ft office block at Crown Square, as had originally been planned.

The latest phase of the 4m sq ft Spinningfields district will now be dominated by retail development.

"The current market is bizarrely working in Manchester's favour, because it has provided an excuse for occupiers to take the cost-effective office space the city provides," said Mr Ingall.

"I remain confident, because in the last seven months we have completed half a dozen office lettings to banks, inward investors and professionals, and we have another 400,000 sq ft of potential lettings in the preliminary stages.

"I suppose we made a brave call at Spinningfields, and spent a lot of money, and I hope that by early 2009 the capital markets will have returned to normality and it might, as a result, be possible to build our next two office buildings speculatively.

"We've been pleasantly surprised by the interest from potential occupiers in No 1 Crown Square, much of it from leisure users, so we've decided to broaden the use of that building away from offices and into retail."

The construction of two further buildings at Spinningfields is due to start next year: 160,000 sq ft at Hardman Boulevard, next to the Royal Bank of Scotland building, and a further 400,000 sq ft at No 1 Hardman Square.

Allied London say they expect not to build either block before they have secured tenants, but Mr Ingall would not rule out speculative development. "Funding a speculative building is very difficult in today's market, but if we need a pre-let before we can proceed, then I genuinely don't believe that this will be a challenge.

"Besides, interest rates will come in a bit, and by early 2009 the debt market will be back to normality, making it easier to fund speculative schemes."

Confidence from Allied London contrasts with growing gloom elsewhere.

Recently Manchester-based developer Ask revealed that it will not press ahead with speculative office development at Salford's Exchange Greengate site.

Confidence was also dented last week when it emerged that two large office requirements for the city had been shelved.

Law firm DWF has called off its search for a 100,000 sq ft office in the city, and will instead expand at its existing HQ at Deansgate. It had been in talks with Allied London about moving to Spinningfields.

Meanwhile Marks & Spencer is believed to have put an 80,000 sq ft city centre office requirement on ice. It, too, had shortlisted Spinningfields.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1063151__retail_will_dominate_squares_new_era

WOW! Now that is big news. :nuts: Spot the addition. :)

Paris launches range in city
Ben rooth
19/ 8/2008


HOTEL heiress Paris Hilton has chosen Manchester Airport as one of the first places to launch her new range of handbags and accessories.

The bags - priced up to £500 - are now available for travellers at the airport's Nuance store.

Other items in stock include Paris Hilton key rings, clutch bags, purses, hats, suitcases, satchels and bum bags.

The 27-year-old actress and socialite, who also has her own line of perfume, visited Copenhagen earlier this month to officially launch the range.

It coincides with new research which shows that retail sales at airports will grow by 11 per cent in 2008 to around £16bn.

Verdict Research has also discovered that retail sales are set to continue to grow strongly over the next five years, particularly in emerging markets, driven by the rapid increase in air travel and major investment in new airports and retail facilities.

Nick Gladding, Verdict Research lead analyst, said: "The key factors stimulating this growth are increased affluence, growing tourism, rapidly expanding airline networks and new routes - especially those of low-cost carriers.

"The increase in business travel as a result of globalisation is providing a further boost to airport retailers."

What do you think? Have your say below.

Paris launches range in city


http://laist.com/attachments/la_zach/paris-hilton_thatshot.jpg

House of Fraser looks at new brands

House of Fraser said it was ready to roll out a host of brands across its revamped department stores, despite facing "difficult" trading conditions.

The chain - owned by Icelandic investment group Baugur - is now aiming at the higher end of the market and is on track to spend £150 million on an overhaul of its stores by the end of this year.

Major brands set for launch include Lauren - the new womenswear line by Ralph Lauren - while the chain has also attracted other leading designers such as Anya Hindmarch, whose I'm Not A Plastic Bag eco-bag was a global sell-out last year.

New private label offerings such as Criminal - a fashion brand aimed at young male shoppers - will be launched exclusively at its 61 stores next month.

In its trading update for the six months to July 26, House of Fraser said total sales had grown 2.9%, although like-for-like comparatives were not given. Underlying earnings increased by more than 30% to around £16 million over the period.

But the group added sales for its refurbished stores were 8% ahead of the rest of the chain, while sales at two new stores in Belfast and High Wycombe were 15% higher than management hopes.

Chairman Don McCarthy said: "I think John King, our chief executive, and his management team have done a great job in repositioning House of Fraser in what can only be described as difficult trading times.

"We are pleased with our performance over the six months."

House of Fraser, which has 6,500 staff, is also planning makeovers at stores including Glasgow, Oxford Street and Manchester.

Sites also planned to receive significant investment include Bluewater, Reading, Leeds, Dundrum in Dublin and Jenners in Edinburgh.

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5RPPDdeW_dOae33R9mu2SBnRVrw

I wish they wouldn't just say 'Oxford Street'.

I'm sure there's some Freudian, subconscious mental condition that describes why one would not adhere to the idea of congruence whilst thinking about London Chog.

But yeah, I noticed it too. :nuts:

Its like restaurant reviews in most mags and national newspapers just give the first line of an address - the presumption being that cos its in London (which it almost always is) that the other 80% of the population who dont live in London will obviously know where it is.........obviously.

House of Fraser in £150m revamp
Kevin Feddy
21/ 8/2008

HOUSE of Fraser is planning a makeover of its store on Manchester's Deansgate, as part of a £150m overhaul of branches across the country.

The chain also said it was ready to roll out a host of brands across its revamped department stores, despite facing `difficult' trading conditions.

The group - owned by Icelandic investment group Baugur - is now aiming at the higher end of the market.

Major brands set for launch include Lauren - the new womenswear line by Ralph Lauren - while the chain has also attracted other leading designers such as Anya Hindmarch, whose I'm Not A Plastic Bag eco-bag was a global sell-out last year.

New private label offerings such as Criminal - a fashion brand aimed at young male shoppers - will be launched exclusively at its 61 stores next month.

In its trading update for the six months to July 26, House of Fraser said total sales had grown 2.9 per cent, although like-for-like comparatives were not given. Underlying earnings increased by more than 30 per cent to around £16m over the period.

But the group added that sales for its refurbished stores were eight per cent ahead of the rest of the chain, while sales at two new stores in Belfast and High Wycombe were 15 per cent higher than management hopes.

Chairman Don McCarthy said: "I think John King, our chief executive, and his management team have done a great job in repositioning House of Fraser in what can only be described as difficult trading times.

"We are pleased with our performance over the six months."

House of Fraser, which has 6,500 staff, is also planning makeovers at eight stores including Manchester. The stores will see new brand introductions including Versace and Hugo Boss in Oxford Street, and Mango in Leeds.

House of Fraser began life in 1941 as the drapery business Fraser, Sons & Co in Glasgow, but was bought by Baugur for £351m in November 2006.

Its like restaurant reviews in most mags and national newspapers just give the first line of an address - the presumption being that cos its in London (which it almost always is) that the other 80% of the population who dont live in London will obviously know where it is.........obviously.

When I get to the restaurant reviews section of the weekend newspapers the first thing I do is scan the postcodes, and when they inevitably all turn out to be in N1, WC2 etc I sigh and turn to another section...

A-Wear to debut in Leicester and Bristol

A-Wear will debut in Leicester and Bristol

Irish young fashion chain A-Wear will open its first UK standalone stores next month in Leicester and Bristol.

A further store is set to open in the North West by October and there are plans to secure more locations in 2009, as part of a €10 million retail expansion by the womenswear chain.

The retailer has a concession a Selfridges in Birmingham and 25 stores in the Republic of Ireland.

http://www.drapersonline.com/news/2008/08/awear_to_debut_in_leicester_and_bristol.html#reader_responses

Famous in the Royal Exchange Arcade has closed
Artisan, also from the same Arcade, is closing and moving to Old bank Street
The new Orange Store in the Arndale has closed
Sofa Workshop on Deansgate has closed to make way for Las Iguanas and relocated further down Deansgate in the Great Northern
The Best of Everything in No 1 Deansgate has closed
First Taste (Sandwich Shop) is opening in the Carphone Warehouse unit on Cross Street
near Albert Square
Simply Delish (Sandwich Shop) is opening in part of the Aspecto shop on Bridge Street

Famous in the Royal Exchange Arcade has closed
Artisan, also from the same Arcade, is closing and moving to Old bank Street
The new Orange Store in the Arndale has closed
Sofa Workshop on Deansgate has closed to make way for Las Iguanas and relocated further down Deansgate in the Great Northern
The Best of Everything in No 1 Deansgate has closed
First Taste (Sandwich Shop) is opening in the Carphone Warehouse unit on Cross Street near Albert Square
Simply Delish (Sandwich Shop) is opening in part of the Aspecto shop on Bridge Street

Thanks neil, the leases for the two stores in the Royal Exchange Arcade are now back on the market, is good to see that Artisan is relocating to Old Bank Street whereas I think all the Famous stores have closed down.

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000091222EIOD.pdf?id=e34c64f87aac425b81b3982426614776

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000091224CGAW.pdf?id=fecf6f7a18a64d2abdf4effbad366a41

Sofa Workshop has reopened in the former New Heights unit in Great Northern, hopefully work will start soon on the new Las Iguanas.

Am surprised over Orange closing one of their stores in the Arndale.

Am surprised over Orange closing one of their stores in the Arndale.

I think this one is having a refit now they have done the one on Market St
The Endslegh? insurance branch across from Krispy Kreme on Mosley St has closed, this branch was previously a Halifax branch before they moved over to Piccadilly Gardens.

That awful 'Venue' has finally closed on Market Street. let's hope it will be replaced by something a little more pleasant...

Just re-read what I last said and realised I sounded very Hyacinth Boouuqquuet...

Natwest to open on Saturdays

22/ 8/2008

NATWEST is to open 20 Greater Manchester branches on Saturdays for the first time from next month in response to customer demand.

The branches are in Eccles, Monton, Prestwich, Chadderton, Droylsden, Hyde, Middleton, Royton, Uppermill, Stalybridge, Denton, Ashton-in- Makerfield, Cheadle, Stretford, Sale, Bramhall, Hazel Grove and Didsbury, Portland Street and Piccadilly in Manchester.

They will be open from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays from September 6.

NatWest said its move was a response to feedback surveys which showed Saturday opening topped customers' wishlists.

Sharon Waine, branch manager at Piccadilly, said: "At a time when many of our competitors are reducing their hours or closing their branches, we wanted to show our customers that we really understand and respond to their banking needs.

"Opening on Saturdays will mean that we will be able to help more customers deal with their financial needs, whether it's paying in a cheque or sorting out their mortgage."

Nationally, NatWest is doubling the number of branches it opens on Saturdays from 343 to 686.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1063792_natwest_to_open_on_saturdays

Yes Blue Star which was Venue has now closed.

Construction work has started on the new Molton Brown Spa and Store at St Anns Square, hoardings are around the store.

Hoardings are up around the new Bon Marche in the Arndale, opening in early September.

Hoardings are up around the Orange store in New Cannon Street Mall in the Arndale.

Partners in the Arndale is due to be refurbished soon to Rymans.

It look like work is about to start on the new T Mobile store in the former Bratz/ Menkind store.

And finally the hoardings have come down from around the new Nike store on Market Street, signs are up aswell, stock is now going into the store so I would think it will probably open in the next week or two.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/036-7.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/034-9.jpg

Menswear retailer Charles Tyrwhitt is to open a shop in Manchester as part of its UK expansion.

The London firm is opening four stores in the UK including London and Cambridge.

The retailer recently announced a like-for-like sales increase of 12.1 per cent for the year to August 2, prompting a further push for expansion.

Charles Tyrwhitt owner and founder Nick Wheeler told Retail Week: “No matter what the economic weather, people still need to wear a shirt and tie.”

The openings are in areas traditionally dominated by Charles Tyrwhitt’s rival TM Lewin.

The £50m turnover chain has 14 stores in the UK and also does mail order.

Thanks mark for the photos.

Forgot to put this in the retail update before, that Russell and Bromley are redesigning their store at St Anns Square, the store is still open though whilst they are doing the redesign.

Menswear retailer Charles Tyrwhitt is to open a shop in Manchester as part of its UK expansion.

The London firm is opening four stores in the UK including London and Cambridge.

The retailer recently announced a like-for-like sales increase of 12.1 per cent for the year to August 2, prompting a further push for expansion.

Charles Tyrwhitt owner and founder Nick Wheeler told Retail Week: “No matter what the economic weather, people still need to wear a shirt and tie.”

The openings are in areas traditionally dominated by Charles Tyrwhitt’s rival TM Lewin.

The £50m turnover chain has 14 stores in the UK and also does mail order.

Ah yes have I seen one of these in Leeds? Any ideas where it may be? King Street I hope. Something needs to happen down there!!! Speaking of which, any rumours/ideas on the old Virgin/Lotus site? Such a great location, just left to rot!!

No location is known yet for Charles Tyrwhitt, I dont think you would have seen one of their stores in Leeds there is not a store open there they are mostly in London, but yes I would think and hope for it to open on King Street.

http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/content.aspx?DepGrpCode=HOM&CntCode=help_shops&level1=Home&level2=Help&level3=Shops

I dont think there are any ideas or rumours over the Virgin/ Lotus site all I know is that the lease for the Virgin part of the building has been on the market for quite some time now.

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000060648SFCG.pdf?id=cc7c0030c4fc440193014cd4000f8f9f

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/BI664872732HRIE.pdf?id=f0e72b07aa8d4f248367a65436153de7

And finally the hoardings have come down from around the new Nike store on Market Street, signs are up aswell, stock is now going into the store so I would think it will probably open in the next week or two.

The new Nike store on Market Street opens next Thursday 28th August.


NIKE MANCHESTER
39 Market Street
M1 1WR
Opening August 28th
UK

http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jhtml?location=sl#sl

Past Times is reopening in the Arndale, I am not sure which unit yet.
A new shoe shop was ment to open in the Unit Past Times was using in the Arndale but the signs are still their with a july opening but no store has opened.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2786700019_b4b3e69bec_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2181/2786699313_f3c8372864_b.jpg
Saw these in the car park of Tesco in Oldham.
Sorry about the quality, the kids dropped my phone in their spaghetti.
Apparently they're (Tesco not my kids) rolling them out all over the place. They have applied for planning permssion at their Prestwich site but I haven't seen one there yet.

Past Times is reopening in the Arndale, I am not sure which unit yet.
A new shoe shop was ment to open in the Unit Past Times was using in the Arndale but the signs are still their with a july opening but no store has opened.

Interesting I think it is going to be another temporary store for Past Times though, as job applications for the store say temporary in the job type which is a shame as I think it would be good to have them reopen a store permanently in the city centre.

http://www.retailoptions.co.uk/VacancyDetails.asp?VacancyID=34824&JobTitle=0&Location=&Distance=25&JobType=0&RetailSector=1427&Keywords=&Page=5&SalaryFrom=10000&SalaryTo=99999&CompanyName=

Bagel Nash at Hardman Square in Spinningfields is opening in October.

What is it? A mind control device?

They look odd. Are they some kind of electric generator?

I wonder if this news and the credit crunch will affect JL's decision to open a store in the city centre.

From Crains.

Double-digit declines at John Lewis’ Greater Manchester stores


John Lewis blamed distractions such as exam results and the Olympic Games for “subdued” trading which saw a double-digit fall in sales figures at branches in Cheadle and the Trafford Centre.

Compared with last year, sales at Cheadle were down16.4 per cent and the Trafford Centre was down 13.7 per cent in the week to August 16.

Overall the department store chain recorded sales of £47.16m, 4.2 per cent down on the same week last year.

What is it? A mind control device?

They look odd. Are they some kind of electric generator?

I think they are wind turbines.

I think they are wind turbines.

looks abit like a mobile phone transmitter to me

I think they are wind turbines.

Yes, they are. Part of Tesco's green image. Haven't had the opportunity to look up close but the cynic in me thinks they're dummies since there's no obvious equipment connecting to the store.

A new London womens fashion store is opening on Market Street in September, job application are online now.


SALES ASSISTANTS
Manchester
Part-time
Industry sector/s: Sales, Retail and Wholesale
Employer: n/a

Overview

Manager/ess and Deputies and Experienced SALES ASSISTANTS required. Full and Part time. London company opening new ladies fashion shop in September on Market St, Manchester. Excellent salaries and benefits. Please apply in writing with full CV to: The Personnel Officer, London Clothing, 50 Broad St, Leek, Staffs, ST13 5NS.

http://www.thejobsmine.co.uk/show_job.asp?sa_id=329145518&search_type=jobs&where=2%A3UK%A3123%A342%A3%A3%2C2%A3UK%A3123%A346%A3365%A3&no_salary=1&cat=27&role=25&job_src=0&sort_by=0&list_page=2&from_page=search_list

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2786700019_b4b3e69bec_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2181/2786699313_f3c8372864_b.jpg
Saw these in the car park of Tesco in Oldham.
Sorry about the quality, the kids dropped my phone in their spaghetti.
Apparently they're (Tesco not my kids) rolling them out all over the place. They have applied for planning permssion at their Prestwich site but I haven't seen one there yet.

Nearly crashed my car on that roundabout on friday wondering what the frig that was! :lol:

Is Tesco trying to take over in France or something? Theres an Opel in that picture?

From Crains:

Furniture chain's collapse could cost landlord £1.4m
http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/FREE/877334/-1/toc/-/-/furniture-chains-collapse-could-cost-landlord-14m
26/08/08

The collapse of furniture retailer Ilva could cost landlord Town Centre Securities dear.

Leeds-based TCS will miss out on annual income of £1.4m while the 120,000 sq ft store on Great Ancoats Street remains vacant.

TCS is claiming £352,000 in unpaid rent for the third quarter of 2008, according to a statement of affairs by administrators Kroll, which also reveals that the total deficiency towards creditors currently stands at £172m.

Although ILVA has not paid its third quarter rent in advance, as is standard in the industry, it is paying on a weekly basis.

TCS said it could take up to nine months — the equivalent of three quarters in rent — before it finds a new tenant to occupy the building, a key site in the company's redevelopment of the Piccadilly Basin area.

Danish-owned Ilva, which went into administration in June, is still trading in Manchester but a closing down sale is taking place.

Richard Lewis, TCS development director said Ilva collapsed because it spent too much on store fit-outs, had too much stock because of its promise to deliver within 48 hours and was spending too much rent on its Gateshead store, which traded poorly.

Lewis also claims the group bought furniture that was not suited to the British market and the stores' high-end look discouraged shoppers looking for inexpensive furniture.

Lewis said: “They spent too much money on fit out, it was unnecessary. They had a great idea but it was badly implemented. We took a risk on them. When we went to Denmark and saw their operation we thought it was going to be a winner, but we are disappointed about the way they went about it in the UK.” Lewis said food, sport and fashion retailers were looking at the site which could be split into several units. In the current climate, however, any deal could be some way off.

Crain's understands that Tesco has ruled out the site because there is not enough parking. According to Kroll's statement of affairs, Manchester City Council is owed £446,000 in business rates. Although Ilva has assets of £38m on paper, including £8m in stock, these are not estimated to realise more than £3.5m for creditors.

Traders in Blears’ backyard fear planning changes come too late

By Simon Binns

New planning legislation designed to create “thriving” town centres, promoted by communities secretary Hazel Blears, may have come too late to save traders in her own back yard.

Eccles Shopping Centre has been in decline ever since the opening of the Trafford Centre and, more recently, the West One Retail Park only a mile away.

New changes to the government’s Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres will give councils more scope to prioritise established centres and refuse out-of-town developments that threaten small shops.

“Town centres are the hearts of our communities,” said Blears, announcing the plans last month. “I want to see our town centres and independent shops busy and thriving and I’m absolutely committed to help defend their future.”

Traders in Eccles — which will be in Blears’ constituency when it is merged with her current Salford seat under boundary changes — fear her planned changes will make little difference, however.

“The Trafford Centre has been a problem,” said Dave Hebden, owner of Smith’s Restaurant on Church Road in Eccles, “and West One has been a hindrance, not a help. People drive to these places, park for free, then get into their car and go home. None of them go into Eccles to see what’s there afterwards, so there is no footfall in the town centre.

Struggling

“Eccles is struggling and it’s hard to say what can improve it, but it would need to be something big and it would be good to have the support of Hazel Blears. But who’s going to want to open in Eccles when there is so much competition from the Trafford Centre?”

Eccles Shopping Centre has 49 tenants and six vacant units and is owned by London-based asset management firm Threadneedle, which bought the site in 1998. The firm is drawing up plans to revamp the building and is in talks with an unnamed prospective anchor tenant.

A Threadneedle spokeswoman said: “We are working with the local authority on plans for a substantial development and regeneration programme which will be made financially viable by the arrival of a major new retailer to the improved site.

“In the interim, our active marketing efforts continue to attract a number of national and local businesses to come to Eccles in the face of stiff competition from other nearby retail centres.”

Kyla Ankers, Eccles Shopping Centre manager, is bullish about its prospects as a retail destination following the establishment of a new traders’ association, but admitted the town needed a big-name retailer to convince shoppers to return.

“There’s been a slight increase in footfall, probably because the place is a bit cleaner, but we do need an anchor store. Not another food store, but if we had somebody like Primark, it would really get people coming to Eccles.

She said there had been a rapid drop off in trade and the range of shopping available in Eccles because of out-of-town centres and the arrival of Morrisons, which opened opposite the shopping centre in 2002. Ankers added: “Saturdays are really quiet due to the Trafford Centre. We can’t compete with it and we don’t want to. We know there is room for improvement in Eccles, but the Trafford Centre certainly hasn’t helped. I’d like to see Hazel Blears help Eccles given that it is going to be her constituency.”

A Primark spokesman told Crain’s it had no plans to open in Eccles.

Salford City Council drew up plans to turn Eccles into value-for-money back office location for companies based in Salford Quays in its Salford West Regeneration Framework Report 2008-2028. The report says there would be more value in “an economic role for Eccles town centre-based on office accommodation” related to Media City and the City of Salford Magistrates Court relocation.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/FREE/877365/-1/toc/-/-/traders-in-blears-backyard-fear-planning-changes-come-too-late

MEN online.

Dance operators target city
David Thame
26/ 8/2008

LATIN dance club operator Bardello is targeting Greater Manchester for new venues as it seeks to capitalise on the popularity of TV's Strictly Come Dancing.

Bardello has appointed surveyors Colliers CRE to find it up to 30 sites in the UK over the next five years.

It is planning outlets in Manchester, Alderley Edge and Hale and is already in talks with the landlords at The Printworks in Corporation Street. Bardello is also understood to be considering a site at Allied London's Spinningfields complex in the city centre.

The dance clubs, to include bars, restaurants and Strictly Come Dancing-style competitions, will be aimed at single young professionals and couples in their late 20s and 30s.

Bardello, based in Tamworth, hopes to sign its first lease this autumn, with the aim of opening its first clubs next spring.

Ross Kirton, associate director at Colliers CRE, said: "We are targeting the affluent towns in the north west, because the demographics are right.

"Strictly Come Dancing has been a great success, and Manchester's venue could be among the first to open."

The venture is being funded in partnership with the Universal Payment Group.

Is Tesco trying to take over in France or something? Theres an Opel in that picture?

Probably Irish. The car is right hand drive, and GM uses the Opel brand in Ireland rather than Vauxhall.

Seem to remember that Tesco's moves into France (other than for UK customers in Calias) didnt go particularly well.

Supermarket chains dont seem to have a great record in Western Europe when outside their own territory. Seem to remember that Wal-Mart left Germany, M&S didnt do well either in Europe, and the less said about Carrefour's (Think Tesco but French and bigger) adventures in the UK in the eighties the better.

Eduardo Pelle have opened in The Triangle on the ground floor next to Lambretta, they sell Italian leather designer handbags.

Nike and Earth Collection to open stores at Lowry Outlet Mall

By James Chapelard

Nike and The Earth Collection are to open stores at the Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford this autumn.

The Earth Collection — which sells “environmentally friendly” clothes — will take a 2,110 sq ft unit from September. Nike is taking 26,500 sq ft and also plans to open in September.

The Emerson Group-owned mall claims it is bucking national trends with like-for-like sale up 3 per cent for the year so far and footfall up 7 per cent.

The group said it has seen a recent influx of enquiries because Media City UK was being built nearby. Chilli Pepper, Past Times and Golfland are recent additions to the centre.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/FREE/877279/1117

The Earth Collection website

http://www.theearthcollection.com/SHOPS%20Total.htm

Re: John Lewis in City Centre

Good news guys (ish). I have information from a VERY reliable source (a friend at head office) who when I asked him about John Lewis not being in the city centre he said and I quote "they are looking at an old building which is either occupied or unoccupied".

Personally I think its Debenhams. What about you guys?

its closed down

Any reason in particular? It's not been open that long

Any reason in particular? It's not been open that long


it was more expensive than ikea
it was not as good as ikea
it was not as good as habitat

it was more expensive than ikea
it was not as good as ikea
it was not as good as habitat




The main problem with Ilva to me was that the stuff looked a bit pricey and superficially designerey which put the masses off, and then for those brave souls that actually went in the pricing was randomly binary - either bizarrely cheap or staggeringly expensive.

I kitted out my whole office from Ilva (2,400 sq ft and 13 staff to date - room to grow!) and it cost peanuts - really nice simple, sturdy furniture such as glass topped metal framed desks for £85, and pleasingly modernistic metal framed leather sofas for £300. Not high style you understand, but classic, clean lines, neutral design and decent build quality.

But then they'd be a glass coffee table for £400, or an arm-chair for £500. Because their pricing was haywire it meant you couldn't go in and make a decision to simply buy what you liked, instead you had to individually assess and judge each thing you looked at to pick out the bargains and most consumers can't be arsed with that much thinking.

I'm at a loss to understand why their business model should work so much better in Scandinavia.

Cheers

Thom

I'm at a loss to understand why their business model should work so much better in Scandinavia.


Sounded to me like TCS stuck that in so's not to put off any future tenants - blame the business model rather than the development and its location.

After walking through the new homewares extension to the trafford centre and seeing that the contents of every single shop looked exactly the same in style, I thought ILVA was a breath of fresh air.

I didn't particularly look into the prices because I wasn't there to buy but it contained items that looked a little more vaired than you get in every show home in the bloody country. Honestly I've never seen retail follow fashion trends to the letter so much as homeware does. Its depressing. Its like a king or queen of interior design kits out a room and tells everyone to copy it.

I think ILVA's problem was the branch location and lack of strength in the brand name. Its sad to say it but if they opened in the Trafford Centre they'd probably be thriving; comparatively, at least.

Sounded to me like TCS stuck that in so's not to put off any future tenants - blame the business model rather than the development and its location.


You are absolutely right, but I liked Ilva enough to shop there on a regular basis (15 desks, two sofas, one coffee table, one boardroom table, 23 chairs of various descriptions and six shelving units) and still found the pricing made the overall shopping experience frustrating and confusing.

I persevered because I am a tenancious tight-arse and I liked their products (Heals-lite if you ask me) but to your average punter they'd just give up and upgrade to Habitat or downgrade to Ikea. I thing confusing your customer and sapping their will to shop is one of the big no-no's in the Idiot's Guide To retailing.

You're right about the brand name too but again that's the same for any new name. It takes time to establish yourself and you plan for that when you launch. Also they probably would have done better in the Trafford Centre but you could say that for any homewares retailer (as Heal's will probably prove).

Cheers

Thom

Probably Irish. The car is right hand drive, and GM uses the Opel brand in Ireland rather than Vauxhall.

Seem to remember that Tesco's moves into France (other than for UK customers in Calias) didnt go particularly well.

Supermarket chains dont seem to have a great record in Western Europe when outside their own territory. Seem to remember that Wal-Mart left Germany, M&S didnt do well either in Europe, and the less said about Carrefour's (Think Tesco but French and bigger) adventures in the UK in the eighties the better.

The cotton mill in the background is a clue...

It's definately the Chadderton store. I work 2 mins away from it

Aldi's £20m investment

Kevin Feddy

27/ 8/2008

DISCOUNT supermarket chain Aldi will tomorrow complete a £14m investment programme in east Manchester when it opens its latest store.

Aldi has moved already branches in Ashton under Lyne and Hyde to new locations this year and tomorrow will begin trading from a new outlet on Ashton New Road, Clayton, developed as part of a £5m scheme on the site of a former bus depot.

The firm's original Clayton store was one of the first in the UK when it opened in the early 1990s.

Aldi has replaced it with one next door which is double the size, and is looking to secure a deal with another retailer to take over its old site.

Mike Clarke, Aldi's north west property director, said the chain's investment in Greater Manchester would be close to £20m this year, as it has extended its store in Whitefield, opened a new one in Romiley, Stockport, and is about to start work on a branch in Hazel Grove.

Aldi, in common with other discount retailers, is enjoying a boom amid the credit squeeze as families seek to cut their weekly shopping bills.

Mr Clarke said Aldi had seen a surge in sales of more than 30 per cent at the new Ashton and Hyde stores since they opened in May, as a result of displaying items better as well as the impact of the credit crunch and their location on main arterial routes.

At Clayton, Aldi has also installed two smaller units, one of which will be occupied by takeaway food chain Subway.

Mr Clarke said: "The original store was one of our first-generation outlets, which served us very well, but had become too small and was looking pretty tired.

"In the new stores we are seeing existing customers buying more goods, but we are also attracting new shoppers from a wider area."

Figures published earlier this month underlined how Aldi and other discount retail chains such as Lidl and Netto are making major inroads into the grocery market as customers target cheaper goods.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1064179_aldis_20m_investment

The cotton mill in the background is a clue...
Realised it was in UK. Was talking more about the care being Irish than the store.

Realised it was in UK. Was talking more about the care being Irish than the store.

Pardon. Methinks Polish. Sorry - didn't catch the plate. Too obsessed with the magic mushroom.

I'm at a loss to understand why their business model should work so much better in Scandinavia.


Too much strong vodka and perpetual night time maybe?

Feet First

27 August 2008, 07:37PM

SURELY there was no better way for Selfridges to celebrate the ten year anniversary of its Trafford Centre store in Manchester than by giving its shoe department a multi-million pound overhaul and turning it into the retailer's biggest must-visit shoe emporium outside its London flagship?

Sebastian Manes, Selfridges' director of accessories, certainly believes so.

"Women are investing more money in shoes than ever before," he says. "They continue to be the 'power' accessory that brings a real point of difference to every outfit. The Manchester customer is glamorous and adventurous - so it makes sense she could have an unparalleled shoe offer with real fashion authority."

The 350-square retail space, open now, houses all the top new season looks from the likes of Chloe, Prada, Miu Miu, Burberry, Pierre Hardy, Giuseppe Zanotti, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney, as well as playing host to exclusive boutiques from Fendi, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin - the latter of whom has chosen his new space to exclusively debut his eagerly-anticipated purple satin crystal-encrusted Eugenie pump.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/080827-selfridges-opens-new-shoe-boutique.aspx

New Store Openings

I am pleased to announce two more new store openings that will happen this year. We will be opening in Leicester Highcross Quarter in September . We also will be opening in Westfield White City (London) in October.

We are also planning new store openings in Milton Keynes and Manchester in 2008.

I believe we have exceptional customer service standards and some of the best store teams on the high street. If you would like to be a part of that, then please email your CV to IanJones@azendi.com.

http://www.azendi.com/site/news.php

http://www.azendi.com/site/news.php

Azendi will be opening in Manchester Arndale soon, I would think they might be going in the unit that Animal used to be in.

You are absolutely right, but I liked Ilva enough to shop there on a regular basis (15 desks, two sofas, one coffee table, one boardroom table, 23 chairs of various descriptions and six shelving units) and still found the pricing made the overall shopping experience frustrating and confusing.

I persevered because I am a tenancious tight-arse and I liked their products (Heals-lite if you ask me) but to your average punter they'd just give up and upgrade to Habitat or downgrade to Ikea. I thing confusing your customer and sapping their will to shop is one of the big no-no's in the Idiot's Guide To retailing.

You're right about the brand name too but again that's the same for any new name. It takes time to establish yourself and you plan for that when you launch. Also they probably would have done better in the Trafford Centre but you could say that for any homewares retailer (as Heal's will probably prove).

Cheers

Thom

Thom, not quite sure whether I understand what you mean about "Heal's-Lite", although I'm guessing same quality but at less than half the price? Have you ever 1) looked at the furniture in Heal's or 2) bought any furniture from Heal's??? (BTW, I want everyone to know the Ilva and Ikea are more in my league, as apposed to Heal's).

Heal's furniture is relatively pricey, but built to last. For example many of the high priced sofas are built to order, in a fabric of your choice (they sell over 3000 different fabrics), and their frames are made from hard wood such as teak and should give you at least 25 years wear. Many of their lines are exclusive and simply cannot be bought anywhere else, such as the entire Louis collection. They also have an adaption service, so if something is too big or small for your house, in many instances, they can adapt it for you. For instance look at Heal's current window theme or their catalogue, they are unique. The Louis chair that is currently in the window is available in over 30 different finishes and can be upholstered in any one of 3000 different fabrics, I take it you had that choice at Ilva?

Going on to your second point "Also they probably would have done better in the Trafford Centre but you could say that for any homewares retailer (as Heal's will probably prove)". Firstly, I can categorically state that Heal's will NOT be moving to the Trafford Centre. Plus how do you know that most home retailers do better? In the first week of Habitat being open at the Trafford Centre their St Ann's Square store apparently took double they did.

Going on to Ilva quality and customer care, I was personally disappointed. I bought a side board from them 18 months ago, damn I wish I'd gone to Ikea. The sales person told me that although it was in stock it was fully assembled so it wouldn't be possible to either get a taxi or carry it home (I live a 10 min walk from the Ilva store) so delivery was the only option. £395 and £40 for delivery later I left the store and awaited delivery. A week later it arrived.... flat packed. So I called the store and they refused to refund my delivery, even though I could have got the flat packed box in my friends car.

Basically their customer service stinked, and their product didn't know who it was aiming at. One minute you would be looking at a contemporary silver chaise in an ultra modern room set, and the next room set would be a hand painted traditional french dining room set. Absolutely awful. Also much of their furniture was too big to fit in the average house/apartment.

Sorry, it seems like I've ranted, and I'm sorry if I have, but why are so many people surprised Ilva is shutting down?!

The outlet mall is claiming to do well but yet it's 2 latest opening are run by the malls owners Emmerson. Proping up an empty mall maybe?

So this is the list of stores currently run by them

@Home
Art 4U
Bed & Bath
McGregor's Clearence Store
Remmington
Chilli Pepper
The Earth Collection

Thom, not quite sure whether I understand what you mean about "Heal's-Lite", although I'm guessing same quality but at less than half the price? Have you ever 1) looked at the furniture in Heal's or 2) bought any furniture from Heal's??? (BTW, I want everyone to know the Ilva and Ikea are more in my league, as apposed to Heal's).

Heal's furniture is relatively pricey, but built to last. For example many of the high priced sofas are built to order, in a fabric of your choice (they sell over 3000 different fabrics), and their frames are made from hard wood such as teak and should give you at least 25 years wear. Many of their lines are exclusive and simply cannot be bought anywhere else, such as the entire Louis collection. They also have an adaption service, so if something is too big or small for your house, in many instances, they can adapt it for you. For instance look at Heal's current window theme or their catalogue, they are unique. The Louis chair that is currently in the window is available in over 30 different finishes and can be upholstered in any one of 3000 different fabrics, I take it you had that choice at Ilva?

Going on to your second point "Also they probably would have done better in the Trafford Centre but you could say that for any homewares retailer (as Heal's will probably prove)". Firstly, I can categorically state that Heal's will NOT be moving to the Trafford Centre. Plus how do you know that most home retailers do better? In the first week of Habitat being open at the Trafford Centre their St Ann's Square store apparently took double they did.

Going on to Ilva quality and customer care, I was personally disappointed. I bought a side board from them 18 months ago, damn I wish I'd gone to Ikea. The sales person told me that although it was in stock it was fully assembled so it wouldn't be possible to either get a taxi or carry it home (I live a 10 min walk from the Ilva store) so delivery was the only option. £395 and £40 for delivery later I left the store and awaited delivery. A week later it arrived.... flat packed. So I called the store and they refused to refund my delivery, even though I could have got the flat packed box in my friends car.

Basically their customer service stinked, and their product didn't know who it was aiming at. One minute you would be looking at a contemporary silver chaise in an ultra modern room set, and the next room set would be a hand painted traditional french dining room set. Absolutely awful. Also much of their furniture was too big to fit in the average house/apartment.

Sorry, it seems like I've ranted, and I'm sorry if I have, but why are so many people surprised Ilva is shutting down?!

We had a similar experience. And the instructions made Ikea's look like instructions. IYSWIM.

Sorry, it seems like I've ranted, and I'm sorry if I have, but why are so many people surprised Ilva is shutting down?!

Because they didn't read my post in this thread from Nov 07 when I said it would close down. :lol:

it was more expensive than ikea
it was not as good as ikea
it was not as good as habitat


essentially ikea have the market cornered in the fact that they own habitat

essentially ikea have the market cornered in the fact that they own habitat

Apparently Ikea are desperately trying to off load Habitat to another company as they (Habitat) are doing really badly...

Thom, not quite sure whether I understand what you mean about "Heal's-Lite", although I'm guessing same quality but at less than half the price? Have you ever 1) looked at the furniture in Heal's or 2) bought any furniture from Heal's??? (BTW, I want everyone to know the Ilva and Ikea are more in my league, as apposed to Heal's).

Nope, you couldn't be more wrong. Used in that context "whatever"-lite usually refers to a much poorer imitation or version thereof (to quote Doctor Evil when admonishing his disappointingly unevil son - "You are the Coke Lite of evil!"). To suggest the quality of Heal's was comparable with Ilva would be mental in the extreme. I am not mental, I know a fair bit about furniture (by proxy), and thus I did not do this.

Heal's furniture is relatively pricey, but built to last. For example many of the high priced sofas are built to order, in a fabric of your choice (they sell over 3000 different fabrics), and their frames are made from hard wood such as teak and should give you at least 25 years wear. Many of their lines are exclusive and simply cannot be bought anywhere else, such as the entire Louis collection. They also have an adaption service, so if something is too big or small for your house, in many instances, they can adapt it for you. For instance look at Heal's current window theme or their catalogue, they are unique. The Louis chair that is currently in the window is available in over 30 different finishes and can be upholstered in any one of 3000 different fabrics, I take it you had that choice at Ilva?

See my first point above, your initial incorrect assumption has kind of rendered this redundant. Do you work for Heal's marketing team? You really should, or at least negotiate yourself a kickback.

Going on to your second point "Also they probably would have done better in the Trafford Centre but you could say that for any homewares retailer (as Heal's will probably prove)". Firstly, I can categorically state that Heal's will NOT be moving to the Trafford Centre. Plus how do you know that most home retailers do better? In the first week of Habitat being open at the Trafford Centre their St Ann's Square store apparently took double they did.

They won't? Well as you seem to have the inside track at Heal's I'll take your word as law. But whatever they are canning their town centre store right? And as to your other point - A new furniture store in a new development took less than another store which has been in it's location for ten years plus? Come on now, that's scarecley comparable is it?

Although I hate the TC with a passion as a retail model (parking galore etc etc) I think it is fundamentally better suited to furniture retail than the city centre, and I also think the idea of clustering homewares retailers will work (it does with kitchens etc). I also think that the fact that the TC store can do half the take of the St Anne's Sq from a standing start is impressive and it would be interesting to see how each is trading in say five years time. I know where my money would be...

Going on to Ilva quality and customer care, I was personally disappointed. I bought a side board from them 18 months ago, damn I wish I'd gone to Ikea. The sales person told me that although it was in stock it was fully assembled so it wouldn't be possible to either get a taxi or carry it home (I live a 10 min walk from the Ilva store) so delivery was the only option. £395 and £40 for delivery later I left the store and awaited delivery. A week later it arrived.... flat packed. So I called the store and they refused to refund my delivery, even though I could have got the flat packed box in my friends car.

Basically their customer service stinked, and their product didn't know who it was aiming at. One minute you would be looking at a contemporary silver chaise in an ultra modern room set, and the next room set would be a hand painted traditional french dining room set. Absolutely awful. Also much of their furniture was too big to fit in the average house/apartment.

Now you're talking! I had similar experiences - well-meaning but muddled and ultimately unhelpful - though it was always made clear to me that if you get delivery (from their Doncaster depot) it would be flatpacked. Frustrating when my office is two mins walk away...

Sorry, it seems like I've ranted, and I'm sorry if I have, but why are so many people surprised Ilva is shutting down?!

You did rant, but hey that's what the internet's for. Maybe next time clarify the point which forms the crux of your rant before going off on one though.

And to stress I'm not suprised it's shutting down, it's had the stench of retail death about it for many months, I'm just a bit annoyed as I'm going to end up with mis-matched furniture in my office (though weirdly we found Argos had picked up the £85 glass-topped desks that Ilva had discontinued so we stocked up).

Cheers

Thom

The new Trevor Sorbie salon is opening in October at 19 Spring Gardens.

http://www.trevorsorbie.com/index.php/salons/about/manchester/

Has anyone been to the Ilva closing down sale, Thom? Anything worth going to have a look at?

btw Thom I have been to your office it's very nice I love the orginal wood floors and the desks are nice, clean lines and non cluttered.

Has anyone been to the Ilva closing down sale, Thom? Anything worth going to have a look at?

btw Thom I have been to your office it's very nice I love the orginal wood floors and the desks are nice, clean lines and non cluttered.

Have you indeed!? What a small world indeed. Actually, someone did try to break in last week, that wasn't you was it?

Yes, the floor is lovely, though a bit tatty around the edges. We're trying to find someone who will take on the shitty job of repairing it (and making good previous botched "repairs") but it's proving impossible.

As to what's left at Ilva, I can't believe it's doors are still open. I called in about two weeks ago and was told that was their last day. They didn't have a lot of stock left on site but will also check what they have left in the distribution centre as obviously they want to clear that too.

I went looking for leaves (leafs?) for the boardroom table and spare chairs and some extra shelving and came home empty-handed. They still had some nice pieces dotted around though but it's pot-luck depending on what you're after.

I wouldn't make a special trip but worth popping in if you're local or at a loose end.

Cheers

Thom

Sound's like it's all but over so most likely not worth poping in.

Few updates...

O2 on Market St is closing
Select clothing at Picc Plaza has closed, the store at Lowry Outlet closed a while back
I hear Krispy Kreme isn't as busy as expected and they are wondering if the location was right on Mosley St.

Outlet Mall
The old USA Pro store is having some work done so this could the location of the new eco store
Nike is being stocked up and looks liek it will open next week.

Moss Bros rejigs store design to drive casuals

Tailored approach: store displays at Moss Bros have focused on suits traditionally

Menswear retailer Moss Bros is to enhance its casualwear -credentials with the roll out of a revamped store design following a three-month trial.

The new design, tested at its Oxford Street branch, places greater emphasis on casualwear in an effort to show customers it is not simply a purveyor of suits.

Group trading director Ciaran McCloskey, who was this week appointed to the board of the retailer following a reshuffle, said casualwear sales account for 15 to 20 per cent of total sales, but added: "I can see this getting to more than 20 per cent."

The retailer has placed casualwear at the front of the store and suit hire in the basement. It is also reviving Blazer, which operated standalone stores in the 1980s before it was acquired by Moss Bros, as a casualwear brand.

The new design will be introduced at a store in Bolton later this year and to a further 30 stores in 2009. The revamp of the entire 120-store portfolio will be completed by 2010. McCloskey said the refurbished Oxford Street store has experienced a 20 per cent sales increase in the past six months and its hire department has had a 37 per cent lift.

The Oxford Street branch trades from 6,800 sq ft over two floors. The new look was created in-house and the next tranche of stores to receive a makeover will include Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Norwich.

Separately, Speciality Retail Group founder Brian Brick has been appointed as non-executive director at Moss Bros. Non-executive directors Robert Marsh and Rowland Gee have stepped down. The retailer has appointed Altium Capital as its corporate broker.

http://www.retail-week.com/Stores/2008/08/moss_bros_rejigs_store_design_to_drive_casuals.html

I hear Krispy Kreme isn't as busy as expected and they are wondering if the location was right on Mosley St.


it should realy be on exchange square/ deansgate. that area. that part of mosely street is horrendous.

The new Orange Store in the Arndale has closed


no, its having a refit

it should realy be on exchange square/ deansgate. that area. that part of mosely street is horrendous.

Well they have got one in the Food Hall in Selfridges at Exchange Square so hopefully that store is doing better for them.

Willoughby's Wine Warehouse opened yesterday (29th August) on Washway Road in Sale.

http://www.wordforwine.co.uk/stores.php

The new Topshop concept store opens today (30th August) on upper Regents Crescent at The Trafford Centre.

The Vivienne Westwood Anglomania store will be in the Richard Creme shop on Bridge Street, which has now closed down.

it should realy be on exchange square/ deansgate. that area. that part of mosely street is horrendous.

Or perhaps the people of Manchester don't want to eat that high fat, high sugar, tastless garbage and turn into Texan lard arses?

Buy an apple!

Or perhaps the people of Manchester don't want to eat that high fat, high sugar, tastless garbage and turn into Texan lard arses?

Buy an apple!

that must be why greggs is so popular

that must be why greggs is so popular

:lol: everything in moderation is fine but Gregg's is a bit disgusting for my liking. All the buttys have no flavor and the pasties are fatty as hell. I am surprised they do so well but then I guess people don't give a shit if it's cheap.

that must be why greggs is so popular

Or the Unicorn Organic Grocers in Chorlton?

Anyway it depends what you order in Greggs - sandwiches aren't that bad for you if they dont have cheese or mayo. Tesco's ones are much worse than Greggs.

Here is the horror story of whats in a gut rot donut:

http://www.krispykreme.com/doughnuts.pdf

Just 1 filled chocolate donut contains 31% of your fat content for the day and is full of sugar (and that is the official figure from the company - which will no doubt under-report the real levels). Enjoy developing diabetes if you eat this shit....

I give them 18 months before they close, goodbye and good riddance.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/042-6.jpg

Or the Unicorn Organic Grocers in Chorlton?

Anyway it depends what you order in Greggs - sandwiches aren't that bad for you if they dont have cheese or mayo. Tesco's ones are much worse than Greggs.

Here is the horror story of whats in a gut rot donut:

http://www.krispykreme.com/doughnuts.pdf

Just 1 filled chocolate donut contains 31% of your fat content for the day and is full of sugar (and that is the official figure from the company - which will no doubt under-report the real levels). Enjoy developing diabetes if you eat this shit....

I give them 18 months before they close, goodbye and good riddance.

Donuts are bad for you?:shocked:

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!

A new coffee shop is opening in The Quadrangle in unit 7 on Hulme Street, it is called The Amber Coffee House plans are online here.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?086706/AO/2008/C3

The Disney Store in Regents Crescent at The Trafford Centre is closed for refurbishment, a temporary store is open in the former Toyworld store on upper Peel Avenue.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/directory/thedisneystore

Hi Thom,

Firstly, sorry about my rant the other day, re-reading your original post I can see where I misinterpreted what you said, and I apologise!

Secondly I was wondering where you have this information from that Heal's are "canning" the Manchester city centre store? Do you have insider news that I dont?!

Hi Thom,

Firstly, sorry about my rant the other day, re-reading your original post I can see where I misinterpreted what you said, and I apologise!

Secondly I was wondering where you have this information from that Heal's are "canning" the Manchester city centre store? Do you have insider news that I dont?!

Its well known on 'the street'.
I dont think its any secret.

Just read in the MEN that UGG are opening their first store in the North-West in the Triangle

At the cutting edge

By Simon Binns

Celebrity hair stylist Trevor Sorbie is opening a new salon in Manchester city centre, setting the scene for a duel with established crimping chains Nicky Clarke and Vidal Sassoon.

Sorbie, whose two existing outlets are in London's Covent Garden and Brighton, has a range of branded hair products distributed through Boots and is also well-known for his pioneering work cutting wigs for female cancer sufferers and his television appearances including ITV 1's This Morning.

His Manchester salon is due to open in early October at 19 Spring Gardens and will be managed by John Spanton, who was technical director at Sorbie's Brighton salon. Prices are not currently available for the Manchester salon, but in Covent Garden, Sorbie charges between £52-£125 for a cut and blow dry, dependent on stylist. Trevor Sorbie International Plc, based in Leatherhead, Surrey, had sales of £5.4m in the year to March 2007 — the latest for which accounts have been filed. It made a pre-tax profit of £236,000 and had £2.1m in net assets.

Carol Stephens, commercial director, told Crain's the pricing would be tailored for the Manchester market, but the salon would be keen to capture the city's young professionals.

“We view Manchester as a very good commercial opportunity,” she said. “We already have a good presence in the city through our branded products, but the city has really developed as a vibrant place to do business.

“Trevor has always wanted to open a salon in Manchester, and he will be spending as much time there as he can.”

Stephens said Sorbie's wig cut service, dubbed My New Hair, would be available in Manchester, with customers receiving a free cut if the appointment was carried out by Sorbie himself.

As a sign that he intends to be hands-on at the new salon, Sorbie is in the process of buying an apartment in the city centre, understood to be at 1 Deansgate.

Stephens said the decision to locate the new salon on Spring Gardens instead of a more prime location was because of the size of the company's requirements.

Struggle for space

“We struggled to find anywhere big enough in Manchester,” she said. “And we just wanted to get into the city as soon as we could. We actually think Spring Gardens is very well located to capture footfall from the city's professional sector.

“We'll be going up against brands such as Nicky Clarke and Vidal Sassoon, but we want to try and offer as friendly and personal a service as we can.”

Andrew Barn, owner of the Barn/It salon at Harvey Nichols in Manchester, said he welcomed the competition, but thought the location could be a hindrance. Rivals are in more visible locations — Nicky Clarke is in The Triangle and Vidal Sassoon is on Chapel Walks.

“The more high-end brands and salons that come to Manchester, the more it has to be good for the city,” said Barn. “Spring Gardens is an odd place to have the salon — it's quite hidden away but he's a big name and I'm sure that will attract people. Other salons are in prime spots though, so didn't have to do much advertising to let people know they were there when they opened.

Barn/It charges £70-90 for a cut, as does the Nicky Clarke salon in The Triangle shopping centre. “That's what I would expect a Trevor Sorbie salon to charge,” said Barn.

“But you have to work hard to make sure you are always visible — do plenty of marketing, press and events, or do promotional pitches elsewhere, for example.

“There are plenty of salons in the city and each one has a market. Business is still good on cuts and colours but the amount of products we sell has gone down a little.

“But hair styling is fairly recession proof. Women will always prefer to get their roots done than pay the mortgage.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/FREE/309019973/-1/toc/-/-/at-the-cutting-edge

Leeds-based jeweller Azendi plans to open a shop in Manchester Arndale in the coming months. The group currently has nine shops including outlets in Leeds, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Harrogate. A spokeswoman for the company said: “The lease hasn't been finalised yet but it should be very soon.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/FREE/309019972/-1/toc/-/-/whats-news

Just read in the MEN that UGG are opening their first store in the North-West in the Triangle

Thanks neil, that is quite a high profile letting for The Triangle, it is good to see that they are still getting tennants signing up to the centre even though Henri Lloyd and possibly Adidas moving out of the Traingle.

German über-prime agent bids to defy the property slump with Manchester openings

By Simon Binns

Global estate agency Engel & Völkers is looking to open in Manchester and Cheshire, bringing extra competition to the high-end residential market.

The Hamburg-based company has sold three licences costing between £25,000 and £30,000 each to operate franchises in Manchester city centre, Altrincham in Trafford, and Wilmslow in Cheshire.

The firm has more than 350 offices in 24 countries including locations such as Ibiza, Dubai and Buenos Aires. Caroline Styles, its UK head of marketing, said: “We have found a licensee to operate the three branches and are hoping to have them operational in next 12 months.

“We feel there are opportunities in the high-end bracket in Greater Manchester. In terms of the properties we deal with, quality and saleability are key factors. Obviously they tend to be at the premium end of the market, but we would also look at unique properties further down the food chain — so we would look at particularly saleable apartments in Manchester city centre for example.”

Styles said a typical city centre licence costs £30,000, enabling the franchisee to operate an Engel & Völkers branded shop.

“In terms of competition, we think we are in the same bracket as Knight Frank, Hamptons and Savills Residential,” she said. “We don't offer a formal search and selection service, as some others do, but we like to be flexible with our clients so it's an option.

The Manchester and Cheshire outlets will also appeal to buyers and investors in overseas properties.

“The licensee will be encouraged to take advantage of our global network, so Manchester could be used to market properties in Dubai and Spain,” said Styles. “It won't just be for the domestic buyer and investor.”

The fees charged for transactions and the revenue share between the firm and the licensee was “subject to negotiation with the individual,” said Styles. “But we do provide an advisor to help with selecting the shop location — which is a huge part of our corporate identity.”

Michael Chapman, head of the Wilmslow office of Savills Residential, said he felt the Engel & Völkers brand may not be well enough recognised in Greater Manchester and Cheshire to make an immediate impact.

“It's a brave move,” he said. “It's a global business, but I'm not sure people here would know them. There are nine estate agencies in Wilmslow, and it is quite an insular market, as is Altrincham. People like to deal with somebody they already know. It's very cut-throat.”

Chapman added that city centre apartments in Manchester still carried too much of a risk in the current depressed market, even those at the higher end. The Cheshire market had also seen a slowdown, he said.

“It's still fairly quiet, even in the £1m-£2m bracket,” he said. “There's a lot of high gearing there. The only area that hasn't been affected is what I call the uber-prime market — £5m-£6m homes. It's not going to be enough for Engel & Völkers to pitch up and just expect people to buy into the brand.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/FREE/309019969/-1/toc/-/-/german-ber-prime-agent-bids-to-defy-the-property-slump-with

Thanks neil, that is quite a high profile letting for The Triangle, it is good to see that they are still getting tennants signing up to the centre even though Henri Lloyd and possibly Adidas moving out of the Traingle.

Where are they going out of interest?

Henri Lloyd are opening in the Acresfield Building in St Anns Square before Christmas and there are rumours of Adidas on Market St and Adidas Originals in The Triangle opening in Manchester Arndale.

Henri Lloyd moving

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080609/FREE/355815406

Adidas moving

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080602/FREE/928927631

Welcome Bonmarche

On Thursday, September 4th, a new Bonmarche store will open its doors for the first time. Cutting the ribbon will be world-renowned designer, David Emanuel, the man behind Princess Diana’s wedding dress, who will also be launching his own exclusive collection.

Mark Pickersgill, Retail Operations Director, said: “We’re thrilled to be opening a new store at Manchester Arndale and can’t wait for customers to see what we have to offer. We’re especially excited about our new and exclusive David Emanuel range.”

The popular chain is an established retailer, with more than 380 shops nationwide. They offer quality, affordable fashion for women of all sizes, from 10-24.

Karl Clawley, Retail Business Manager at Manchester Arndale, adds: “I’d like to welcome the team from Bonmarche to the centre. Here at Manchester Arndale, our aim is to provide shoppers with the best that the High Street has to offer and Bonmarche will help to compliment our existing retail offer.”

http://www.manchesterarndale.com/whats_on-17344.htm

Yeah, The Triangle hasn't really taken off since it first opened - There seems to be a lot of talk about increase in footfall lately, but other than the recent restaurant openings, there haven't been any notable lettings.
I think the retail mix is a little erratic and there is no obvious anchor.
Maybe this will kick-start some more high profile lettings

Here are some Artists Impressions of the new Kuoni store on King Street.

Basement
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/111/kuonibasementwd9.jpg

Ground Floor
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4808/kuonigroundfloorbn8.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/4339/kuonikingst1hp3.jpg

10 years of success

1 September 2008

THE Trafford Centre is set to mark 10 years of success this month with a week-long birthday celebration for staff, customers, stores and restaurants alike.

A decade after the Centre first opened its doors, the UK’s most unique shopping and leisure destination is geared-up for a feast of music, fashion, food and fun to mark the auspicious coming-of-age.

Director of Operations Gordon McKinnon said: ‘It’s been an incredible ten years since The Trafford Centre first burst onto the scene with the vision to become the UK’s premier shopping, dining and leisure destination. In that time the centre has gone from strength to strength, never standing still as we’ve sought to continually improve year after year. Most recently our new developments such as the Barton Square homeware destination, and The Great Hall luxury dining venue have further added to the appeal of the Centre.

“Over the years, hundreds of millions of shoppers have poured over our thresh-hold to experience the unique leisure blend we’ve created here. As shopping has become the number one leisure past-time in the country, we have continually strived to provide the very best place to shop, eat and have fun.

“The Trafford Centre has become a tourist destination in its own right, with more than 35,000 coach tours having visited over the last 10 years. It also boasts more restaurants and cafes than any other shopping centre in the country – there are now 60 places to eat and drink here – and one of the most successful cinema complexes in the country in it’s 20-screen ODEON Cinema.

Unusually, for most centres of its kind, it also boasts many other leisure attractions including the number one Laser Quest venue in the country, a bowling alley and family entertainment centre, and the recently opened Paradise Island Adventure Golf with a pair of 18-hole indoor golf courses.

“This very special anniversary is our chance to celebrate what we do best in the fields of fashion and entertainment. We’ve designed a festival of style, with something for everyone from the young pop fan to the seasoned fashionista.”

A host of events will be taking place during the birthday week 6-14 September, including an opening weekend of party antics on the Main Stage, with pop star appearances and children’s entertainers, indoor fireworks, an enormous birthday cake and the balloon drop to end all balloon drops!

On top of that, we’ll be hosting some fabulous fashion shows, celebrity catwalk appearances and live music for all the family.

Feted at the 1998 opening for its imaginative décor and architectural style, the award-winning Trafford Centre continues to break records - and break the mould, continually striving to be at the forefront of the retail and leisure sectors.

New retailers to have arrived at The Trafford Centre in the birthday year include Calvin Klein Jeans, Geox, Bench, G-Star Raw, Castle Galleries, Dwell, British HOME Stores, Next HOME, Laura Ashley Home, M&S Home, Natuzzi, HomeSense, Habitat, Moben Kitchens, Dolphin Bathrooms, Sharps Bedrooms, DKNY Jeans and A|XArmani Exchange.

Meanwhile in the dining sector, the Centre has welcomed a Subway, Barburrito, Rice, Ego, Popodom, and Shawarma Express.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/news/view/?ID=4951

Its well known on 'the street'.
I dont think its any secret.

But does anyone have any concrete evidence they are closing??? Like a statement from their head office, or from their Chief Executive Andrea Warden? Or is this all just based on rumours?

wonder if the Tif squirrel will be at the Trafford centre party?????

Will Longy be there. Stuck between Sue Williams and Sean de Corkering Cat on the praesidum as the retails tanks of Peel roll by.

"SALUTE!!! our noble consumer leader."

Cries a thousand weary but happy punters, holding aloft their M&S 70% off sale bags in truimph!!!

wonder if the Tif squirrel will be at the Trafford centre party?????

Will Longy be there. Stuck between Sue Williams and Sean de Corkering Cat on the praesidum as the retails tanks of Peel roll by.

"SALUTE!!! our noble consumer leader."

Cries a thousand weary but happy punters, holding aloft their M&S 70% off sale bags in truimph!!!

My ASBO forbids me from going within 1 mile of Dumplington Precinct.

Work has now started on redeveloping the former Homebase unit and 683 Chester Road at White City into four new retail units.

A different type of retail now, the Arnold Clark Vauxhall dealership is now closed and has been relocated to porta cabins on the car park while the dearlership is remodelled and a Sabb dearlership is added on aswell.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3735/vauxhallic5.jpg

A different type of retail now, the Arnold Clark Vauxhall dealership is now closed and has been relocated to porta cabins on the car park while the dearlership is remodelled and a Sabb dearlership is added on aswell.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3735/vauxhallic5.jpg

That leads me to presume that SAAB are leaving Water Street then?

Has Homebase left White City altogether then?

Yes Homebase left White City a while back dont know if they will reopen in the new development I doubt it though as there will be 4 units that are being built in the space of Homebase and 683 Chester Road.

The Vivienne Westwood Anglomania store will be in the Richard Creme shop on Bridge Street, which has now closed down.

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/2341/manchester006xu5.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/6384/manchester007mu5.jpg

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/7953/manchester008xa3.jpg

Jil Black is now reopen in Barton Arcade after their store refurbishment.

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/6053/manchester009uq5.jpg

And Phil Black is closing in Barton Arcade but they have relocated to the basement in Jill Black.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/7212/manchester010we3.jpg

The Orange store has now reopened, they are still finishing the store off though.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8247/manchester011av5.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/7310/manchester012fa9.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1972/manchester015op2.jpg

Some work is happening to the Lacoste store next to JD.

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/489/manchester014il6.jpg

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9310/manchester017md4.jpg

A new shoe shop was ment to open in the Unit Past Times was using in the Arndale but the signs are still their with a july opening but no store has opened.

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9631/manchester016yt4.jpg

The shoe shop is called Rieker and it looks like they still plan to open in the Arndale,


July 2008 - New Rieker Antistress Shoe Store Opening soon in Manchester's Arndale Centre. More detail will be available as soon!!

http://www.shop4rieker.co.uk/rieker-antistress/cart.php?m=content&page=ourNews


If they do open it will be their third store.

Footfall up at Manchester Arndale

By James Chapelard

Manchester Arndale has seen an increase in footfall in July and August.

July's footfall was up from 2.2 million in 2007 to 2.54 million in 2008 — a 15.5 per cent increase so far.

August has recorded an increase of 9.3 per cent — up from 2.32 million visitors in 2007 to 2.54 million in August 2008.

A spokesperson for the Manchester Arndale said: “The weather may have helped play a part but some of this uplift can be attributed to the recent TV campaign that has attracted lapsed and new shoppers to the city centre.”

In recent weeks, Manchester Arndale has rebranded as “Centre of the City”, via an integrated marketing campaign that includes TV advertising for the first time in six years. It has also started opening until 9pm on weekdays.

Recent signings include clothes retailer Exit — previously in the Northern Quarter — Levi’s, Poundland, Bonmarche, and Nike, which has opened a new shop on Market Street opposite Adidas.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/FREE/809039991/1134

I thought that Vivienne Westwood was moving to The Avenue in Spinnigfields. I wonder whether this rules that out, if it was indeed true? I'm a little surpirsed at the location as some clothing stores, including Paul Smith, didn't quite work out there. Perhaps the advent of The Avenue will change all that.

Yes it has never been confirmed about Vivienne Westwood and The Avenue I think it has just been used as a type of store they hope to attract. I think as you say GShutty with The Avenue opening that Bridge St will be a good location for the new Anglomania store as it will be mainly behind The Avenue which can surely be a good thing.

HSBC unveils £5.5m city branch

4/ 9/2008

HSBC holds the official launch of its £5.5m branch in Manchester's St Ann's Square today.

The branch features internet terminals, phone kiosks and a coin machine which enables customers to make cash deposits directly into their accounts.

Musicians, magicians and comedians will be at the launch event this evening.

Paul Thurston, pictured, HSBC's UK banking managing director, said: "HSBC is committed to providing the very best in customer service through its branch network, as well as on the phone and internet."

Its investment in its branches mirrors moves by Barclays, which has opened a state-of-the-art site on Manchester's Market Street, and the Co-op, which is installing mini-banks in the group's convenience stores.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1065333_hsbc_unveils_55m_city_branch

That leads me to presume that SAAB are leaving Water Street then?

Yes I would think that Saab will close their Water Street dealership and reopen in Stretford, also I think Peugeot will be closing their dealership at Water Street aswell as they are opening a new dealership on the former Virgin Cars site.

The branch features internet terminals, phone kiosks and a coin machine which enables customers to make cash deposits directly into their accounts.

But no bank tellers.

Hundreds of staff standing around pointing in the direction of machines but just one teller tucked away at the back of the first floor. :ohno:

Fucking horrible.

£5.5m?
On what exactly?

But no bank tellers.

Hundreds of staff standing around pointing in the direction of machines but just one teller tucked away at the back of the first floor. :ohno:

Fucking horrible. £5.5m? On what exactly?

Indeed and included in the 'improvements' personal bankers can no longer access the bank until 9a.m. Excellent if you wish to mke deposit before work/ after hours. There are lots of bright lights though!! I'm giving Barclays a go on Market St- open until 7.

As a genuine plus, the side and rear of the building are much improved and really address Barton Square very pleasingly, hinting at the potential that the 'back alley' has long had and I look forward to enjoying should the proposed restoration proceed.

I always thought a full height (that's about the 3/4 stories of the buildings either side), minimally intrusive, glazed cover would work very well here and assit as an extension to Barton Arcade, with an Al Fresco dining area for the 'cafes' that front Deansgate and already have exits onto Barton Square.

Indeed and included in the 'improvements' personal bankers can no longer access the bank until 9a.m. Excellent if you wish to mke deposit before work/ after hours. There are lots of bright lights though!! I'm giving Barclays a go on Market St- open until 7.

As a genuine plus, the side and rear of the building are much improved and really address Barton Square very pleasingly, hinting at the potential that the 'back alley' has long had and I look forward to enjoying should the proposed restoration proceed.

I always thought a full height (that's about the 3/4 stories of the buildings either side), minimally intrusive, glazed cover would work very well here and assit as an extension to Barton Arcade, with an Al Fresco dining area for the 'cafes' that front Deansgate and already have exits onto Barton Square.

Well if the plans are approved then Barclays will be opening their new style bank in Mansfield Chambers at St Anns Square, so you may not have to go upto Market St.

Details about the proposed restoration of Barton Square are here

http://www.visiondevelopments.net/bartonsquare/

Motorclean a car valeting service have opened at The Trafford Centre.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/directory/motorclean

Flange, I wish there was a full-time job you could have whereby you report on the retail movements and developments in the city. If there was one, you'd get it.

Seriously, I'm sure there would be people involved in retail in the city who would love to have your regular updates on the various sectors. Not only that but keen shoppers would be interested too.

I don't know if you just simply scour websites for your info but I would consider creating a website or blog to post your updates on. Kind of like the news section of Oube, it could be a one stop shop for Manchester's retail upates.

Users can subscribe to it and you'll see how many people are using the site.

Have a look at http://wordpress.org/ for free blog software. http://www.mancubist.co.uk/ is an example site that uses it. Come up with a name and set one up. Dual post everything on here and your blog. You wouldn't have to wite much. Just short, informal notes exactly as you do on here. I think you'll sson see just how many people are interested in what you post.

Well I will be back in uni in October so will not have that much time and yes I just scour the websites for information thanks macc.