The price of a Michelin star


Annual running costs for a high-end restaurant in Manchester city centre

Rent £200k

Talented head chef £35k

Staff £100k

Refurbishment £50k initial outlay (depending on size of venue)

Ingredients (industry standard) 30 per cent of turnover

The Trafford Centre is expanding but not in the way you may think.


Costa del Trafford Centre

Chris Barry

19/ 2/2008

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7330/spanishtraffordcentre1nt2.jpg

PEEL Holdings, the property and investment giant, is set to take its Trafford Centre shopping mall international with a £500m scheme on the Costa del Sol.

After years of planning and negotiations with the Spanish authorities, Trafford Centre España has been given the green light.

The development, being led by Lindsey Ashworth, one of Peel founder John Whittaker's key lieutenants, will take place on a 80-acre site in Torremolinos.

With planning permission granted, the next stage for Peel will be to raise the cash for the development - which should not pose too many problems, given the outstanding success of the original Trafford Centre, which attracts more than 30 million visitors a year.

Construction should begin early 2009 and will take around two years. Trafford Centre España will follow the original closely - it will offer around one million sq ft of retail, entertainment and leisure space, anchored by department stores and a cinema.

It will also feature a similar style of architecture.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/8250/spanishtraffordcentre2xo4.jpg

Popular

In recognition of its location on the popular Costa de Sol, the development will also include a five-star hotel and, eventually, some luxury apartments.

Mr Ashworth said Trafford Centre España would have `universal' appeal, and would not be purely focused at the large ex-pat community on the Costa del Sol, or to visiting tourists.

He explained how the development came about: "John bought the land in the 1980s. The original site was 40 acres. We tried to get the scheme through planning, but had no success. About five years ago, we teamed up with adjoining landowners, who shared our aspirations.

"While there will obviously be a flavour of the original Trafford Centre, the major difference is, because it's in a warm climate, it can be outward-facing. Bars and restaurants will have terracing and some will be built around a lake."

Mr Ashworth said the site was superbly located, 10 minutes from Malaga and half an hour away from Marbella, where Mr Whittaker has a home.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8498/spanishtraffordcentre3ip3.jpg

Connectivity

"Like the original, Trafford Centre España has got excellent connectivity - a new motorway is being built right outside it," said Mr Ashworth.

"It will be aimed at everybody - local people and tourists.

"When we started, the new motorway extension was not even proposed, so time has been very kind to us.

"There's nothing like this in Spain - the nearest thing to what we have here is Xanadu in Madrid, and it's nowhere near as nice.

"There is a huge market out there and people like to shop in a pleasant environment and that is what we will provide."

He said there had been cynicism over whether the Trafford Centre - which celebrates its 10th birthday this autumn - would work.

"We proved people wrong when they said it would fail because it was too near Manchester. We all thought it would do well, but I think it has exceeded all our expectations."

Peel, which owns Liverpool John Lennon Airport, the Manchester Ship Canal and a number of other key property assets in the UK, already owns some property overseas, principally in Bermuda and Barbados.

Trafford Centre España is the first large-scale, mixed use international development that Peel has begun.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1037132_costa_del_trafford_centre

Victoria wants to spread Marmalade

David Thame

19/ 2/2008

WHETHER you like it crinkle-cut or without peel, Renegade Marmalade promises something for you.

Fashion industry insider Victoria Jackson says her new Manchester boutique will be unique.

"This is going to be about niche European brands of a kind we've not seen in Manchester before. Half the shop is smooth marmalade - so that means beautiful ball gowns, Oscars frocks, really quirky stuff made from weird fabrics. The other half will be the shredded marmalade - which means frayed leather jackets, sandpapered fabrics," she explains.

However, the hunt for suitable premises has slowed plans down. "It's so difficult to find shops in Manchester that are available, affordable and in the right location. The difficulty for an independent retailer is that landlords want someone with a track record. Rents are expensive but I think it will work if we get a high footfall."

The first Renegade Marmalade store is due to open in July.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1037107_victoria_wants_to_spread_marmalade

New Stores opening soon in Manchester

Great news bagel lovers... we are on our way to Manchester!! We are hitting the City with a number of new store openings, with the first branch due to open at the Arndale Centre in March.
We are due to open in the Arndale Shopping Centre and the Spinningfields district. Keep checking back for opening dates and times and come along to join the queue when we open!

http://www.bagelnash.co.uk/NewsDetails.php?NX=||lll

Bagel Nash are not going to have 2 store in Manchester as we originally thought, they are going to have 5 stores in Manchester.


The bagel has landed...in

LEEDS bagel business Bagel Nash is expanding over the Pennines with the announcement that it is to open five new stores in Manchester.

The first, a flagship store, will open on Tuesday, March 11, in the UK's largest city centre shopping mall, the Arndale Centre.

It will be followed in April by branches in the new Spinningfields financial centre and the out-of-town Trafford Centre shopping mall.

Two additional city centre locations are currently being negotiated. Together the new stores will create around 50 new jobs.

The Arndale store will be the company's largest branch and will employ 15 staff.

Bagel Nash, which began life as a single shop in Moortown 21 years ago, now operates two divisions – a gourmet bagel bakery and a retail bagel and espresso bar operation. Its head office is on the Buslingthorpe Green Industrial Estate in Meanwood.

Bagel Nash Bakery produces around 10,000,000 bagels per year and is considered to one of Europe's premier bagel producers exporting frozen bagels to more than 20 countries.

It has built its business on producing hand finished artisan, healthy and additive free products.

The move into Manchester is part of a national brand expansion programme headed by retail director, Rob Bywell.

Having identified significant investment opportunities in regional centres and satellite locations in the North, the decision was made to launch in three of Manchester's most high profile and prestigious developments.

The company plans to invest further in the region, with ten stores scheduled for 2008.

Managing director Uri Mizrahi founded Bagel Nash with his wife Karen.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/business-news/The-bagel-has-landedin-.3802115.jp

USC at The Trafford Centre has been refurbished


After a major refurbishment, the store has been unveiled with a fresh new look as well as an enhanced product range for shoppers. USC has created a lifestyle-focused emporium for men, bringing the best brands to the high street under one roof. The company's approach to womenswear has changed with a boutique collection of fashion labels - many of which will be brought in on a limited edition basis. Staff in the new denim area have been trained to ensure an unrivalled level of service to help you find the perfect pair of denims.

Barton Square is getting ready to open, the countdown has started


Barton Square
Opens 20 March
The wraps are coming off this unique and stylish home interiors destination.

Barton Square will open on the Easter Weekend

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/

The retail line up so far that we know of is

M&S Home (Flagship Store)
Habitat (Flagship Store)
Next Home (Flagship Store)
British Home Stores (Flagship Store)
Dwell
Laura Ashley

Barton Square is getting ready to open, the countdown has started



Barton Square will open on the Easter Weekend

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/

The retail line up so far that we know of is

M&S Home (Flagship Store)
Habitat (Flagship Store)
Next Home (Flagship Store)
British Home Stores (Flagship Store)
Dwell
Laura Ashley

+ lots of empty units. This could turn out to be an enormous white elephant.

The four flagship store are taking a store on each corner of the development there store sizes are about 19,000 sq ft +.

In November 2007 over 100,000 sq ft of the 200,000 sq ft development had been pre let so i dont think that Barton Square will have to many empty units and if they are some empty one they will probably be small units.

Also on the website the description of the developement has this


With some of the ultimate names in the homewares sector due to open flagship units, Barton Square looks set to fit in perfectly with the £1.6 billion shopping and leisure destination already in place, and is scheduled to open in the spring.

Flagship stores will include Marks and Spencer, Habitat and Next Home alongside exciting homeware stores like Dwell.

Barton Square is a 200,000 sq ft (18,590 sq m) retail development and will adjoin one of the largest shopping destinations in Europe. The £70million Barton Square development will provide a unique shopping environment offering everything for the home. Interest for the scheme from high quality retailers offering luxury products has been high and more names will be announced soon. Barton Square is set to reflect the UK’s increasingly sophisticated tastes for home products and offers an exceptional retail opportunity by creating a development devoted to lifestyle retailing. Barton Square will offer an additional 600 parking spaces to the current 10,000 free parking spaces at The Trafford Centre, and with a number of public transport options, Barton Square will be very easy to access.

The design of Barton Square will mirror the iconic design of The Trafford Centre, with opulent architecture, water features and grand structures. The development will be linked by a glazed bridge to The Trafford Centre and will become an additional key attraction.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/bartonsquare/

The four flagship store are taking a store on each corner of the development there store sizes are about 19,000 sq ft +.

In November 2007 over 100,000 sq ft of the 200,000 sq ft development had been pre let so i dont think that Barton Square will have to many empty units and if they are some empty one they will probably be small units.

Also on the website the description of the developement has this



http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/bartonsquare/

That's still half unlet Flange. Second floor. Sorry, got it in for Peel ATM.

That's still half unlet Flange. Second floor. Sorry, got it in for Peel ATM.

I think most people usually dont like Peel, but look at the Great Hall that got nearly every unit let before opening (i know they are different types of developments but it is the most recent big development that happened at the Trafford Centre), so i dont see why they would not hope to get Barton Square mostly pre let before opening.

I think most people usually dont like Peel, but look at the Great Hall that got nearly every unit let before opening (i know they are different types of developments but it is the most recent big development that happened at the Trafford Centre), so i dont see why they would not hope to get Barton Square mostly pre let before opening.

12 years (think it is) since the TC opened and it's never been fully let. Infact it's currently looking like the Lowry Outlet Mall. :lol:

How long until the first units close in the extension. In a recession household items are the first thing to be sacrificed.

12 years (think it is) since the TC opened and it's never been fully let. Infact it's currently looking like the Lowry Outlet Mall. :lol:

How long until the first units close in the extension. In a recession household items are the first thing to be sacrificed.

The Trafford Centre has been open 10 years this year it opened in September 1998 and hardly any shopping centre is fully let all the time.

The Trafford Centre has been open 10 years this year it opened in September 1998 and hardly any shopping centre is fully let all the time.

Flange you are the retail Guru. I bow to your infinate wisdom. :master:

Lets hope the upmarket stores planned for the John Lewis end of the Trafford Centre make a difference.

Thank you, apparently Ted Baker could be opening a store at the Trafford Centre and G Star will be opening soon at the centre.

Barton Square is getting ready to open, the countdown has started



Barton Square will open on the Easter Weekend

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/

The retail line up so far that we know of is

M&S Home (Flagship Store)
Habitat (Flagship Store)
Next Home (Flagship Store)
British Home Stores (Flagship Store)
Dwell
Laura Ashley

My birthday is the 20th. I'll go down and I'll say its my birthday, can I have a free chair?

Puma are fitting out a unit at the Arndale ground floor next to Topman & Orange.

Puma are fitting out a unit at the Arndale ground floor next to Topman & Orange.

Puma look set to open on Friday 29th February as they have 'Coming Soon 29/02/08' on the hoarding around the store.

Adecco Premier are now open at City Tower.

USC still being refurbished at the Arndale new copper looking signage is now in place around the storefront.

More new signage is being put into place at Next, on the corner facing Printworks they have now painted some of the walls black with the new next logo on either side and also some work is being done to the lifts on the side facing Selfridges.

Penhaligons is now closed at Exchange Street.

Oilily will be opening in the unit next to Edwards Shoes at Barton Arcade, i think that this store will stock all there lines as it is a fairly big store (it might be three floors big) so they may close there 2 existing stores within the arcade when they open here.

Also at Barton Arcade they are now starting to put the new shopfronts in, they are already in place at General Store and the empty store next to it and also the new Oilily store.

Im sure you have probably noticed Flange, but the Arndale side at the top end of High Street is now almost empty, part from the Aleef news. Any idea what is happening here. I remember that BHS were not being so helpful. This is the only remaining yellow section.

Im sure you have probably noticed Flange, but the Arndale side at the top end of High Street is now almost empty, part from the Aleef news. Any idea what is happening here. I remember that BHS were not being so helpful. This is the only remaining yellow section.

uklad1979 is the one that knows the most about the happenings of this particular development at the Arndale, the last we heard was that BHS may move temporarily into units opposite Peacocks in the Arndale and then move back into the main unit when the development is finished.

Me&Yu 2

Lynda Moyo gets déjà vu at Me&Yu

Where is it:
Me&Yu
Lever Street (in the Real Camera Shop mini-arcade)
www.meandyu.com

History:
Me&Yu is best known for being a firm fashion favourite in Affleck’s Palace. The dynamic duo of seamstress Angela Hulme and her printer partner Gordon Cullerne have now decided to branch out further by opening a bespoke boutique as well as an online store. Expanding the vintage hub that is Oldham Street, the pair have chosen Lever Street for their new boutique baby.

Who shops there:
As well as Me&Yu Affleck’s regulars, the new Lever Street shop is bound to attract a whole host of new shoppers who either stumble across this hidden gem or catch word of it.

What does it sell:
The sister shop has a bigger range of accessories which includes caps, scarves and jewellery. There is a selection of vintage and re-worked necklaces and rings to get excited about, all at prices around £20 and under. They stock the statement emblazoned hoodies and printed tees which have become the Me&Yu signature items, as well as newer additions such as dainty summer dresses and skirts.

Why go there:
Whilst it has expanded, Me&Yu is still a small clothing label which offers original designs. In the past, Angela and Gordon worked from a workshop in Ancoats, but the addition of the boutique means that Angela can bring her sewing machine to work, and therefore customise right before your very eyes - for free. Angela is able to add stitches, pockets and holes at request. If you like the Affleck’s Palace Me&Yu, you will love this one as the space makes it a lot easier to browse around.

The future:
Me&Yu have got the ‘learn to walk before you can run’ concept down to a tee, and it’s safe to say they are now happily skipping along. Me&Yu will no doubt expand on demand.

Verdict:
After reviewing the Affleck’s stall back in June 2006, seeing this new store is like watching a seed grow into a tree. Well done to Me&Yu.

http://www.bodyconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6KD7iNwB6IaqiNwA&

Stores unite for Arndale green effort
Paul R Taylor
25/ 2/2008

ALL 240 businesses in the Arndale Centre have pledged to go green.

The complex is the first major shopping centre in Manchester to be awarded the Environmental Business Pledge by the council and environmental consultants Groundwork.

Its stores will receive free advice and support from both organisations on reducing their carbon footprints - the amount of greenhouse gases they produce - by cutting energy usage and increasing recycling.

A big green `E' sculpture will be erected soon to celebrate the pledge and the Arndale will become a `green ambassador', say organisers.

It will encourage other businesses to sign the pledge, including suppliers and clients.

Arndale managing director Karl Clawley said: "We are keen to set an example to encourage other Manchester businesses to join this free scheme.

"As consumers become increasingly aware of the need for businesses and individuals to reduce their impact on the environment, our customers will be pleased that Manchester Arndale is part of the Environmental Business Pledge.

"As Manchester's flagship shopping centre, the Arndale is delighted to be the first large centre to be fully accredited with the award."

The businesses will now also be entered into an award scheme.

They will all receive certificates and stickers and have their names published on the council website, allowing customers to make informed decisions about where to take their business.

Coun Eddy Newman said: "This is a great example of how partnership working between the council and the business community can achieve real results to help the environment."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1038086_stores_unite_for_arndale_green_effort

From Manchester Gossip thread

From Crains.
The outside of the Triangle Shopping Centre, which is run by fund management firm Morley, is to get a facelift. A new glass-and-fabric canopy will be added that will stretch from the main entrance around the centre. A planning application for the project is expected to be presented to Manchester City Council within the next few weeks.

Will be interesting to see how this turns out.

Me&Yu 2

Lynda Moyo gets déjà vu at Me&Yu

Where is it:
Me&Yu
Lever Street (in the Real Camera Shop mini-arcade)
www.meandyu.com

History:
Me&Yu is best known for being a firm fashion favourite in Affleck’s Palace. The dynamic duo of seamstress Angela Hulme and her printer partner Gordon Cullerne have now decided to branch out further by opening a bespoke boutique as well as an online store. Expanding the vintage hub that is Oldham Street, the pair have chosen Lever Street for their new boutique baby.

Who shops there:
As well as Me&Yu Affleck’s regulars, the new Lever Street shop is bound to attract a whole host of new shoppers who either stumble across this hidden gem or catch word of it.


Shows that there is a continuing role for Afflecks as an 'alternative' business incubator for the Northern Quarter. Long may it continue.

More new signage is being put into place at Next, on the corner facing Printworks they have now painted some of the walls black with the new next logo on either side and also some work is being done to the lifts on the side facing Selfridges.



NEXT are in the process of being updated to the current store layout which is being implented across the country. Menswear at the trafford centre looks fantastic although the city centre store is only having a partial re-fit due to it being refitted once already in its short life since it opened in oct 2005.

Hopefully they will replace the large NEXT signs on the outside of the building but it will be a very costly process. All this because NEXT is now in lower case lol Perhaps they would be more wise to invest a little more in their staff instead of signage changes. Not that im resentful or anything.

To be fair, Next's new logo looks fantastic.

A step in the right direction. If only we could get rid of Dixons and MacDonalds and fill the vacant retail unit next to Orange.

High-end fashion stores planned for city square
By James Chapelard

http://ckimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CK&Date=20080225&Category=FREE&ArtNo=617202838&Ref=AR&maxw=300

A Manchester city centre building which housed Easyinternetcafe.com and the Disney Store is to undergo a major refurbishment to make way for three larger-sized shops.

The Acresfield building on St Ann's Square will be completely gutted to create new floorplates aimed at high-end fashion retailers. Discussions are already underway with five potential tenants, two of which are understood to be already in Manchester but looking to expand while the others would be new to the city.

Prime retail spot


The new stores will extend to the first floor of the building but offices above will not be affected by the refit.

Until a few months ago Acresfield, in a prime retail spot opposite The Royal Exchange Theatre, was home to the Disney Store, Easyinternetcafe.com and Tie Rack. The work, which will take nine months, should be completed by Christmas.

Paul Jones from chartered surveyors Tushingham Moore, which is managing the project on behalf of asset management company Schroders, said: “This will not be Topshop or River Island but more King Street-type retailers. At the moment people tend to walk past the building. We want to bring fashion back into the square. They will be three big stores facing onto the street. At the moment we are talking to five or six retailers.”

Jones said the retail mix on the square was currently disjointed with McDonalds, Dixons and HSBC sitting next to high end shops.

He said: “There is no synergy between the retailers. It does not work at all. If you are buying a £10,000 diamond you are not going to go to pop into McDonalds or Dixons next door.

“In St Ann's Square you get a bit of everything but not enough of one thing. There is no common strategy; it's difficult to get 25 owners together.”

The new shops are likely to pitched at £250 a week zone A, slightly higher than the rest of the square which has an average rent of £220 zone A.

Sounds like this will be a really good redevlopment then, here is an artists impression of what Acresfield Building will look like after completion

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/5186/acresfieldbuildingimprebn2.jpg

And the floors plans for the stores

Ground Floor
http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/103/acresfieldbuildingplan1gy1.jpg

Mezzanine Level
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/5880/acresfieldbuildingplan2ic9.jpg

Also about the empty units in Mansfield Chambers, the 4 units have now been put back onto the market by Whitbread (as TGI where going to open in the unit)

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000069292IEMW.pdf?id=793a9e7fb7ed4eaca707294a03523554

JJB sells Soccer Domes for £17.4m

JJB Sports (LSE: JJB) today announced the sale of its five UK Soccer Domes to Powerleague Fives Ltd for £17.4m in cash.

In the year to January 27, 2008, the division's gross assets were £11.3m and it generated a net pre-tax profit of £800,000 on a turnover of £6.2m, according to JJB’s management accounts. JJB will use the proceeds to reformat its stores.

JJB is keeping the leasehold sites and will continue trading from the attached stores and health clubs.

Powerleague will lease the Soccer Domes as well as the bars, coffee shops and function rooms within the Soccer Domes and will pay annual rent and rates to JJB.

JJB has also signed a five-year sponsorship agreement as Powerleague's official retailer, which JJB said would give “access to over 120,000 active grassroots footballers who play on a weekly basis”.

JJB's Soccer Domes are in Manchester, Wigan, Derby, Blackburn and North Shields and have a total of 69 pitches.

Powerleague Fives is a subsidiary of Powerleague Group (LSE: PWR) which is based in Paisley and, prior to this deal, operated 386 pitches in 38 locations.

Chris Ronnie, JJB’s chief executive, said: "The sale of our Soccer Domes business to Powerleague is representative of our strategy of focusing on re-energising our retail offering whilst at the same time looking for opportunities to increase the number, and profitability, of our combined health clubs and retail stores.

"I have every confidence that Powerleague, the premier operator of five-a-side football in the UK, will successfully integrate the Soccer Domes into its own business. Many joint opportunities exist for both companies to work together and we look forward to developing these with Powerleague's management."

Powerleague, which claims to be the UK's leading five-a-side football centre operator, said the new sites were “highly complementary” to its existing portfolio.

It said the Manchester Soccer Dome, near the Trafford Centre, was the largest five-a-side football centre in the world with 19 indoor pitches and 3 outdoor pitches.

Claude Littner, Powerleague’s executive chairman, said: "This acquisition represents a step-change in the unique five-a-side football proposition offered by Powerleague. We now offer our customers the opportunity of experiencing the thrill of indoor as well as traditional outdoor play on latest generation playing surfaces at the highest quality purpose-built facilities.

“We believe the acquisition of these premier indoor facilities reinforces Powerleague's position as the clear and established market-leader in the small-sided game and will be tremendously well received by customers, colleagues, shareholders and sponsors."

Bank Of Scotland Corporate helped finance the acquisition.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080226/FREE/55334074/1090/-/-/jjb-sells-soccer-domes-for-174m

You can now see behind the hoardings the new stonework and glasswork for the new shopfronts up around the former Daisy & Tom store.

Homebase at White City Retail Park is to be demolished and replaced with 4 new retail units if approved.


Land at and adjacent to White City Retail Park, Chester Road, Old Trafford

Demolition of "Homebase" unit and 683 Chester Road and construction of 4 no. retail units with a total gross floorspace of 6853 square metres, amendments to car parking layout to form an additional 74 spaces and development ancillary thereto.

http://planningdocs.trafford.gov.uk/eintranet/pam/planning_application_search_pam.jsp?APPLICATION_NUMBER=H/68876&SearchType=Planning%20Application/

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3866/whitecityhomebasereplacla6.jpg

George at Manchester Fort is to be refurbished soon to the Asda Living brand that they have.

...

Maybe my own post was a little muddy so to clarify - My point was about which retail areas are doing well, not what retail mix or tenants were good for the city (on a holistic economic level or for personal shopping pleasure).

Personally, I'd rather shop along King St or in the Northern Quarter, dependent on how my mood and budget finds me, but it's no good to me if the areas and shops I enjoy are struggling and financially precarious.

Cheers

Thom

Thom, you're making a valid point here. It seems to have been skated over judging by the amount of responses on here. I sometimes share your worry too. But I think the reality is Manchester has always run by the skin of it's teeth, and probably always will. I work in a shop in town, on Oxford Rd and imo the footfall outside is phenomenal. It's extremely busy from about..... all day long from what I can see, yet apparently our particular store is not exactly reaching it's targets with any ease, we always seem to just scrape it.

I know the fugures we bank each week and considering the rent in that particular spot(we're talking very close to the horrid Spar here) is not too high, I don't see what all the fuss is about targets etc. We make good money considering the crap we sell. Most of our customers are either students passing or between lectures, or people who work in the offices, building sites, or other local shops in the immediate area.

Will it survive? I don't think there's any doubt it will, it's already been trading in that location for 19 years, I don't remember it not being there.

Yet, to get back to your point there are other businesses in better locations in the city centre that don't last 19 months. I don't think there's any 1 answer for this other than what I said above about Manchester running by the skin of it's teeth. Manchester is such an organic city, not always getting it spot on but never standing still, what will be will be, survival of the fittest and all that. I honestly don't see a Pret a Manger closing down here or a JJB closing down there making a jot of difference to Manchester's march towards it's complete domination of the north of England.

Make that, the whole of England, alongside London.

Thom, you're making a valid point here.

Manchester has always run by the skin of it's teeth, and probably always will.

Manchester's march towards it's complete domination of the north of England.

Make that, the whole of England, alongside London.

Thanks Roly, I do, on ocassion, made valid points. More by luck than design. It's kind of like the infinite monkey's with infinite typewriters thing...

I totally agree that as with all economic models Manchester's retail scene is constantly dynamic and in a state of flux. I guess it just seemed more precarious or overstretched than normal, and I don't have much of a feel for whether cities like Leeds or Birmingham have similar concerns or more stability.

I actually like Manchester's seat-of-its-pants-ness. It's part of the city's identity. It's certainly the way I run my own business. And yes, the sooner everybody bows down and admits that Manchester is England's natural economic and cultural counterbalance to London, providing us with a much needed centre of gravity outside of the South East, the better!

On a related retail note, no one has really mentioned the potential impact of Liverpool One on here. It was kind of off my radar but our PR company is also doing their PR and I hadn't appreciated quite how big it was. Considering the amount of Scousers I see shopping here at the weeked it could put a dent in Manchester's trading, not to mention the Trafford Centres.

Cheers

Thom

Mexx to withdraw from UK

Mexx, the fashion and accessories chain, is to close its 61 retail outlets in the UK.

According to reports, the withdrawal from the UK will affect 300 jobs.

Mexx, which is owned by US-based clothing group Liz Claiborne, has flagship stores on Oxford Street and Covent Garden, as well as 20 shop-in-shops in John Lewis and 38 in House of Fraser.

The withdrawal is the latest sign of the challenging state of the UK high street.

Mexx reportedly said the closures were in line with plans to divest the non-profitable elements of its portfolio.

http://www.retail-week.com/2008/02/mexx_to_withdraw_from_the_uk.html

It seems that the unit that Mexx is located in at the Arndale has not had so much luck first we had Blend open there and they closed and now Mexx look set to close there aswell and there Trafford Centre store will close aswell.

500 new jobs created

27 February 2008

The Trafford Centre, Manchester’s £1.8billion retail and leisure destination, is today announcing the creation of 500 jobs at the Centre’s new retail site, Barton Square, the first phase of which opens to the public next month on 20 March.

The £76million, 200,000 sq ft retail development will provide a new shopping experience offering everything for the home. It will see the opening of 19 retail units including four major anchor stores as well as a café, and is linked to The Trafford Centre by a glazed bridge.

Barton Square will generate jobs for retail managers, sales staff, specialist advisors and security officers as well as cleaning and maintenance roles.

Habitat, Marks and Spencer Home, British HOME Stores, Next Home and Dwell are just some of the retailers opening units at Barton Square next month. More names are set to be announced over the next few weeks

Gordon McKinnon, Director of Operations at The Trafford Centre said: “The opening of Barton Square and the creation of 500 jobs is welcome news for the local economy. There are currently jobs available for all levels of skills and experience – offering fantastic career opportunities to the local community. The Centre already employs over 7000 people in the retail and catering sector, and these additional jobs combined with the 650 extra jobs that have been created during the building of Barton Square, helps maintain our position as one of the leading employers in Greater Manchester.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/news/view/?ID=4267

Arndale News

Newspoint will open inbetween Subway and Currency Exchange.

Transform Your Image will be opening inbetween Carphone Warehouse and Snowy Joes.
http://www.transformyourimages.co.uk/

Wings will be opening in the Food Court at the Arndale next to Spud-U-Like.

Yin Jewellery will be opening inbetween Prague and Duty Free.

All from the new mall guide for the Arndale

http://www.manchesterarndale.com/sitefiles/download_map.pdf

Louis Vuitton at New Cathedral Street will be getting a major refurbishment soon if plans are approved, there will be a new shopfront installed and also the size of the store will extend more into Selfridges.

Planning Application here
http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?085581/AO/2008/C1

Existing Floorplan
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8598/louisvuittonselfridges3ms0.jpg

New Floorplan
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1893/louisvuittonselfridges1dd4.jpg

New Shopfront
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/2930/louisvuittonselfridges2gw5.jpg

so maybe the romours about m&s wanting half the shop back are untrue?

Trafford Centre: 500 new jobs
Dean Kirby
1/ 3/2008


A £76M extension to the Trafford Centre will bring 500 new jobs.

Barton Square - an Italian-style piazza which opens its first phase this month - will feature 19 new shops selling furniture and domestic goods, along with a cafe.

The 200,000 sq ft building, complete with a 173ft bell tower, is linked to the main shopping centre by an enclosed bridge.

It will generate jobs for retail managers, sales staff, security officers, cleaners and mainetenance staff.

Habitat, Marks and Spencer Home, British Home Stores, Next Home and Dwelll are among the retail giants heading for the development.

More shop names are due to be announced over the coming weeks.

Trafford Centre spokesman Gordon McKinnon said: "The opening of Barton Square and the creation of 500 jobs is welcome news for the local economy.

"There are jobs available for all levels of skills and experience, offering fantastic career opportunities to the local community.

"The centre already employs more than 7,000 people in the retail and catering sector, and these additional jobs combined with the 650 extra that have been created during the building of Barton Square, helps maintain our position as one of the leading employers in Greater Manchester."

Barton Square is based on an Italian square, with an open-air courtyard incroporating water features.

It has been built on Phoenix Way, to the north of Barton Dock Road, on thhe Giants Field site.

Mr McKinnon said: "A traffic management scheme has been developed to ensure traffic around Barton Square will be free flowing, working alongside the new exit road from the Trafford Centre which takes traffic directly out onto Junction 9 of the M60."

The £1.8bn shopping complex, owned by Peel Holdings, opened 10 years ago this September. It attracts about 30m visitors every year.

MORE ON THE MENU AT SPINNINGFIELDS

Allied London announce new operators

Allied London is delighted to announce the opening of another five exciting new eateries at its £1.5bn Spinningfields development in Manchester.

In the coming months an array of restaurants and lunch venues will be opening at the development including Yo Sushi, Australia’s number one lunch bar MYO (Make Your Own), award winning sandwich purveyors Philpotts and Shimla Pinks offering new wave Indian cuisine.

The new eateries will launch hot on the heels of the recently-opened Pret a Manger and will add to the diverse, high-quality dining offer already established at Spinningfields.

The new operators will add to the development’s vitality, while complementing the existing restaurants at Spinningfields which include Carluccio’s, Strada, Zizzi, Giraffe, Ha Ha Bar and Grill, Café Rouge, Wagamamas, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and EAT.

Spinningfields already offers an extensive choice of cuisine, ambience and dining styles and the new restaurants will offer yet more choice for those living and working in Spinningfields and surrounding areas, as well as families, shoppers and visitors.

http://www.spinningfields-manchester.com/page/1209



MYO (Make Your Own)
http://www.ilovemyo.com/contact.php

And there is Bagel Nash aswell that will be opening in Spinningfields in April.

Triangle execs bid to give independentsa new voice

Retailers urged to join new association to help lure customers away from the national multiples

By James Chapelard

Manchester's independent shops could be given a new voice following the creation of a new independent retailers' association.

Two executives at the Triangle Shopping centre — marketing manager Michelle Atack and centre manager Debora Stout — believe that belonging to an association would give independents more of a say.

They propose calling the new body the Manchester Independent Retailers' Association and plan to rally shop owners to their cause in the coming months to get the project moving.

In March, they are to meet Ringspun founder and entrepreneur David Mallon, an independent retailer, to see how the idea could be progressed.

They argue that more could be done to encourage city centre shoppers to use independent shops in the Northern Quarter and at less well-known areas.

Tourist maps, a website and more signage could be produced to encourage footfall in certain areas.

Hard for individuals

“There is a lack of a unified voice,” said Stout. “They mainly want the same things but it's hard for individuals to be heard. We think it will be really good to find out what the independent retailers want.

“Shoppers tend to go to the Arndale and if they have any time available they walk off around the centre. There is no way of telling shoppers where to find independents. Once they find them they tend to be repeat customers. But it's getting them there in the first place.”

Some in the industry have already given the plan a cautious welcome, particularly in the light of recent scares regarding the future of Affleck's Palace.

Stout and Atack said that setting up an association is close to their hearts as their shopping centre has many independent or destination shops.

Crain's counted 18 shops out of 34 in the centre which are part of multiple chains. Others like former Afflecks store Harpoon Louies and Eden Florists could be classified as independents.

Stimulate landlords

Atack said a greater voice for independents would benefit their own centre and might encourage more independents to move in.

She said: “We like to house as many independents as possible. Hopefully we will benefit from it.”

Paul Jones from Tushingham Moore, letting agents specialising in the retail sector, said that independents would benefit from an association. He said: “It is a good idea. To bring more cohesion and to stimulate landlords to think about mix. There is no cohesion between retailers in the city. Some have a big say on what goes on, the nationals like M&S. They are powerful.”

Affleck's Palace manager Elaine Walsh agreed. She said: “It is a good idea if someone has got the enthusiasm to do it in this corporate city.” Asked if the city was now too corporate Walsh said: “It is the way it has gone.”

Professor Cathy Parker of Manchester Metropolitan University, an expert in retail and marketing, said independents were in dire need of representation in Manchester. She said: “I think the independents have been displaced. The more successful a city centre is, the harder it is for family-owned and independent retailers to find a place because of high rents. Independent retailers need to organise themselves into some collective. There is a need for it. It would be very good. But it is maintaining the momentum. It's one thing setting something up but they need to achieve things.”

The Forum of Private Business, which is based in Knutsford, said setting up an association was, in principle, a good move.

Spokesman Phil McCabe said: “I was not aware of this plan being hatched. When smaller businesses come together is when they can affect change. It is strength in numbers. I think it's always a good idea for small retailers faced with specific problems to come together.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/FREE/510413871/-1/breaking/-/-/triangle-execs-bid-to-give-independentsa-new-voice

Danes to roll out 500 stores

Ben Rooth

3/ 3/2008

A GLOBAL furniture retailer has chosen Stockport as the headquarters for its 500 store UK roll-out. Danish firm JYSK – which specialises in value-for-money products for ‘bed, bath and home’ – is preparing to launch its first two stores next month.

The privately owned company had a turnover of £1.43bn to the end of December last year from its 1,350 shops in 29 countries.

It JYSK opened its headquarters in Hazel Grove last December and now employs six staff at the premises.

The company will open its first two stores in Lincoln and in Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, on April 4, as part of its plans to open 25 stores a year for the next 20 years.

JYSK sells a range of mattresses, duvets, towels, textiles, bookcases, beds, tables, sofas, housewares and garden furniture, at value-for-money low prices which are supported with time-limited offers.

Steve Stenhouse, country manager for JYSK, believes that the current tough economic climate favours the company’s expansion. “We offer exceptional value for money, and our products work well regardless of the economy,” he said.

“When money is tight, people will come to us, and when the opposite is the case they will also turn to us because our products are just so good.

Support

“We are currently searching major retail parks throughout the UK to support our expansion programme, and I would hope that we will start to have a presence in Greater Manchester within a year.

“After we have opened the shops in Lincoln and Mansfield, we intend to open a further two shops in York and Blackburn over the summer.

“Our shops are nowhere near the size of IKEA – they are only 1,000 sq ft.

“But customers will struggle to find products which are priced more competitively than they are with us.”

Mr Stenhouse added that JYSK’s pricing structure has yet to be finalised – but customers can expect to see duvets retailing from £10 and plastic patio chairs from £1.50.

JYSK was founded by Danish tradesman Lars Larsen in 1979 and today has its head offices in Arhus, in Denmark.

The company opened its headquarters in Stockport because of the firm’s existing business links with the area.

The firm It also has plans to open its first stores in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Russia over the next year.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1039075_danes_to_roll_out_500_stores

Retailers must be coaxed back to the high street

Next week's Retail Week Conference tackles, among other things, the challenge that retailers face this year with their property plans.
While retailers remain focused on the bottom line in what is proving to be a challenging year, property costs – which come second only to staff – are paramount.

The Conference will explore key issues such as rents and how to get the best value from property, but it will also address whether it is sensible for retailers to be investing in stores. The growth in online is just one threat to retail property and the industry needs to show what is special and different about the high street that you can never find online.

There are obvious gains in opening stores, but, increasingly, retailers are having to find more reasons to open in a particular location.

Often, the reason is merely the sheep mentality. Despite early doubts, most retailers will end up opening stores at White City shopping centre Westfield London, for example. Early doubters said the centre wasn't needed, the location was wrong for their brand, rents were too high and there aren't enough car parking spaces to sustain it. Yet most retailers now believe they have to be there because everybody else is going to be and, if they aren't, they will miss out.

Another reason, which we will undoubtedly see more of this year, is that retailers are only opening in locations where they can clearly see the benefit. One example is the Trafford Centre's Barton Square development, opening at the end of this month.

Most retailers trade very well at the Trafford Centre, because the scheme has pulled in a good tenant mix and attracts the car-bound shopper from Manchester and further afield that doesn't want to be bothered with trying to find parking spaces.

Barton Square will be the Trafford Centre's homewares destination. It has attracted the likes of M&S Home, Habitat, Bhs and Next Home, alongside smaller up-and-coming homewares retailers such as Dwell.

Retailers know that shoppers like to compare and contrast and, in the same way that London's Tottenham Court Road has become a mecca for homewares, Barton Square could become the northern homewares destination.

Shoppers can shop for comparisons online, but they can't comparison shop while actually seeing the products. Even retailers such as Habitat, which won't open many stores this year, believe in such shopping destinations enough to open there. And they will put their all into making a retail experience that can't be found online.

In future, retailers will be looking out for locations such as Barton Square that will give them stand out. And it's down to the property industry to create these opportunities.

http://www.retail-week.com/ChannelComment/2008/03/retailers_must_be_coaxed_back_to_the_high_street.html

With it being a year since Suburb closed, I was wondering what decent coffee shops there is in Manchester. Then I saw this article on the BBC

read

By Denise Winterman
BBC News Magazine


Inferior coffee at an inflated price, that's the verdict of a new survey on the coffee shop chains that have sprung up over the UK. You get a better brew at an independent coffee shop. But how are the small guys staying afloat?
When was the last time a really good cup of coffee put your world on hold, took you to another place in your head? For most people the thought of coffee just takes them to the nearest table in a crowded Starbucks.

But a good coffee can be a catalyst, says the three times UK National Barista Champion, Simon Robertson.


Starbucks is UK's 'favourite' chain - 27% rate it as such
"However busy you are, in the time it takes you to finish that coffee your normal world is put on hold and you go somewhere else in your head. It's about creating a moment, creating an experience."

Don't recognise that feeling? It could be because what's being served by the big chains is inferior coffee at an inflated price, according to Which?

A new report from the consumer magazine says it's independent cafes where you get the best coffee, at the best price. But despite such a winning combination, many such cafes are struggling to survive.

Britain's coffee culture may be bubbling like the head of a freshly made cappuccino - generating an annual turnover of £2.5bn according to research group Allegra Strategies - but it's the big name brands that are popping up on every street corner and reaping the rewards.

"The big chains are like a cancer," says Adrian Maddox, author of Classic Cafes. "They're erasing individual cafes from the UK. It's happening at an incredible rate and is a sad situation."

We are in the 'Blue Nun stage' of coffee drinking

Simon Robertson, champion barista
The millions who patronise these outlets every day would surely disagree. It's easy to romanticise old-style cafes, but compared with the insipid instant dishwater that used to pass for coffee in British snack bars multiples offer a superior drink.

Independents have had to up their game. But how can the little guys take on the coffee giants and all their financial muscle? By not trying to match them and offering something different, say the experts. That can be anything from creating a unique ambience, right down to the coffee you serve.

"What the chains are about and what my business is about are totally different," says Mr Robertson, owner of Leoni's Coffee House in Malton, Yorkshire. "The big guys just chuck hot milk on a coffee product. They're selling a lifestyle, not coffee."

Own worst enemies

But they're good at it, which is a big part of the problem for the independents. The three main players - Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero - have such a strong image. They've become synonymous with coffee.


Coffee should be 'an experience'
"As brands they are just so incredible visible and people head straight for them without thinking," says Tom Hiskey, who runs the Cosy Coffee Shops website.

"We're being sold the idea of what a cafe should be when just round the corner is probably the real thing - an independent cafe serving much better coffee, in a unique setting, with personal service."

Coffee enthusiasts are coming up with novel ways to tackle the high visibility of the coffee giants. They need to because most independent coffee shop can't afford the rent on a prime location, even though they are often tucked just a few streets away.

Delocator UK is a website where people can type in a postcode and it will show them the independent cafes within walking distance.

"People end up getting lost in endless chain outlets because they lack a bit of local knowledge," says Mike Dewar, who set up the site. "Delocator is about giving people more choice than just Starbucks, Costa and Nero."

Some enthusiasts argue the British palate is not as refined as that of our continental cousins.

We are in the "Blue Nun stage" of coffee drinking, says Mr Robertson. Just like wine a generation ago, people have started drinking coffee but don't know enough about it to judge if it's good or not.

On the analysis, tastes will change. Quality coffee - as the Which? investigation says these cafes provide - is another way for the sole traders to differentiate themselves.

'Hot milkshake'

In London's Soho - the spiritual home of the British coffee house - all the big brands have set up shop. Yet that didn't put Cameron McClure off when deciding where to set up a coffee shop two-and-a-half years ago.

We try to remember people's names and what they drink

Cameron McClure, of Flat White
"I don't even consider them as competition," says Mr McClure, owner of Flat White. The shop, which sells about 700 cups a day, won the Allegra Strategies' award for Independent Coffee Shop of the Year 2007. "They do bulk orders and making the coffee literally involves pressing a button. We hand measure the beans and adjust throughout the day because the beans change."


Mr Robertson believes the masses will come round to his way of drinking.

"It's natural that people's tastes will evolve and they will learn what good coffee is, it's just a really slow process," he says. "Then it comes down to basics, the coffee. You never stop learning when it comes to making coffee, but I would say the bare minimum of training you need is three months.

"Big business is just about filling people up with what is basically a hot milkshake. My coffee is about a delicate balance of flavours."

Caring about the coffee has paid off for Mr Robertson. He has a customer who travels 50 miles once a week for one of his espressos.


Independent cafes can be unique
Price is also a way to fight back. Which? says you'll pay on average £1.48 in an independent coffee shop for a medium-sized cappuccino, compared to £2.29 in Starbucks. At Leoni's it will cost £1.65. At Flat White the price tag is £2.30, but the shop uses "three baskets" of coffee - 23 grams - against the one or two measures used by the multiples.

While independent coffee shops want to make money, they are not usually willing to compromise on quality to get it, say enthusiasts.

But the economics of serving good coffee in a high profile spot are brutal. It's labour intensive and rents for good locations are high.

Small independent coffee shops can seem cramped while, Mr McClure, observes, the "chains seem to have a huge amount of space."

"We play music and create the atmosphere that way. And also we're more personal - we try to remember people's names and what they drink."


Coffee culture in the 50s
Mr Robertson insists the coffee making experience is paramount. He recalls when an elderly customer stopped him to say the coffee he'd just drank was the best he'd had since his time in Italy.

"I asked him when he was last in Italy and he said during World War II. I realised the coffee I'd just made him - the smell, the taste, the experience - had transported him all the way back in his mind to wartime Italy.

"Realising that power was massive, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end."

Just don't ask him for a skinny, soya, caramel latte - it's not on the menu because its "not proper coffee".

George at Manchester Fort is to be refurbished soon to the Asda Living brand that they have.


Asda pulls George out of city centres

Asda is closing its stand alone chain of George clothing shops after just over four years.

The Manchester store, the most recent one to open, will be converted into an Asda Living outlet, the company said.

The Wal-Mart owned retailer has concluded that its clothing concept cannot be sufficiently profitable in high-rent city centre locations.

It said it its non-food business would in future be focused on its out-of-town Asda Living clothing and homewares chain, which will still sell the George brand.

Asda Living, launched in 2004, sells clothes and homewares and the company has opened 16 stand alone stores so far.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/FREE/422138374/-1/breaking/-/-/asda-pulls-george-out-of-city-centres

Paddy Power to open in Manchester

Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaking group which specializes in gimmicky marketing, is eyeing sites in Manchester as part of plans to double the size of its UK betting shop chain.

It currently has 58 shops in the London area, which have just gone into profit for the first time since the company arrived in the UK in 2002, and hopes to increase to 120 within three years.

Following last year’s Gambling Act, bookies no longer have to prove there is a demand for more betting shops in order to get new licences.

Paddy Power chief executive Patrick Kennedy said the group expected to spend £250,000 on each new opening. It named Manchester and Glasgow as the two cities where it would open first.

The company’s UK shops made a 300,000 euro profit last year, compared to a 6 million euro loss previously, recording a 22 per cent gross win – a measure of the proportion of stake money punters leave behind - on a like for like basis.

Paddy Power specializes in taking unusual or jokey bets, usually accompanied by publicity and famously persuaded a Tongan player to change his name to Paddy Power during the Rugby World Cup. Like Betfred’s Fred Done, it has been known to pay out early on well-publicised bets.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/FREE/984667775/-1/breaking/-/-/paddy-power-to-open-in-manchester

The hoardings are now down from around the new Monsoon at Piccaidlly Station, the signage for the store is now in place but there is still a bit more fitting out of the store to do so I would imagine it would be opening in the next week or two.

The letting brochure for the Royal Exhchange is here

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000030931DUVT.pdf?id=7e16e4307d4f4eac9f2b2f662fc74f17

This is the first time i have ever seen any letting material for the scheme which actually seems up to date all except for the opening date as it still has it for opening in Autumn 2006.


RETAIL 15 boutiques ranging in size from around 400 sq ft to approximately 1,100 sq ft with complementary storage accommodation and WC's situated within the dedicated basement space. Shop front - frameless low iron glazing Floors - screed to receive tenants' floor covering Walls - stud party walls and masonry walls elsewhere Ceiling - concrete soffit to ceiling All tenants will be provided with a fully serviced unit. In addition to the standard provisions of electricity, water and drainage, each unit will be provided with a fresh air supply and chilled water connection, sufficient for all the comfort cooling needs of the unit. All units are provided with basic coverage from the sprinkler, fire alarm and voice evacuation systems.
HEALTH & BEAUTY SPA First floor spa salon with potential for a link within a ground floor boutique. Size from 2,250 sq ft to 3,500 sq ft.
RESTAURANT The design will maximise the use of natural light in the new Central Court with a cocktail bar at ground floor leading to a restaurant or brasserie at first floor. Size from 6,000 sq ft to 7,300 sq ft. Entrance via the main mall(s) with a dedicated entrance off Exchange Street.

Bagel retailer sets up stall

6/ 3/2008

FOOD Expansion in Greater Manchester is on the menu for Bagel Nash, a takeaway business which plans to open five outlets across the region, creating 50 jobs.

The Leeds-based chain announced today it will start trading on the first floor of Manchester's Arndale Centre next week and will open branches in Hardman Square, Spinningfields, and the Trafford Centre in April.

Two further city centre sites are being negotiated as part of a programme of openings across the north.

Boss Uzi Mizrahi said the Arndale shop would be the biggest in the Bagel Nash group, which supplies around 10 million bagels a year to 20 countries.

The rollout is being led by retail director Rob Bywell.

Mr Mizrahi said today: "Having spent the last 20 years building up an enviable reputation in Leeds and surrounding areas, we were regularly being approached by our customers asking when we would cross the Pennines.

"We are now delighted to be announcing the openings, which mark the next stage of our exciting plans."

He runs the business with his wife Karen.

Bagel Nash shops serve wraps and paninis as well as bagels, muffins, smoothies and Fairtrade coffee.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1039618_bagel_retailer_sets_up_stall

Christmas markets ‘worth £42.6m to city’

Manchester’s Christmas Markets brought £42.6 million worth of business to the city last year, according to research by unnamed “independent experts”, Manchester City Council said today.

Visitor surveys on behalf of Manchester Markets, part of the city council, showed that an average of 43,000 people a day visited the European Market in Albert Square between November 15 and December 19.

Using research from last year and figures from a detailed survey of all the market sites in 2005, the experts calculated that the total amount spent by visitors to the markets was £42.6 million in 2007, more than double the figure for 2005.

In addition to the Albert Square market there were stalls on four other sites in the city centre – a German Market in St Ann's Square, an Arts and Crafts Market in Exchange Street, and general Christmas Markets in New Cathedral Street and Brazennose Street.

The city council said feedback from international traders has been positive, with many considering the markets in Manchester to be among the best in Europe and requesting to return next year.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/FREE/202984459/1083/-/-/christmas-markets-worth-426m-to-city

Philpotts at City Tower on New York Street opens on Thursday 13th March.

http://www.philpotts.co.uk/shops/manchester-city-tower

Art Depot and Book Depot at The Lowry Outlet are to close as the company is in recivership. I hear JJB at the top of Market St will close in the summer.

Yes i would expect The Works at the Arndale to possibly close aswell as they are all owned by the same company.

John Lewis in £2.3m spend

Kevin Keddy

7/ 3/2008

JOHN Lewis has begun a £2.3m investment programme at its stores at the Trafford Centre and Cheadle Royal to boost sales, as it battles to overcome a slowdown in consumer spending.

Revenues at Cheadle Royal are down three per cent year-on-year since the end of January, while turnover at the Trafford Centre shop has remained flat.

Maggie Porteous, the stores' managing director, said sales of big-ticket items for the home, such as furniture, curtains and floor coverings, had been affected the most as consumers curb spending. However, shoppers are still splashing out on fashion, beauty and electrical items.

The group has upgraded its beauty and jewellery departments at Cheadle Royal, where it is also installing a new coffee bar and refurbishing its restaurant. At the Trafford Centre it is expanding the toy section and introducing fashion for older children.

Maggie said today: "We are still performing strongly in those areas and grabbing market share, but I think consumer confidence is lower."

Upgrade

"People might spend £20 on a lipstick, or £50 on a dress, to make themselves feel good, or upgrade their TV sets, but they are thinking that spending £1,000 on a sofa can wait. Also, the housing market has slowed, and you find people often buy new, bigger items when they move."

An additional factor during February was warmer weather during the half-term break, which meant families were less inclined to go shopping.

Despite the downturn, Maggie remains optimistic about the outlook for the full year.

"We are confident we are doing all the right things for our customers, and, although we do think it will be tough in the homes market for the first half, from September onwards we will see things improve."

John Lewis is widely regarded as a bellwether for Britain's retail sector, due to the range of products it sells and for publishing weekly sales figures.

It employs more than 1,800 staff across the Cheadle Royal and Trafford Centre stores and its warehouse at Stanley Green, Handforth, and they will receive an average of £3,000 as their bonus for this year. Around 69,000 staff at the chain John Lewis nationally will share a record bonus pot of £181.1m after annual profits rose 19 per cent.

The payout from the partnership, which is co-owned by its employees, is 18 per cent higher than last year and equivalent to more than 10 weeks' pay for each member of staff.

John Lewis's profits before partnership bonus and tax for the year ended January 26 were up £59.7m to £379.8m. The group is moving its Liverpool store to a new site in May and plans to open an outlet in Preston. Its supermarket chain Waitrose is looking at branches in Poynton, Altrincham and the Macclesfield area.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1039875_john_lewis_in_23m_spend_

Retail News Update 07/03/08

The hoardings are now down from around the entrance to H&M on Market Street.

The refurbishment of Tesco Metro on Market Street is now complete with brand new black Tesco signage around the storefront

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/938/tescomarketst1ty8.jpg

JJB Sports on Market Street has been refurbished to there new style of store.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6183/jjbmarketst1tz7.jpg

USC is now reopen on Market street after there refurbishment.

Puma is now open in Arndale.

Sweet Delights are having a closing down sale in the FoodChain


Wings will be opening in the FoodChain at the Arndale next to Spud-U-Like.


http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/6417/wingsfoodchainbv0.jpg

Past Times are having a closing down sale in the Arndale.

Bagel Nash

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9654/bagelnashik4.jpg

Sorry pictures are not of the best quality they are from my mobile

Hi. Just picked up a mag in the City that has a big advert for Zarachie Tower, Manchester. Can someone direct me to the relevant thread? Ta.

Isn't Market Streey shit, and such a let down.

It's a shame that the majority of out of towners see Picc Gardens and Market Street more than anywhere else.

Hi. Just picked up a mag in the City that has a big advert for Zarachie Tower, Manchester. Can someone direct me to the relevant thread? Ta.Here you go, it used to be called Gravity:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=488499

Isn't Market Streey shit, and such a let down.

It's a shame that the majority of out of towners see Picc Gardens and Market Street more than anywhere else.

True, Market Street is one of the most walked down street as the primary link from Picc Gardens to the shopping areas etc but what could be done to improve it? Any ideas?

If the Council managed to get hold of money producing trees, one thing I'd advocate is the submerging of the Metrolink station/lines in Picc Gardens and move the Market Street stop to the High Street. Along with the Picc Gardens bus stop reduction would provide much better potential for public realm for Market street and the Gardens (and increase the speed of the Metrolink no longer fighting with pedestrians).

Co.Cu has opened a Bridal store opposite there existing store in Barton Arcade.

http://www.cocu.co.uk/bride.htm

Bagel retailer sets up stall

6/ 3/2008

FOOD Expansion in Greater Manchester is on the menu for Bagel Nash, a takeaway business which plans to open five outlets across the region, creating 50 jobs.

The Leeds-based chain announced today it will start trading on the first floor of Manchester's Arndale Centre next week and will open branches in Hardman Square, Spinningfields, and the Trafford Centre in April.

Two further city centre sites are being negotiated as part of a programme of openings across the north.

Boss Uzi Mizrahi said the Arndale shop would be the biggest in the Bagel Nash group, which supplies around 10 million bagels a year to 20 countries.

The rollout is being led by retail director Rob Bywell.

Mr Mizrahi said today: "Having spent the last 20 years building up an enviable reputation in Leeds and surrounding areas, we were regularly being approached by our customers asking when we would cross the Pennines.

"We are now delighted to be announcing the openings, which mark the next stage of our exciting plans."

He runs the business with his wife Karen.

Bagel Nash shops serve wraps and paninis as well as bagels, muffins, smoothies and Fairtrade coffee.

Selfridges pledge to reduce energy emissions
Published Friday 7th March 08 in Environment and planning news

Selfridges has pledged to help Manchester tackle climate change as part of the Challenge Manchester 2008 - 100 days to a cleaner, greener city campaign.

The prestigious Manchester store has a target to cut electricity use by six per cent this year, saving unnecessary emissions into Manchester's atmosphere.

The company will do this by installing more energy efficient light bulbs throughout the store, as well as motion sensors which will turn lights on when customers walk into the centre's toilets and turn off as they leave.

They will also install an automated lighting system for cleaners and other staff who need to work in the store at night after customers have left - such as those doing evening shop-fits. The system will ensure that only the areas in which they are working will be lit, rather than the whole store.

Selfridges made this pledge as part of the Challenge Manchester campaign, in which businesses across the city were asked to make a commitment to improve the environment.

Councillor Eddy Newman, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: "We are delighted that Selfridges has come on board to help us tackle climate change in Manchester, they have been very supportive of the 100 days challenge and are award winners of Manchester's Environmental Business Pledge, which helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint and save money at the same time.

"A big thank you to Selfridges, who are helping Manchester's thriving retail sector to improve the environment as well as the economy."

Jane Sharrocks, General Manager of Selfridges' Exchange Square store, said: "Sixty per cent of the electricity we use is for lighting. So, this year we will install more efficient lighting and automated lighting control equipment wherever we can.

"Our biggest opportunity to reduce energy use is when our customers go home. So, we will 'own the night' by switching off as much lighting and other equipment as possible out of trading hours."

About Challenge Manchester

Manchester City Council launched Challenge Manchester - 100 Days to a cleaner, greener city 2008 on February 14 at Manchester Town Hall.

The campaign will run until 24 May 2008, featuring 100 days of intense activity all over Manchester with the first 50 days focussing on green issues - primarily waste minimisation, recycling and climate change - and the next 50 days focussing on community clean-ups, local environmental improvements and planting schemes.

The council will also be asking residents and businesses about what they want the council to do to help them minimise waste and recycle more.

Challenge Manchester began in 2004 with "Challenge Manchester: 100 Days to a Clean City", and in its fifth successful year the campaign returns to its core aim to "clean up" the city.

More information about Challenge Manchester and how you can participate appears on our website www.challengemanchester.co.uk

Retail News Update 07/03/08
Puma is now open in Arndale.



Puma

Ben Patey prowls like a wild cat round the latest Puma store

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4639/puma1ve8.jpg

Where is it:
PUMA
Manchester Arndale Centre
City Centre

History:
Once upon a time, brothers Rudolf and Adi Dassler built up a successful sports shoe empire. In 1948 the brothers fell out and divided their business between them. Adi called his company Adidas, Rudolf - Puma.

Nowadays, Puma is amongst the leading sports brands in the world with stores all over the world. A new one’s just opened in the Arndale in fact.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6637/puma2dt5.jpg

Who shops there:
The sports enthusiast in search of some quality gear for the treadmill. The fashion savvy who want to look trendy but still be comfortable when hitting the streets of Manchester.

What does it sell:
Practical and fashionable tracksuits for men and women, practical and fashionable trainers for men and women, practical and fashionable bags for men and women. Notice a trend? Puma manages to combine a no-nonsense need for comfort whilst kitting you out in gear that transcends trends and styles.

As well as trackies and trainers, you can also buy sunglasses, hats, watches… even perfume. I got caught inadvertently looking at women’s sports bras and thongs. Yep, they sell them too. Again, from the brief glance I got, they appeared practical and fashionable.

Why go there:
Because you want to be kitted out in classy and trendy sports gear without looking like you’re wearing some sort of hoodlum uniform. When it comes to sports style there’s sometimes a fine line between style and scratter. Puma doesn’t cross it.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/9573/puma3ol7.jpg

The future:
More stores? World domination?

The verdict:
These cats effortlessly manage to amalgamate street chic with sports style.

http://www.bodyconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6KD7rNwB6IaqiNwA&

Apparently one of the new stores that will open at the former Disney Store building will be Links of London, one of the possible new names to Manchester that was mentioned as being under offer (they only have a concession at Selfridges at Trafford Centre), the possible signing of Links is defiantly a good sign of things to come for this scheme.

http://www.linksoflondon.com/

Latest Caffe Nero
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/002.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/001.jpg

Habitat unveils next generation store at Trafford Park’s new interiors destination; Barton Square

We are pleased to announce the opening of our newest store in a specialist shopping centre for home interiors at Barton Square, Trafford Park in Manchester. Due to be unveiled on the 20th March 2008, the brand will join other home retailers in a destination dedicated to luxury interiors.

Habitat is one of the flagship stores at the £70 million development, which will adjoin the popular Trafford Centre by a glazed bridge. The 200,000 sq ft complex will mean not only a new and exciting opportunity for regular visitors to the site, but a stimulating home retail experience created by Barton Square’s ‘Inspired Interiors’ promise.

The single level retail space will provide a greater area to showcase habitats inspiring range, whilst also offering easy access and convenient parking facilities.

The Habitat store opening will ensure that luxurious home furnishing products that have not previously been obtainable to the Trafford shopper, are readily available. The presence in Barton Square will look to inspire customers to be innovative when approaching interiors, and with such a close link to ‘one of the largest shopping destinations in Europe’.

It will look to build on Habitat’s successful campaign in encouraging people become their own stylists and dress their homes with the same individuality they use to dress themselves.

http://www.habitat.co.uk

No instant fix in coffee chain's search for sites

By Simon Binns

Raj Ruia likes coffee, and so he should. His Rhode Island Coffee chain turned over £1.5m last year, and he is now looking to double his estate from four sites to eight.

Ruia currently has coffee shops in Bolton (Knowsley Street), Altrincham (Stratford Road), Burnley (St James Street) and Warrington (Old Market Place). Now, he's investigating sites in Oldham, Bury, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stockport. Stockport will be the next deal, as Ruia is now looking at a 1,300 sq ft unit in the town.

Ruia (pictured left) was keen to buy freehold when he was looking for his first four properties, but sites were hard to come by.

“There wasn't really much available, so all the current shops are leased,” he said. “But there seems to be more freehold coming onto the market now, so I want to buy new sites and move existing ones into bought units.”

Competitive marketplace


The modern coffee shops are a contrast to the offices of Ruia's other business. He's a director of Ruia Group, the family textile company, which is based at the 240,000 sq foot Victorian mill in Stoneclough, Bolton. Coffee is a competitive marketplace, but this doesn't put Ruia off.

“We definitely feel that we can sit in that second tier below the really big companies, like Starbucks and Costa,” he said. “Our shops look nice and are comfortable, and it's a big market, so we are confident of doing well.”

Ruia said that he usually looks for sites at a minimum of 1,100 sq ft, and they have to be on the ground floor. “We don't want to be in a shopping centre,” he said. “We want people to come to Rhode Island through choice, not en route to Debenhams.”

Ruia has also started to take a speculative look at Manchester city centre, at units of the same size or slightly bigger. “Lots of people who live where we have outlets work in the city centre, so we want to link the brand up,” he said.

Town selection, or picking a unit within a location, isn't overly scientific for Ruia. It's generally a good sign if there's a Marks & Spencer or a Next in the town, but he's “not bothered” about being right in the middle of a town or city. “As long as we are not far from the main footfall areas,” he said. “We have ad-hoc approaches from agents, but we don't have anyone on a retainer. I prefer to find a town I like and walk around it.”

Cleo Farman prefers something a bit stronger, however. She's the owner of Northern Quarter bar Odd, and its sister venue Odder on Oxford Road, which employ 45 staff across both venues.

A third bar is in the pipeline — Oddest — but the search for the perfect site has been arduous. Sites in Levenshulme, Chorlton and Didsbury have all been looked at previously, although Farman wouldn't say where the new bar would be. It should be open in around six months, however.

Aimed at creatives

“The important factors for me are the character of the area — is it up and coming or is it on the way out?” she said. “I look at the demographic. Odd was aimed at creatives, because that's what appeals to me, but it pulls in quite a few professionals from the city centre. You need people with expendable income, although students have more money to spend these days.”

Odd is 1,900 sq ft in size, while Odder is twice the size, but Farman said that she wouldn't go much bigger or smaller than either of those venues. Both sites are on long leases, and the original site hasn't even had its first rent review yet, despite having just celebrated its third birthday. Since Odd opened, the Northern Quarter has seen a raft of bar and retail ventures open and the stock of the area has certainly risen. “We managed to do a good deal there,” she said. Farman wouldn't give details of lease costs, but said that she “wouldn't go above £50,000 a year”.

Whilst Odd is now established at three years old, Odder has just celebrated its first birthday, and Farman said that making a mark was tougher second time around. “Odder was harder to establish as it's a different demographic,” she said. “It's all students. So we had to work hard to market the second one and couldn't just repeat what we did in Odd. It wouldn't have worked.”

With the news that the Oxford Road corridor is to be revamped, Farman may have happened upon the right area at the right time for the second time running. “It's great news,” she said. “I must be doing something right.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/FREE/23425332/1114/-/-/no-instant-fix-in-coffee-chains-search-for-sites

Wine gives solace for Lees

Family brewer to roll out warehouse concept after Cheshire success

By Michael Fahy

JW Lees, the Middleton-based family brewer which last week hit out against pub companies for pushing up prices to unsustainable levels, has revealed plans to roll out a new wine retail concept.

The brewer opened its first Willoughby's Wine Warehouse in the Cheshire town of Frodsham last October, and managing director William Lees-Jones told Crain's that the firm has just secured its second site in Sale. Construction work is due to start on a 3,500 sq ft unit fronting Washway Road next week, and the store will open in the summer.

“It's very much modelled on Majestic Wine's warehouses, but obviously better,” said Lees-Jones. “We were getting frustrated at the price of pubs, so we started looking at where else we have skills in the business and we have fantastic wine skills.”

Tyre kickers

The firm has distributed details of its requirements through its retained agent, Savills. Its short-term requirement is for six stores around Greater Manchester of around 2,500 sq ft to 3,500 sq ft each. Lees-Jones said that they need to be “visible” sites with associated parking and added that the firm would consider both freehold and leasehold sites.

Former petrol stations or car retail plots would be considered, alongside sites on retail warehouse parks or units that belong to chains which are “in a bit of difficulty”. It is willing to pay up to £15 per sq ft, depending on the location.

Lees-Jones said the medium term ambition is to open 20-30 stores and that he believed the chain could potentially be a national business.

“The wine market is in growth and the beer market isn't,” he said. “Prices will go through the roof this year and although supermarkets will discount heavily, it is a growth market.”

In fact, figures from HM Revenue & Customs show that UK wine consumption has almost doubled since 1990 — from 7,340 hectolitres to 13,784 hectolitres in 2006/07. Since 2000, beer sales have fallen by 15 per cent.

However, the company has traded from Willoughby's-branded shops before — it had a dedicated wine shop at Tib Lane in Manchester city centre and a cash-and-carry outlet at Broadway in Chadderton, near Oldham. However, both were closed as the company went down the wholesale route, supplying wines directly to restaurants and hotels such as the Lowry and the Midland from a central warehouse in Middleton. Lees-Jones said these sales were taken from the shops, which meant they became loss-making and “didn't have a great deal of focus”.

The Willoughby's Wine Warehouse outlets, by contrast, are targeted at a group he describes as “tyre kickers” — 30-40 year-old males with a high disposable income and time to spare at weekends.

For instance, he said the average spend at a Majestic Wine Warehouse is around £132 per head and he expected similar returns from his outlets. Its prices would be “as good as anything on the high street”, he added, and although it doesn't plan to discount as deeply as supermarkets, the retail environment would be more welcoming.

“It's all about the staff at the end of the day. In supermarkets, the staff are there to restock the shelves but our number two in Frodsham, Ben, is really knowledgeable and loves his wine. There's always wine to be tasted and we're putting the pleasure back into buying it.” Dennis Whitely, group managing director of Gatley-based wine distributor Boutinot, said he could understand the rationale behind the decision, but it was not a route that his firm had considered.

“The wine trade is quite healthy and is set to continue its growth over the next five years. We sell to supermarkets and independents, though, and I think it's very difficult to supply customers and compete against them.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/FREE/658689538/1114/-/-/wine-gives-solace-for-lees

Irish company in talks to buy Gabbotts Farm

By Michael Fahy

Gabbotts Farm, the Greater Manchester chain of independent butchers' shops, is in talks which could lead to the sale of the business, Crain's has discovered.

The firm is in discussions with an Irish company which operates within the same sector, according to a source who is familiar with the negotiations

Gabbotts, which is based at Astley, near Wigan, has 13 stores spread mainly through shopping centres in the North West. It also has two Meat Mart cash and carry outlets at Astley and at Droylsden, Tameside.

The company started life from a single store on Kirkby market operated by founder Ted Porter. He built it into a £15m operation, but sadly died on March 31 2006 and since then the business's fortunes have taken a turn for the worse, according to accounts filed at Companies House.

Figures for the period to the end of December 2006 for the firm's main trading business, Gabbotts Farm (Retail), show that although sales increased from £15.2m to £15.7m, a £106,000 pre-tax profit to the end of 2005 reversed into a £483,000 pre-tax loss in 2006. Some of this related to increased store running costs, but the firm also stated that it paid one-off costs to professional advisors as part of a refinancing exercise which saw a third party investor putting £500,000 into the business during the year, and an additional £150,000 after the year end.

Figures provided by the Meat & Livestock Commission show just how difficult conditions have become for independents in the sector. In 1995, butchers' shops had a 21.5 per cent share of the UK meat sales market and multiple retailers such as supermarkets had 60.4 per cent. By 2007, sales at butchers had fallen to just 7.7 per cent, while multiple retailers sold 80.6 per cent of the £3bn-worth of meat sold in the UK. Some 67 per cent of sales was shared between the top four supermarkets.

Sean Beech, head of Deloitte's consumer affairs team in the North West, said that the only reason that butcher's shops had disappeared in such great numbers was because “people didn't spend enough money in them”.

“A few have survived because they've earned a particularly good reputation in the local market but these are few and far between,” he said. “If trends carry on at their current rate, it is expected that there'll be a lot more closures unless customers decide they want to frequent local butchers.”

When contacted, Gabbotts Farm's managing director Geoff Thompson said the company did not wish to comment.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/FREE/559931825/1114/-/-/irish-company-in-talks-to-buy-gabbotts-farm

Anyone know what the total floor space of the Trafford Centre is once the expansion opens? Does it make it larger than Bluewater? It is only second to there isn't it, or am I getting mixed up?

The Trafford Centre now without the extension is 1,278,387 sq ft and the new Barton Square development will add 200,000 sq ft off extra retail so it will become 1,478,387 sq ft, Bluewater is 1,675,000 ft.

Cheers flange, didn’t realise Bluewater was that much bigger, although I’ve never actually been.

Always meant to ask what your particular interest in the retail side of things is, certainly keep me up to date on things I wouldn’t otherwise know about.

Oh dear 1000 posts, eek.

Anyone know what the total floor space of the Trafford Centre is once the expansion opens? Does it make it larger than Bluewater? It is only second to there isn't it, or am I getting mixed up?

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shopping_centres_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_size - it is actually currently 8th* in the UK, behind no-less than Manchester Arndale

*Note that Westfield London doesnt open until the end of the year and St David's Cardiff includes an unfinished extension.

Even more bad news for St Ann's Sq area, Habitat are leaving there city centre location.


Habitat relocates Manchester flagship store

Habitat, advised by Harper Dennis Hobbs, has moved its Manchester flagship store to Barton Square, the new home interiors shopping concept at The Trafford Centre, from St Ann's Street in the city centre.

The international furnishings retailer has taken a 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) outlet at the scheme on a new 10 year lease.

Barton Square, which opens on March 20th, is the new homewares area of The Trafford Centre, linked to the original scheme by a glazed bridge. Other occupiers include Marks & Spencer Home, Next Home, British Home Stores and Dwell.

David Harper of Harper Dennis Hobbs comments: “Barton Square is the ideal location for Habitat's flagship store and is ideally suited to the needs of Habitat.

“The former store on St Ann's Street can no longer provide the retail environment or facilities that many top retailers require, while the new development gives Habitat an excellent trading space and convenient location.

“The concept of Barton Square will benefit all of the retailers involved and will ensure that it becomes the destination for homewares and furnishings in the North West.

Cushman & Wakefield represented The Trafford Centre.

http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/habitat_relocates_manchester_flagship_store_10-03-08/

Even more bad news for St Ann's Sq area, Habitat are leaving there city centre location.



http://www.theretailbulletin.com/news/habitat_relocates_manchester_flagship_store_10-03-08/

Hi. Apparently St Ann's Sq branch is not closing. Just had it confirmed by the store manager there...

Habitat St Anne's square (city centre) is still open and there is no
intention to close.

Habitat have a new store opening on March 21st at the new Barton square
development situated at the Trafford centre.

Our existing store in south Manchester has now closed for refurbishment
and will reopen on March 18th as specific outlet store supplying
discontinued habitat products.

I hope this clears up any confusion

Regards
Claire Houston
Store manager
Habitat Manchester

I could be wrong, but there's not a chance of Habitat closing their St Anne's Square store.

A. It's always rammed and must make some serious money.
B. It was refurbed a few year's a go.

Why would they leave a city centre market that is expanding all the time.

It doesn't say "Closed" or "Closing" in that story. It just says the flag ship is moving, as in "this is the new flag store, the old one won't be."

It doesn't say "Closed" or "Closing" in that story. It just says the flag ship is moving, as in "this is the new flag store, the old one won't be."

Andysimo the proofreader. :)

Andysimo the proofreader. :)

Without me what would you all do! :cheers:

It does say 'the former store', sort of implying that it is, or is about to be, no more

Sorry for the confusion guys a pretty misleading article really.

Krispy Kreme at City Tower opens on Aprill 10th in the unit inbetween M&S Food and Greggs.

http://www.krispykreme.co.uk/Store-Locator/Manchester-Piccadilly

the shop next to hmv on market street (the one near piccadilly gardens) thats been behind blue hordings for a while now is going to be a bank, shame was hoping for something a bit more exciting

the shop next to hmv on market street (the one near piccadilly gardens) thats been behind blue hordings for a while now is going to be a bank, shame was hoping for something a bit more exciting

Which bank? Please not Barclays as noticed it was in their blue.

it now has the logo plasterd all over it now, I'm pretty sure its Barclays! ho hum

it now has the logo plasterd all over it now, I'm pretty sure its Barclays! ho hum

Yes definately Barclays, I would presume they will now close the one further up Market St which used to be the Woolwich???

Had a letter from Barclays last week informing me that the Market Street branch was relocating. The current branch at 124/126 Market Street will close on Friday 16th May 2008, and the new branch at 86/88 Market Street will open on Monday 19th May.

Yes a planning application is in for the new shopfront at 86-88 Market Street for Barclays

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JQB515BC02600

Monsoon is opening today at Manchester Piccadilly Station

However there is some better news for Market Street.

Nike are returning to Manchester and opening a new store on Market Street they will be opening where Clintons Cards are now seeing as Clintons has a bigger store now in New Cannon Streel Mall in the Arndale.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5807/nikemanchester3gm3.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1424/nikemanchester2uv0.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6889/nikemanchester1cx1.jpg

Didnt Nike open up in the new arndale once and close down pretty quickly afterwards?

Yes they opened up where Foot Asylum is now in October 2005 but they closed within a year of opening as the company that owned/ run the store went into administration


1 July 2006 - Nike has closed 4 of its UK stores after the sports giant's only UK franchise partner went into administration. The Nike stores, in Manchester, Southampton, Croydon and the Bullring in Birmingham, were run by Planmark Developments and headed by Paul Fenolon. They have now been closed by administrator Daniel Rubin & Partners.

I think this time there new store is being run by Nike themselves.

New Store open now in Manchester

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8419/baglenash2fo0.jpg

Great news bagel lovers... Bagel Nash has arrived in Manchester!! We are hitting the City with a number of new store openings, with the first branch now open at the Arndale Centre.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/69/bagelnashinterioras1.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3333/bagelnashta0.jpg



http://www.bagelnash.co.uk/NewsDetails.php?NX=||lll

Strange they are moving the Barclays branch since they just refitted the Piccadilly Branch with a new crap system where they can only handle cash on one counter as the rest are not behind glass and also changed all the cash machines.

Had a look at the Krispy Kreme site today and the new frontage is in place. It has been replaced by Bruntwood to fit in with the rest of the store fronts with a full frameless glass door entry the same as Greggs. The store is currently gutted and work will start on the fit out this week.

Strange they are moving the Barclays branch since they just refitted the Piccadilly Branch with a new crap system where they can only handle cash on one counter as the rest are not behind glass and also changed all the cash machines.

The interesting thing is that an application went in for the change of use at 86-88 Market St to A2 use for banks in 2006 and it was originally refused but the company who owned the building appealed the decision and it was accepted.

All the information is here

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?078771/FU/2006/C1

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/032-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/010-1.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/027-3.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/037-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/031-3.jpg

Work started on the new restaurant under the GM Tower?
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/039-2.jpg

Don't know if Flange has already posted this?

How the new Barton Arcade will look.

Old.

http://www.morganleahy.com/images/Barton1.jpg

New.

http://www.morganleahy.com/images/barton_arcade_large.jpg

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

Thanks for the pictures marky, with the work happening at the retail units at GN Tower it is probably Goji starting construction on there new restaurant there and also the subdivision of the last two unit to be for office use.

Also jrb i have only posted what the new shopfronts look like for Barton Arcade from when the planning application went in last year for them, thanks for the new visualization it looks like it will be a definate improvment from what is there already and the new shopfronts that are already in place look good. Apprently it should all be done by this summer the refurbishment of the shopfronts.

There is a licence application for a Nisa Metro in the unit next to Cafe North on Shudehill. It's been up for a couple of months but work seems to have stopped on the unit. Maybe the application was refused as there is already 2 stores with licences within 2mins walk.

It’s the single life for Miss Sixty

14.03.08

Italian denim brand Miss Sixty plans to close up to six of its seven UK shops because of tough trading conditions.

Miss Sixty, which also trades under its Energie brand, is thought to have instructed agents to offload stores at Neal Street in Covent Garden, Buchanan Street in Glasgow, the Met Quarter in Liverpool, Bluewater in Kent and Manchester’s Trafford Centre.

It will only keep its Carnaby Street store in London and instead focus on its UK wholesale accounts.

High rents and tough trading are believed to have prompted the closures.

Sixty Group UK managing director Theo Spierings resigned in November.

CWM and Insight Retail Consulting historically advised Miss Sixty.

Miss Sixty still plans to expand internationally and before Christmas opened its first boutique in New York, in the Lord & Taylor building on Broadway.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=3108698

http://www.shopproperty.co.uk/Pdf/40000043517FDWL.pdf?id=91b58312aabd4dda84fd1bf190c84ea7

St Ann’s graveyard

As St Ann’s Square slowly becomes a desert of dull catering and financial services Sleuth was delighted to see the sign on the old Dillons/Waterstones shop. It read: ‘Another new exciting HSBC bank opening soon’. Ooh, an exciting bank. Sleuth thinks he preferred Aquascutum – they did some lovely macs. And doesn’t this mean that in July one of the most exciting buildings in Manchester, Edwin Lutyen’s King Street bank, formerly the Midland, now HSBC comes empty.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwIjNw7rJDP6IHqjNwB6IA&realname=Sleuth_14/03/2008

The new Barclays Banks on Market St will be there 'Bank of the Future' style store.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/481/barclaysbankexteriormv3.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/1658/barclaysbankinteriorwp4.jpg

From the Planning Application
http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?084828/FO/2007/C1

I wish banks would get on with being banks and offering counter service instead of trying to be a retail/coffee shop style unit with little function. I wish we could go back to the days of banking halls with counters behind rails or glass where people delt with money rather than what we have now, a few counters with huge lines while the rest of the bank is a place for them to try and sell loans and creditcards to you.

Well when the new HSBC at St Ann's Sq opens i would expect it to be there new concept that they are now rolling out across the country, again pretty much like you say uklad trying to be like a retail/coffee shop style unit with little function.

About the new HSBC at St Ann's Sq.


HSBC has undertaken a fundamental review of the way in which it operates nationally and of the environment in which services are provided. They have introduced a new retail bank concept which they believe has a similar appearance and functions in a similar manner to a traditional high street shop. These involve open and transparent shopfronts, open plan interiors, a full range of goods and services, automation/self service to provide speed and efficiency, high numbers of meeting areas and a high quality modern fit out including;

- shopfront glazing for lighting and visibility and provision of an active frontage/character;
- quality furnishings for comfortable waiting/breakout areas;
- plasma screens/further information stands for product display and dissemination; and retail opening hours including weekdays and weekends to meet customer demand.

The intention of this new concept is to create a destination for all banking functions. Funtionally and visually the activities, opening hours and frequency of customer usage will be comparable to retail activity premises with open plan accommodation, clear shopfronts and window displays.

As part of this current proposal, HSBC would occupy all floors of the building and therefore ensure that it is fully in use.

HSBC are reviewing their strategy for Manchester City Centre and a key component of this is the proposed 'Flagship' retail bank in St Ann's Square and the creation of a new regional headquarters office of 24,000 sq ft that would employ 150 people.

The proposal is a replacement for operations currently undertaken by HSBC at King Street and will involve the relocation of up to 150 staff from the King Street premises to the proposed premises.

Direct and level access is available into the ground floor with a lift provided to facilitate access to the upper floors.

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/078101-st_anns_sq.pdf

Manchester Evening News
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1041080_staples_opens_express_store

RETAIL chain Staples is to open its first UK high street store in Manchester.

A branch on Deansgate will start trading tomorrow following a £500,000 investment by the US-owned group. It is Staples' 135th outlet in Britain and its 16th in the north west.

Staples, which sells office supplies including stationery, ink, furniture and technology such as printers and laptops, has traditionally based its stores on retail parks. But it has imported the `Express' concept from New York for the Manchester venture, which is creating 20 jobs.

If the pilot proves successful, Staples will roll out other branches across the country. The Deansgate shop, on the site of the former Daisy & Tom store, will be about a fifth of the size of an average Staples store.

As well as stocking office products, it will have a copy and print centre.

Andy Jackson, Staples' north west regional manager, said: "Manchester was chosen because of its thriving business community, and Deansgate offers a diverse mix of business and consumer footfall. It's comparable to the Express or Metro supermarket convenience format.

"Having it located at the heart of the city will make it easier for our customers whose offices are in the centre of Manchester."

Its closeness to the rapidly-developing Spinningfields district was another key factor.

Staples typically targets SMEs with up to 20 staff, as well as people who work from home and the back-to-school market. The chain is aiming for sales of £2.5m from the Deansgate branch in its first full year.

Thanks for that ste, is good that Staples has such confidence in Manchester for them to launch there for Express store in the U.K, also i would expect Cotswold to open soon aswell, they are opening in the corner unit next to Staples and then a restaurant/ bar is opening opposite HoF.

Nike-Umbro retail threat aims to make sportswear rivals sweat

By James Chapelard

Retailers JJB Sports and Sports Direct were so worried about Nike's takeover of Umbro that they each bought substantial stakes in the Cheadle-based company.

The potential blocking tactic never came to anything. And the two companies will soon find out just how dangerous a rival the vertically integrated Nike-Umbro can be.

Nike has submitted plans for a new 12,500 sq ft shop on three storeys in Manchester's Arndale Centre, converting the Clinton Cards outlet on Market Street.

The new Nike Manchester store will be across the road from one of JJB's new format stores. Sports Direct and JD Sports are a few minutes walk away inside the Arndale Centre.

Nike is to completely refit the unit, turning the lower ground floor and ground floor into retail space by installing a new mezzanine level.

The revamp will create 11 new jobs with the store employing a total of 22 staff. It will be the first time that Nike has had a self-owned branded store in the city centre.

It currently has an outlet centre at Salford Quays and the Manchester United shop at Old Trafford, which sells club merchandise.

JD Sports had a Nike-branded store in St Ann's Square but it closed a few years ago.

Asked to comment on the store's location close to rivals, Nike's UK head of communication Charlie Brooks said: “We are the leading sportswear brand in the world. It's natural that if we have a store it will be positioned in the heartland of Manchester. Manchester is a key metropolitan area and has a big fashion and style influence.”Nike's architects CGL Architects and Designers said it was aiming to provide a “dynamic and personal shopping experience” for shoppers.

The store will have a Nike ID studio where shoppers can customise their own trainers.

Also planned is a large Nike swoosh on the shop front. Manchester City Council's planning committee is likely to hear the application in the coming weeks.

Arndale Centre spokesperson Owen Labeck said: “We can confirm that Nike is in advanced negotiations to take space within Manchester Arndale and solicitors are instructed. However, at this point contracts have yet to be exchanged. Manchester Arndale is very excited at the prospect of Nike joining the already extensive number of top high street retailers currently in residence at the centre.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080317/FREE/780651964/-1/toc/-/-/nike-umbro-retail-threat-aims-to-make-sportswear-rivals-sweat

Fred Aldous

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Katy Lawton visits Fred Aldous: the crafty man for the job

Where is it?
Fred Aldous
Lever Street
0161 236 4224
www.fredaldous.co.uk

History:
Originally set up in 1886 as a cane and willow importing business, Fred Aldous soon spotted the potential in providing arts and crafts supplies. Based on Lever Street since 1966, this family-run Manchester business is now able to supply the creative mind with its online store as well as the one here.

Who shops there?
From students and arty types, kids and the hobby conscious, Fred Aldous has something for everyone. Once discovered this is the kind of place you will constantly return to, if you need to satisfy that creative itch.

What does it sell?
With an impressive range boasting over 25,000 products, Fred Aldous prides itself on providing art, design and craft products as well as those hard to find quirky items. The ground level area provides a stark, bargain basement style set up with cut price paints, beads and craft supplies whilst the lower level main store cries art attack. From canvas to face paints, paint brushes to jewellery making kits, if you want to make it, Fred Aldous is the only man for the job.

Why go there?
All the staff at Fred Aldous have a grounding in art and design and are only too happy to lend a helping hand in getting your creative juices flowing. The relaxed atmosphere allows you to wander round at leisure absorbing the products and their possible uses, whilst taking in the arty vibe.

The future:
Having just opened up the adjoining space above the lower level main store, Fred Aldous looks set to become bigger and better. With the expansion comes the promise of more products and a more prominent display area, where original pieces and models from the city’s budding designers will be put on display.

Verdict:
Whether you pride yourself as an artistic genius with a flair for design, or simply enjoy painting by numbers, this place can be inspirational.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwIrNw7rJWB6IHqjNwB6IA&realname=Fred_Aldous

Art Depot and Book Depot at The Lowry Outlet are to close as the company is in recivership. I hear JJB at the top of Market St will close in the summer.

Even if JJB do close down i would not expect H Samuel to close down anytime soon, as they have put an application in for new signage at there Market St store, i bet like BHS they are trying to keep there Market St store as it is probably there busier store that they have at the Arndale.

Co.Cu has opened a Bridal store opposite there existing store in Barton Arcade.

http://www.cocu.co.uk/bride.htm


Store detective: Cocu

Helen Tither

10/ 3/2008

What: CoCu Bride

Where: Barton Arcade, Off Deansgate, Manchester. Tel: 0161 832 8032

Why go? For the ultimate wedding dress dream experience. Quite simply, a gorgeous, glamorous, haven of calm and serenity, this divine new brides' boutique in the Barton Arcade is the answer to all your wedding dress woes.

A new venture from CoCu corset designer Slim Chadwick, whose original store is just across the way, he says it's a wedding dress shop for style-savvy girls who "don't do" normal wedding dresses. And he's right, as this chic little enclave is about as classy as you can get.

For years Slim, whose mainline creations have graced many a stylish celeb, has resisted going into bridal wear. But the ladies of Manchester just won't take no for an answer - and he ended up making more than 30 wedding gowns last year alone. So, finally, he has given in and opened up his own store. Hallelujah!

By appointment only, it's the luxurious way to prepare for your big day, with personal attention and made-to-measure bespoke gowns. Plus, it's probably the only way to get a wedding outfit that is truly "made in Manchester" as most of the big name brands fly theirs in from abroad.

Here, measurements are taken, corsets and skirts cooed over, in the comfort of a boudoir-style showroom, complete with vintage sofa for the mum and bridesmaids - and the most extravagant mirror Style has ever seen.

It's worth noting that there are no dresses on display, as every outfit is made from a separate skirt and corset. Which, we reckon, makes much more sense as not only can you even change the skirt from long to short for evening - but you can re-use the corset again for swanky eveningwear.

Having tried out one of Slim's traditionally-made corsets, we can vouch for their amazing figure-sculpting qualities. Just what you want on that big day.

All styles on show are for inspiration only, as each outfit is made entirely to your desire. With Slim insisting that taking scraps from precious old wedding dresses (such as your mum's) for bits of detail is all the rage. Plus, the price is super-competitive too, at an average of £1,400 - particularly as it's all hand-made.

But, we reckon, the best bit about the whole thing is shopping with the lovely Slim, whose eye for detail and all things chic will have you looking like a princess when you parade down that aisle.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/lifestyle/health_and_beauty/style/s/1040042_store_detective_cocu

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Thanks for all pics today marky they are great, you really have been all over ththe city taking some great photos.

Peel's TC baby opens today.(apparently) Passing yesterday you wouldn't think they would have a cat in hell's chance of opening today. Builders, building equipment and builders all over the place. I'm sure TC and H&S will be down first thing to make an assessment.

Just the first phase i.e. BHS and perhaps another shop. the courtyard is complete. It looks like its just the internal shop fittings that need sotring, some of which look some way off.

EDIT.

Oh yeah and Krismpy Kreme opens in Piccadilly Tower on 10th April.

Just the first phase i.e. BHS and perhaps another shop. the courtyard is complete. It looks like its just the internal shop fittings that need sotring, some of which look some way off.

EDIT.

Oh yeah and Krismpy Kreme opens in Piccadilly Tower on 10th April.

Mmmmmmmmm Krismpy Kreme....

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/homer-donut.gif

Yes it is just the first phase of shops that are opening today at Barton Square which should be British Home Stores, Dwell, Habitat, M&S Home and Next Home.

Simon Carter store opens in Manchester

By James Chapelard

British designer Simon Carter has opened a second UK store in Manchester.

The 800 sq ft shop on King Street will stock the whole Simon Carter range which includes T-shirts, jeans, suits and cufflinks.

The designer opened his first store in September in Covent Garden, London.

Simon Carter also have a store in Toronto and plans to open more units in the UK.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/FREE/66821782/1117/-/-/simon-carter-store-opens-in-manchester

http://www.simoncarter.net

Barton Square opens for business

By Lynn Hughes

Recession, what recession!

Trafford's newest shopping centre opened its doors today with high expectations of the Easter crowds flocking to see it - and hopefully buy into the experience.

And if the number of people wandering round even before the red ribbon had been cut, they could be right.

The Trafford Centre can never be accused of restraint, and its latest Barton Square lives up to the bling and extravaganza we've come to expect.

Four of the retailing world's biggest hitters in the homeware sector are already open - Next, Habitat, British Home Stores and Dwell, - with others such as Porcelenosa, Laura Ashley and Marks and Spencer expected to open soon.

The centre's trademark Roman pillars are here in abundance with the added advantage of an open sky to show them to effect.

The massive centrepiece, a fountain of mermaids and naked girls, is sure to be a talking point between those who see it as a bit of fun and those who think it outrageously tacky.

As the staff were making last minute adjustments to their displays before the doors opened at 12 noon there were many taking pictures of their handiwork - and they have a right to be proud.

The space at Barton has given them the opportunity to show off their wares to their fullest, and they have gone for it.

No longer do you have to spend hours wandering around putting a room together, it's all there with hundreds of individual room ideas to choose from.

Love it or loathe it, Barton Square is here to stay.

http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/display.var.2135744.0.barton_square_opens_for_business.php

Only 4 stores open as of today - Dwell, BHS, Habitat and Next. M&S is being worked on and should be open soon. However, no other visible action happening on any other units.

Low quality pictures today as the weather and light were awful...

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Internal Habitat shots
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Internal Dwell shots
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Internal BHS (Cafe) shot
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Thanks marky for the pictures it looks really good, i have heard rumours of some of the other stores that might be opening at Barton Square and there is one particular one that is a real coup for the centre if it turns out to be true.

Thanks marky for the pictures it looks really good, i have heard rumours of some of the other stores that might be opening at Barton Square and there is one particular one that is a real coup for the centre if it turns out to be true.

Don't keep us in suspense! If you tell me they have bagged a Harrod's of the north I will drop down dead.

Well not a Harrods, but i have heard rumours that Arighi Bianchi could possibly be opening a 19,000 sq ft store at Barton Square.

Based on info in one of the latest EGI's (8MAR08) there are 2 units let in The Great Northern Tower (thesquare@greatnortherntower):

Goji Restaurant (which we already knew about)
Epernay Champagne Bar

http://www.bar-epernay.co.uk/

Simon Carter store opens in Manchester
By James Chapelard


British designer Simon Carter has opened a second UK store in Manchester.

The 800 sq ft shop on King Street will stock the whole Simon Carter range which includes T-shirts, jeans, suits and cufflinks.

The designer opened his first store in September in Covent Garden, London.

Simon Carter also have a store in Toronto and plans to open more units in the UK.

Well not a Harrods, but i have heard rumours that Arighi Bianchi could possibly be opening a 19,000 sq ft store at Barton Square.

I have they had a cash injection recently? They did their store up in Macclesfield last year and seemed to spend alot on it.

4 stores open at Barton Square. Habitat, Next, BHS, Dwell. Don't bother going yet.

the architecture is not to my taste, but at least they have splashed out on real granite for the columns.

Is there a travelator in the bridge to the main Trafford Centre or is it just a walkway?

This is the confirmed and rumoured list of shops that will/may open at Barton Square

Confirmed Shops

British Home Stores - Open
Dwell - Open
Habitat - Open
Laura Ashley - Opening Soon
M&S Home - Opening Soon
Next Home - Open
Porcelanosa - Opening Soon

Rumoured Shops

Arighi Bianchi - rumoured 19,000 sq ft store.
Heals - there second Manchester store.
Lombok - it is confirmed that they will be opening a store in Manchester location not known though.
Moben - there return to Manchester after closing there Deansgate store last year.
Muji - there return to Manchester after closing there store at Triangle last year.
The Professional Cookware Company - there second Manchester store after there Lowry Outlet Mall store.

So out of that list we have two original Trafford Centre stores that will/may be reopening at Barton Square

More from Crains.

CANADA'S KFC COMING TO MANCHESTER

Dixie Lee International Industries said it plans to open 18 branded outlets in the UK under a deal with unnamed Manchester-based operators. The 44-year-old chain, a small-scale Canadian answer to KFC, has more than 80 franchised chicken and seafood restaurants and also operates in Ukraine, Dubai and the USA. The Ontario-based company said in a statement it had entered into final contracts with a group of operators who will convert properties they own into Dixie Lee restaurants. Senior vice-president Dave Silvester has visited Manchester to tie up the deal, the company added. No financial details were disclosed. Dixie Lee's newest franchised concept is a 60 to 80-seat stainless steel diner serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.


Bwaaaaak: Canuck KFC to land in MCR

Dixie Lee Chicken is the Canadian KFC, serving a menu of chicken and fish (hence the poultry and poisson tangoing in the logo above). They plan on opening a whopping eighteen outlets across the city, to take advantage of the "30% increase" in chicken consumption that's expected over the next two years.

The expansion will see the conversion of existing fast food outlets in to Dixie Lee Chicken, although whether this will take in the current 'Dixie Chicken' in Levenshulme is uncertain (and if this is an official outlet!)

http://manchester-clubbing.blogspot.com/2008/03/bwaaaaak-canuck-kfc-to-land-in-mcr.html

Have Manchester Clubbing misread the Dixie Lee Chicken press release? Press release says 18 in the entire UK, Manchester Clubbing says 18 in Manchester!

Crocs are opening there forth U.K. store at Manchester Arndale, they are now adverstising for jobs.


Position: Crocs Store Sales Assistant

Company: Crocs

Closing Date: 15/04/2008

Type: Part-time, Permanent

Hours: Flexible

Rate of Pay: T.B.A

Details:
Come and join the fastest growing footwear company in the world at their first ever Manchester Store in the Arndale Centre. This will be the forth Crocs Store for the U.K.

Sales Assistants are on the shop floor providing the best possible level of service and representing Crocs.

The ideal candidate will have exceptional customer service skills and have the ability to work within the team.They must have experience in a customer based environment and have a bright and outgoing personality with visual flair and creativity.A proven ability to work towards set goals and targets is a must.

Contact Info:
Please fill in a career centre form from the Arndale House reception or information desk, specifying the role or email your C.v to recruitment-uk@crocs.eu

http://www.manchesterarndale.com/jobs_results.htm

Crocs are opening there forth U.K. store at Manchester Arndale, they are now adverstising for jobs.


http://www.manchesterarndale.com/jobs_results.htm

Fuck noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo please save Manchester from shit plastic shoes :bash:

I had a quick look around today...

Coming
Starbucks reopening in Piccadilly in April

Going
Past Times
Pastiche

Gone
Animal

Apparently Pastiche might be relocating to where Lilly Whittingham used to be in the Arndale as they are located there on the new centre maps, am surprised over Animal being closed seeing as they are have been advertising for jobs at there Arndale store recently.

http://www.manchesterarndale.com/jobs_results.htm

New Trafford Centre wing
Dean Kirby
26/ 3/2008

THE wraps have come off the Trafford Centre's dazzling £90m Barton Square extension.

The Italian-style piazza comes complete with a 173ft-tall bell tower and features a host of new shops selling furniture and domestic goods.

The first phase of the development - which includes Habitat, Next Home, Dwell and British Home Stores - has already received 50,000 visitors after it opened just in time for Easter.

Barton Square's second phase is set to include the opening of the world's largest Marks & Spencer Home store in April, followed by further store openings such as Home Sense and Natuzzi in May.

Up to 500 new jobs are being created thanks to the 200,000sq ft building.

Trafford Centre director of operations Gordon McKinnon said: "We are thrilled that Barton Square has attracted so many visitors in its first week of trading, and we hope that this trend continues as more new stores open over the coming months.

"Barton Square is a unique concept a development dedicated completely to homeware and each of our flagship stores has played their part in establishing the best stores in their respective companies as part of this new destination."

Peel Holdings

The £1.8bn Trafford Centre, owned by Peel Holdings, opened 10 years ago this September. It attracts about 30 million visitors a year.

It already employs more than 7,000 people. Barton Square took 600 builders 13 months to erect.

The new development is based on an Italian square, with an open-air courtyard incorporating water features.

It has been built on Phoenix Way, to the north of Barton Dock Road, and is linked to the centre by an enclosed bridge.

The square follows hot on the heels of The Great Hall development last year and the opening of the Chill Factor-e ski centre in November.

Mr McKinnon said: "Initial reaction from customers has been fantastic.

"Many have been overwhelmed by the architectural features, which include an opulent centrepiece of a fabulous Romanesque fountain, which takes pride of place in the piazza."

YOU can see more pictures in the gallery above.

Check out the fountian. :puke: Obviously Whittaker has more money than sense.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/g/1042404_new_trafford_centre_wing

I went down to Barton Square at the weekend. Unlike most of you I like the Trafford Centre's Vegas bling. Its a bit of fun and a much needed tourist attraction, in an area that would otherise have a couple of warehouses.

I was a bit dissapointed with Barton Sqaure though. I think the walls will dirty pretty quickly and the fountain looks pretty naff close up. The mermaids are minging and the day's slight bit of wind was enough to blow the contents of the fountain all over the floor rather than in it's pool.

It will look significantly better when all the shops are open. Particularly at dusk, I reckon.

More interesting though (kind of), when you see all these homewares shops side by side you realise that every single one of them sells exactly the same stuff. I've never seen anything stick so rigidly to fashion trends. The lack of originality is quite horrifying.

I bought a light bulb.

I bought a light bulb.

Shoulda went to B&Q down the road by the sounds of it! :lol:

Is there a travelator in the bridge to the main Trafford Centre or is it just a walkway?

It is just a walkway

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/916/bartonsqbridgeli1.jpg

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/g/1042404_new_trafford_centre_wing

General retail shots taken today, including the new Simon Carter store on King Street
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/025-5.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/024-5.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/003-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/005-4.jpg

Thanks marky great photos as usual, so Simon Carter has opened up in the former Cecil Gee store that closed down recently, its good to see that the right types of stores are still willing to open on King Street.

A nice compliment to Thomas Pink next door with there great shirts.

The truth about cats and dogs

28.03.08

Puma and Radley & Co are leading the next wave of brands-turned-retailers into shopping centres.

By Christine Eade

We know the brands and soon we will all know the shops.

A new trend of this year’s shopping centre openings is that brands traditionally displayed in department stores or sports shops, are becoming retailers in their own right.

Several sports and fashion labels are set to follow in the worldwide footsteps of Lacoste, Nike or Tommy Hilfiger this year, but the logos most likely to dominate are the cat of Puma and the dog of Radley & Co.

Their path has never been clearer because developers have a lot of space to fill and are under pressure to innovate.

The newcomers will not pay the highest rents, nor achieve the highest sales densities. But landlords will give them a soft deal because – well, because they are not phone shops.

A few days ago, Puma, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, signed a lease at Westfield London, which opens this autumn. Earlier this month it opened in Victoria Square, Belfast, and will also open in Liverpool One and Cabot Circus, Bristol, this autumn.

The new generation of brands-turned-retailers was brought into focus earlier this month at shopping centres organisation BCSC’s conference in Manchester.

Kristofer Jurgensen, Puma’s global retail expansion manager, addressed the conference at Manchester Central convention complex, while four days earlier and 10 minutes’ walk away, Puma had opened in the Winter Garden, the third and final phase of the redevelopment of the Arndale shopping centre, which was devastated by an IRA bomb in 1996. It was Puma’s first shopping centre opening, having piloted the shop concept in Carnaby Street seven years before.

It was also an act of bravery to address such a discerning audience. Shopping centre managers from highly rented centres were overheard afterwards wondering whether Puma was a strong enough brand, and whether it could afford prime shopping centre rents.

But Jurgensen, a former management consultant, used his speech to assert that Puma had the upper hand when doing deals. He told the audience that Puma wanted to be near such retailers as Diesel, Timberland and Tommy Hilfiger, which it could achieve by going into new centres early enough to choose its neighbours.

In fact, in the Arndale, it is between the less glamorous Topman and an Orange phone shop.

But visiting the store, with its sleek plate glass frontage below the glazed roof of the new mall, clothing neatly folded and colour-co-ordinated, and the familiar pouncing cat logo on display, it is easy to see why the landlord, Capital Shopping Centres, wanted Puma.

Back in the conference hall, his speech delivered, Jurgensen talks further about Puma’s leap into shopping centres.

‘We are a welcome tenant, because we are the new kids on the block,’ he says. ‘We have a very strong shop fit, and we are a financially strong company. Working with us would not be like working with some small franchisee, barely able to finance the next quarter’s rental payment.’

But like all foreign retailers, he complains about the ‘enormously high rent and rates’ in the UK, although these are ameliorated by the fact that retailers do not pay ‘key money’ as they would in mainland Europe and UK shopping centre leases are now 10 years instead of 15. This is important to Puma, because it needs the 10 years to write off the cost of a fit-out. In fact, Jurgensen reveals: ‘We haven’t been able to negotiate rent-free periods, because we prefer to exchange a rent-free period for a capital contribution to fit-out.’

He would not reveal how much landlords are paying towards the shop fit, nor the level or rent agreed, except to say: ‘We have been able to negotiate a fair rent.’

A retailer selling a single brand has a lower sales density than a shop selling many brands can achieve. Jurgensen admits that Puma is unlikely to achieve the level of sales that will force it to pay the top-up provision of a turnover rent. Where the base rent is 80% of the market rent, Puma will pay just that, unable to achieve sales that will trigger the top up provision.

But he warned future landlords on the rent he was prepared to pay: ‘We don’t get into bidding wars because we will always lose them.’

The size of the unit is important, and Jurgensen says: ‘We are focusing on it. Most of our stores are 300 sq m [3,250 sq ft], because we don’t have the collection to fill 600 sq m [6,500sq ft], like Zara and Topshop.’

But he adds that having a standalone store enables Puma to ‘select more styles from our range than if they were sold from JD Sports or JJB’.

Jurgensen considered SportsWorld, now rebranded as Sports Direct, as too downmarket for Puma.

Right company

Being seen close to the right company or adjacencies as retailers always call them, is equally important to Radley & Co, the handbag retailer that opens tomorrow in the Bullring, Birmingham.

Radley, with its leather Scottie dog that hangs from every handbag handle, usually takes concessions in department stores. But, as merchandising manager Kellie Smith points out, concession space is tight, restricting Radley to its conventional lines. Now that it has progressed to standalone shops of 1,000 sq ft, Radley can, like Puma, sell more colourful and unusual merchandise.

Radley trades among other expensive shops in the Exchange, Glasgow and London’s South Molton Street and Floral Street, but shunned Manchester’s Arndale in favour of New Cathedral Street, to be near Harvey Nichols’ Manchester store.

But Westfield London, Liverpool One, Cabot Circus, Bristol and St David’s 2 in Cardiff, which opens in 2009, meet Radley’s criteria.

Looking at London Westfield’s schedule of retailers, Smith reveals: ‘We are at the end, where you can walk to House of Fraser, as opposed to Debenhams, which sounds like we are very snobby, but we want to be near high- end brands. Here we are close to Louis Vuitton, next to French Connection and near Guess, Karen Millen, Reiss, Ted Baker and Boss.’

Unlike Puma, Radley does not get help with fit-out costs, and Smith denies ‘soft rent’ deals.

In December Exponent Private Equity bought a majority stake in Radley from Phoenix Equity Partners that valued the business at £130m. The shopping centre venture predates the takeover, but it does give Radley a strong covenant, because brand recognition, from a landlord’s point of view, does not necessarily lead to the creation of a retail chain with covenant strength.

Peter Courtney, a director of Lunson Mitchenall, who is leasing most of the new shopping centres, explains landlords’ predisposition for brands-turned-retailers: ‘We are talking to them because they are the holy grail for existing or new centres, because they refresh the tenant mix.

‘But you have to look at the quality of the concept. Puma is an established international brand. However, some [brands] go down the franchise or concession route, and you have to make sure that they are a worthy covenant for the landlord. Radley and Puma are, by definition, rarer, because neither will ever have 300 shops, and therefore they are appropriate to make a point of difference.’

Courtney denies soft deals, describing them as ‘deals that reflect the market’.

And today’s market is on the side of retailers, so you can expect to see the cat, the dog and other such logos to appear behind many more plate glass windows in the new generation of shopping centres.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=39&storycode=3109651

Outfit (Burton, Dorothy Perkins, evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop, Wallis, Principles and Warehouse) will be opening there first Manchester store at Manchester Fort in Unit 26 - 27 which are the two empty units inbetween Superdrug and Blacks, a planning application is now online.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?085831/AO/2008/N1

http://www.outfitfashion.com/

Is there not a seperate Trafford Centre thread here? There seems to be loads regarding Barton Square, and the thread title says 'Retail in Manchester city centre', does it not? Sorry for being picky!

This thread has always had retail news from all over Manchester from the very first page that includes Trafford Centre, Lowry Outlet Mall etc, it could just be renamed to Retail in Manchester.

John Lewis goes shopping for store site in city centre

By James Chapelard

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/963/primarknc4.jpg

The Primark store in Piccadilly Gardens.

John Lewis is planning to open a department store in Manchester city centre and is actively looking at possible locations, according to a property owner who has been approached.

The employee-owned chain is understood to have identified at least one possible site where preliminary negotiations are under way. According to sources familiar with the situation, John Lewis is looking for around 40,000 sq ft close to Manchester's main retail core.

Active role

Manchester City Council is said to be taking an active role and is keen to help secure the new store, which would create hundreds of jobs.

Property industry players say several sites are under consideration including a building on Deansgate where the Daisy and Tom store was formerly located and which is currently under renovation, and the Piccadilly Basin development, both owned by Town Centre Securities Plc.

Jonathon Miller, Town Centre Securities Plc business development manager, would not comment on specific locations. He said: “They have got requirements out for the city centre and are currently looking. John Lewis is a company that everybody wants in the city centre. A lot of companies are courting them and have opportunities. They require quite a sizeable site. The city council is very keen to have them. It is the kind of store that would strengthen the city centre.”

There is empty space in the building occupied by Primark facing Piccadilly Gardens, but a Primark spokesman denied that any negotiations were taking place.

Attracting John Lewis would be a major coup for Manchester city centre in its ongoing battle with the Trafford Centre and out of town retail parks. It is arguably the leading British retailer currently missing from the city centre's offering.

With the addition of a sizeable John Lewis store, Manchester's case for being regarded as the number one retail location outside London would be considerably reinforced.

John Lewis is the second biggest player in the department store market with a 17 per cent share of total sales. This places it slightly ahead of Debenhams (15.1 per cent) and the House of Fraser (15 per cent) but behind Marks & Spencer which controls 50 per cent of the total market.

John Lewis already employs more than 1,800 in the Manchester area, at its Cheadle Royal and Trafford Centre stores and at its warehouse at Stanley Green, Handforth.

A move into Manchester city centre would be in line with the retailer's current expansion programme. In the next decade it plans to open 24 new sites, in cities including Leicester, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Leeds and Preston while its Sheffield and Liverpool stores will be relocated to larger units.

Analyst Mintel expects the new John Lewis openings to widen its lead in the market over rival Debenhams, which has had a difficult time since its shares returned to the stock market.

The John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, as well as the department stores, is owned by its 69,000 employees, or “partners”, who share in its profits.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080331/FREE/549441890/-1/toc/-/-/john-lewis-goes-shopping-for-store-site-in-city-centre

Well the former Daisy & Toms already has 2 of its 3 units let one to Staples and another to Cotswold, and the basement of Primark is still on the market, but Primark have opened up in it for Homeswear and Menswear. So maybe Piccadilly Basin at there retail village or somewhere else in the city centre.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/005-4.jpg

Simon Carter's Manchester move

Simon Carter has opened a second UK store in Manchester.

The 800 sq ft (75 sq m) unit on King Street stocks the whole Simon Carter range, from jeans and t-shirts to cufflinks and shirts.

The brand is the brainchild of British designer Simon Carter, who has an extensive fashion career spanning 20 years. His first store opened at London's Covent Garden in September.

"We have a very loyal fan base in Manchester and I believe that establishing a strong retail identity in Manchester is vital to the long-term growth of the brand," he said.

"Manchester customers are very influential in fashion and I'm delighted that our second store will be here. It's nearly as big as Covent Garden, which shows how much we value Manchester."

The designer, who opened his first North American store in Toronto last year, plans to roll out the brand across the UK.

The Manchester store boasts some unusual features, including 1940s Aeroplane Magazine covers and red warning lights outside the changing rooms, which can be switched on by customers from inside.

http://www.retail-week.com/News/2008/03/simon_carters_manchester_move.html

Vicky Martin

Vanessa Lees remembers what it was like to look good in lycra

Where is it
Vicky Martin
The Triangle
Manchester
M4 3TR
www.vicky-martin.com

History
Would you care to take a stroll with me and the whistle blowing cohort down Old School Lane? That’s roughly around the time (late 80s) when fashion designer Vicky Martin made her entrance onto the Manchester scene. I remember buying a £60 gold full length lycra dress. I loved that dress despite looking like a metallic condom (it was a good look at the time). My sister stole it before I’d worn it out and managed to permanently stain it. It’s still a bone of contention to this day.

Who shops there
It’s a good ten years since I’ve shopped in Vicky Martin. We parted company when my social life dried up. But it appears I may have been a little hasty in my severance of ties. It’s 21 years since Vicky set up shop and her collections seem to have grown up alongside us former podium dancers. She also has a huge celebrity following.

What does it sell
Vicky Martin are right on trend this season with the emersion of floral prints and pastel shades. Of course dresses of Barbie sized proportions are still there to cater for the clubbing generation whose ethos is less is more.

But for the ladies as opposed to girls there are stunning evening dresses, with exceptional detail. I have fallen in love with the Halle Dress in steel £295, a full length beaded evening gown. Vicky Martin also feature funky daywear with intricate detailing

Why go there
Reputation alone. Where independent designers struggle with one retail outfit, Vicky has two shops in Manchester and a shop in Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham. The workshop is based in Manchester where all product initiation, design and production takes place. Because everything is in-house and not mass production, greater attention to detail is paid and there is also a constant influx of designs coming in to keep the brand fresh. They will also do alterations to make sure the outfits fits perfectly.

The future
The ten finalists of our model competition ‘She’s in Fashion’ at Body Confidential’s A Fabulous Affair event on April 10 will be modelling Vicky Martin’s latest collection. Don’t miss out

Verdict
Party girl meets Last Night at the Proms

http://www.bodyconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6KDTlNwB6IaqiNwA&

[url]The Primark store in Piccadilly Gardens.



Which used to be Lewis's..

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/001ewm/lg/DSCN8161.jpg

..GIVE IT BACK! :lol:

p.s. I know Lewis's & John Lewis are completely different companies! ;)

RE John Lewis
This story sort of shows how Manchester retail is a victim of its own success.
There is actually nowhere for John Lewis to go in the 'retail core' and i cant think of anywhere where they could build a new store.
The Ramada site maybe?
They wouldnt share with Primark so they would have to turf someone out.
It would be a major coup to get them and would add kudos to any part of town they choose to go to.
Lets hope this works out eh?

what about that surface car park across the way from afflecks? aren't they planning to build something there?

what about that surface car park across the way from afflecks? aren't they planning to build something there?

I'd say that is probably a little off-piste for an upper-middle market blue-chip retailer like John Lewis. It would probably get significant N4 opposition too - that's a crucial site for the neighbourhood and needs to reflect and enhance the area's individual feel.

Possibly a stupid question but what about The Royal Exchange? Not sure how big it is, but it's in the right end of town and wasn't there talk of John Lewis taking the site in it's entirety at some point? It seldom get's mentioned on here but the developer's failure to finalise it's retail offering seems a major fuck-up.

This could be an "everyone's a winner" solution?

Cheers

Thom

I'd say that is probably a little off-piste for an upper-middle market blue-chip retailer like John Lewis. It would probably get significant N4 opposition too - that's a crucial site for the neighbourhood and needs to reflect and enhance the area's individual feel.

Possibly a stupid question but what about The Royal Exchange? Not sure how big it is, but it's in the right end of town and wasn't there talk of John Lewis taking the site in it's entirety at some point? It seldom get's mentioned on here but the developer's failure to finalise it's retail offering seems a major fuck-up.

This could be an "everyone's a winner" solution?

Cheers

Thom

Wrong layout Thom.

The Royal Exchange however is a debacle of T5/ Wembley/ Olympics/ Dome type proportions (well nearly).

The Royal Exchange however is a debacle of T5/ Wembley/ Olympics/ Dome type proportions (well nearly).

Should that be:


The Royal Exchange however is a debacle of London type proportions (well nearly).

:lol:

Possibly a stupid question

Wrong layout Thom.

Doh, I knew it...

Genuinely suprised the developers don't get more of a BSC-style slating on here though. Considering it's history, aesthetics and location I would say architecturally and commercially it should be an icon for Manchester retail.

Whatever the hell are they doing with the place!? It's a sham of a mockery of an etc. etc...

Cheers

Thom

New render of The Avenue from

http://www.theavenuemanchester.com

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/613/newavenue1ft5.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/739/newavenue2bx5.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2417/newavenue3go5.jpg

Also there is now by the looks of things a few confirmed retailers for The Avenue now they are

Armani - 2 Spinningfields Square (Flagship Store)
Paul Smith - 1 Crown Square (Flagship Store)
Hugo Boss
DKNY
Mulberry

Armani and Hugo Boss have been confirmed for a while now and there was the possiblity of Paul Smith opening as there logo is on the 1 Crown Square render on the Spinningfields website.

Hmm.. something a little fishy about that John Lewis Article

This Guardian Article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/nov/22/johnlewis) suggests the average John Lewis Unit is circa 150k sq ft. Recent/imminent openings in Leicester, Oxford, Cardiff, Liverpool, Belfast and Trafford are all well in excess of 200k sq ft.

According to Crains:

John Lewis is looking for around 40,000 sq ft close to Manchester's main retail core.

Of course this could well be a simple typo. Also worthy of consideration is this paragraph from the Gardian article:

However, locations that cannot support a large full-line department store could get a new shop of two-thirds of the normal size. The smaller stores would then piggy-back on to larger shops and share their infrastructure such as distribution and call-centre services.

I could accept that on the basis of the Trafford/Cheadle stores and a lack of supply in the prime retail core, that central Manchester might be a suitable location for a scaled back unit, but of course 2/3 of an average is still a lot bigger than the requirement Crain's mention.

One theory is a typo in the newspaper article. Another could be the roll out of a John Lewis boutique (similar to the Harvey Nichols concept seen in Birmingham). The third theory I'll put before you is that the John Lewis Partnership actually want 40k sq ft for a large Waitrose Store. We know the food arm of the partnership is looking to double the number of units it trades from, and the Manchester area is is earmarked for major expansion.

I guess what I'm trying to say is don't get too excited about a full scale John Lewis department store in the city centre just yet. But if we were playing at putting pins in maps I'd go with the West - Ramada site on Deansgate as the obvious place to accommodate a 220,000 sq ft destination store.

Well if the Arndale don't pull their fingers out I would say Ilva may be leaving us.

uklad, what do you mean?

uklad, what do you mean?

If the Arndale go ahead with the plans I heard ages ago to get BHS out and knock that corner down to build a unit for John Lewis which I posted about last year on this thread. If not then Ilva is loosing so mush cash it won't last much longer and is ideal for a John Lewis.

John Lewis, Salfridges, Harvey Nics, Kendals. Manchester City Centre won't be short of upmarket department stores. That's for sure. Shame I can't afford to shop in them.

From RPD. http://www.retailpropertyanddevelopment.co.uk/index.php

Lewis plans Manchester store
Monday, 31 March 2008
John Lewis is planning to open a department store in Manchester city centre and is actively looking at possible locations.

The employee-owned chain is understood to have identified at least one possible site where preliminary negotiations are under way. According to sources familiar with the situation, John Lewis is looking for around 50,000 sq ft close to Manchester's main retail core.

First the closures

Sweet Delights is now closed at the Food Chain at the Arndale.

Mexx has now closed on New Cannon Street Mall in the Arndale.

Venue has close on Market Street, it was a temporary store anyway.

Now the retail openings and news.

Scotts has reopened in the Arndale on the ground floor of JD at Halle Square.

Yin Jewellery is now open opposite Argos in the Arndale.

Wings is now open at the Food Chain at the Arndale.

Pastiche will be relocating there store, it says in store that the closure is for relocating.

It looks like there is some possible work going on in the former Shoe Express store in the Arndale.

H Samuel on Market Street is closed for refurbishment it should reopen on Friday.

Hoarding are now up around the former Oasis store on Market Street could this be the possible location for the new Crocs store.

When bling is not the thing

Stores editor John Ryan

It's always interesting to witness the progress of a store format from first iteration to fully evolved interior and a good example of the process at work is the manner in which Next has approached its Home format.

The store at Barton Square, the extension to Manchester's Trafford centre, which welcomed its first customers a couple of weeks back, is now a grown-up version of what was first seen at Lakeside almost two years ago. As well as incorporating a number of new departments, it is a considerably toned-down and more refined version of what was on offer originally.

It has also been thought through, so that many of the initial elements have been extended and made part of the wider brand. The black and white graphics that were a feature of the window scheme at Lakeside, for instance, have now been used as the design for the wrapping paper at the cash desk.

Then there is the store layout. A clear separation was made at Lakeside between the living room offer and the kitchen and dining areas and this is continued in this store. It just looks better, because Next and design consultancy Dalziel + Pow have been given scope and time to improve upon their first thoughts.

The same is broadly true of the rest of what is on view at Barton Square. Bhs' British Home Store is much less bling than what was first seen in Chichester in 2006. Gone is the shiny white box and in its place is a large space where other colours, brown and black, have been introduced, lending a rather more subtle aspect to the store's design.

But the prize for ongoing evolution at Barton Square should probably be awarded to Habitat. Here the fixtures and fittings developed for locations such as Cheltenham, Regent Street and Cambridge have been put into a symmetrically shaped 18,000 sq ft box, which has allowed the retailer to break the space up at its leisure. It has done this by inserting free-standing walls and, wisely, it has opted for a single colour throughout the shop. This means that if things aren't right initially, changing the store layout can be effected without having to go redecorate entirely.

All of which is very tasteful and likely to prove popular with design-conscious Mancunians. This is rather more than can be said for the fountains in the middle of Barton Square. These feature gilded nymphets and mermaids with pneumatic breasts, lending a quasi-pornographic feel to the whole venture. Perhaps people in Manchester like this kind of thing, although it seems unlikely. This looks more like an instance of retailers being miles ahead of the developments built to house them.

http://www.retail-week.com/ChannelComment/2008/03/when_bling_is_not_the_thing.html

Height of sophistication

Carmel Thomason

2/ 4/2008

OSTEOPATH Coby Langford advises caution when it comes to striding out in killer heels "Jayne will probably feel heels are more comfortable than flat shoes because her hamstrings and calf muscles will have shortened by wearing them regularly," she says.

"But as well as developing bunions (who can forget Victoria Beckham's bunion?) and calluses on your feet because all the weight is on the toes, heels also push the pelvis forward. The whole body has to compensate by leaning backwards. This can cause lower back problems and in the long-term, arthritis in the spine and feet.

"You can also get headaches from holding your head forwards to get a point of balance. Everyone is different. Heels are fine for the odd night out - although you might end up breaking an ankle if you topple. However, wearing these every day is really bad for your back."

WITH their trademark red sole and sky scraper heels, Christian Louboutin shoes are at the top of every fashionista's shopping list. Whether you can actually walk in them is irrelevant, according to shoe experts, as women should be prepared to suffer for their shapely calves.

Practical

Sebastian Maines, director for accessories at Selfridges, says: "If you want practical get a pair of trainers!

"Buying shoes is an emotion, it's as simple as that. As long as they make you look gorgeous and feel good that's the most important thing - they put a smile on your face."

And it's not just celebrities who are going all Sex and the City, shelling out between £300 and £1,200 for a pair of heels. Louboutins are currently Selfridges' best-selling designer shoe and 40 pairs are snapped up a week in the Exchange Square store, with students, young mums and professionals eager to be owners - as well as our local WAGs.

Jayne Christensen, already has four pairs of Louboutins in her collection and has the new £600, impractically high, 16cm (6.5in) heels on her wish list.

"I think that every girl should own a pair," she says. "I first got interested in them because I wanted to know what all the fuss was about. But now I'm hoooked. They are all about glamour. They make you feel sexy. There's just something about that glimpse of red sole and I love the fact that they are low cut so you get a bit of toe-cleavage showing."

Accessories

Jayne wears her 4.5inch heel Louboutins for work as an accessories sales manager - standing for between eight and 12 hours at a time on the shop floor. But even she admits the latest Louboutin trend for heels scraping the seven inch barrier, will challenge the most die-hard fans.

"People do say to me, `How can you wear those all day?' but I find that my feet hurt more now if I wear flats. It's about posture. You hold yourself differently in high heels and it makes you feel different. I don't feel dressed if I've got flats on.

"I live in the city centre so I wear my little Jimmy Choo flats to walk to work and put my heels on when I get into work. You can't really wear them on the cobbles because it would ruin them.

"I wouldn't carry two pairs of shoes on a night out. When you're wearing these lovely shoes you get a taxi everywhere, but then again if you've spent £600 on a pair of shoes you want to get a taxi."

So, you can't walk very far or very fast in them, you can't wear them for long periods of time and you should refrain from wearing them in the rain? It seems the more impractical the Louboutin the more coveted it becomes.

But as the French shoe supremo once said: "In designing shoes I'm not thinking of a specific person or catwalk. I'm just not thinking of clothes at all. I'm always thinking of a naked woman, actually."

Maines, a Frenchman himself, is currently putting together Selfridges biggest shoe department outside London at Selfridges Trafford Centre store as well as a revamp to the shoe department at Exchange Square which between them will house one of the largest collections of Louboutins outside the capital.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/lifestyle/health_and_beauty/style/s/1043451_height_of_sophistication

I read that article about John Lewis and agree about what's been said. Isn't 40,000sq. ft ridiculously small, considering their new store here will be 260,000sq. ft and all others are over 100,000sq. ft. This one isn't even half that... perhaps they are just looking for a small format store, so not to compete with Trafford/Cheadle but bring the name into the City Centre.

They're probably going for the Waitrose Food & Home format, such as they have at Canary Wharf in London

March 2008 - Wolford - 2 stores in UK-South Molton St, Bluewater. Looking for new sites 860-1,615 sq ft-Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Belfast. Harper Dennis Hobbs acting.

http://www.wolfordboutiquelondon.com/

This is the confirmed and rumoured list of shops that will/may open at Barton Square

Confirmed Shops

British Home Stores - Open
Dwell - Open
Habitat - Open
Laura Ashley - Opening Soon
M&S Home - Opening Soon
Next Home - Open
Porcelanosa - Opening Soon

Rumoured Shops

Arighi Bianchi - rumoured 19,000 sq ft store.
Heals - there second Manchester store.
Lombok - it is confirmed that they will be opening a store in Manchester location not known though.
Moben - there return to Manchester after closing there Deansgate store last year.
Muji - there return to Manchester after closing there store at Triangle last year.
The Professional Cookware Company - there second Manchester store after there Lowry Outlet Mall store.

So out of that list we have two original Trafford Centre stores that will/may be reopening at Barton Square


Home Sense from the company behind TKMaxx http://www.tjx.com will also be opening this summer.

Morgan is having a closing down sale at the Trafford Centre store, following the news that they will be closing all there existing stores and concessions in department stores.


Fashion retailer Morgan to shut stores division

Fashion retailer Morgan is to shut all 35 of its retail outlets.

As well as its seven company-owned shops, Morgan runs 28 concessions in stores including House of Fraser, Clerys and Lewis's.

Morgan intends, however, to "maintain and grow" its UK wholesale business which operates through department stores, mail order, e-commerce sites and independent retailers.

http://www.retail-week.com/News/2008/03/fashion_retailer_morgan_to_shut_stores_division.html

Hello folks... the day has nearly arrived that Krispy Kreme is to open a 2nd store here in Manchester!

A brand spanking new design Fresh Shop is due to open in Piccadilly Gardens at 7am on Thursday 10th April!!!

The Piccadilly Gardens store will be receiving at least one delivery a day of fresh doughnuts from our Trafford Park store and looks set be to a hit amongst the office crowd in the City Centre!

If you work around in the area, look out for some 'Buy a dozen, get a COMPLIMENTARY dozen orignal glazed' vouchers which will be distributed over the next week or so... we have already delivered a few taster boxes around to some of the local offices, so if you were lucky enough to receive them, we hope to see you in store soon!

We have decided through popular demand to keep the Manchester Tart doughnut running through until a week into the new store opening... so there's still time to get your mitts on them before they go completely!

Also... more news... we've started delivering to Tesco stores in Stockport, Altrincham, Baguley, Irlam, Warrington and Northwich from today, so you can also get your fresh krispy kreme's form the cabinets in store there!!!

http://www.krispykreme.co.uk

Pastiche is moving into the old Lilly Whittingham store next week.

Barnardos has opened in the former Oddbins unit in Gateway House.

Starbucks opposite Debenhams on Market Street reopens tomorrow (Tuesday 8th April).

Pastiche is moving into the old Lilly Whittingham store next week.

Pastiche is now open in the old Lilly Whittingham store, there former store closes at the end of this week.

The Krispy Kreme unit is look very nice with the counter on the right and stool seating on the left. At the back there is a nice seating area with lower seating. All very white and modern with about 8 white ball lights above the counter. The floor is a dark wood colour with flooring still to be added at the front of the store where 2 stools were ment to go at the end of the counter but the floor is sloping towards the window so they were playing around with them working out the best way to level the floor.

Looks like Christopher Wray on High Street will be closing and guess who will be opening in there place, a brand new Tesco store, a planning application is now in for a new shopfront and ATM for the store.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JUZXITBC00700

Hopefully Christopher Wray will relocate to somewhere else in the Manchester, maybe at Great Northern or Barton Square as they are the housewares areas in Manchester.

That's a shame, the last thing we want is the NQ losing its character with these fuckers slowly creeping in and infesting the street fronts.

Looks like Christopher Wray on High Street will be closing and guess who will be opening in there place, a brand new Tesco store, a planning application is now in for a new shopfront and ATM for the store.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=JUZXITBC00700

Hopefully Christopher Wray will relocate to somewhere else in the Manchester, maybe at Great Northern or Barton Square as they are the housewares areas in Manchester.

That's handy for me and will kill the massively overpriced Spar in the NQ. Christopher Wray has done badly since it moved from Deansgate and has been trying to sell the lease for ages. I am glad they have got out of it as it was most likely expensive and no one wants them to go under.

Aldi in the Arndale has been having some changes made. All the tills at the side into the Arndale have now been removed and the fruit and veg moved to that end and the booze moved to the other end. More shelves have been added where the bread was and bread moved up to where the veg was. Lots of things moved around to add more space.

Jim's farewell to the Great Range

Ben Rooth

8/ 4/2008

ONE of Manchester's first 'discount superstores' for white goods and gas fires will shut its doors for the final time today after 40 years of trading.

The Great Range Warehouses, in Whalley Range, has prided itself on supplying the most competitively priced appliances ever since it opened in April, 1968.

Founder Jim Thornbury, 68, says he has mixed emotions as he drops the shutters for the final time tonight.

"It's the end of an era and the saddest part for me will be saying goodbye to all the wonderful people I've met and worked with down the years," said Jim.

"In my opinion, the company was one of Manchester's first discount superstores - and I feel an enormous sense of pride about its success. But things move on, and I've decided that the time is now right to retire.

"Part of the Withington Road site has been bought by a major retail chain, while another part will be turned into shop units by a firm of developers."

Borrowed

The first Range Warehouse was opened in Whalley Range's College Road, after Jim borrowed £700 to start the company. He moved the business to the current site in Withington Road in 1999. Jim subsequently opened other branches in Warrington and Failsworth - both of which he shut three years ago as he began thinking about retirement.

Trade peaked in 1998, when the company achieved sales of £7m and employed 45 staff. "It's a totally different world everyone is trading in now, and I'm constantly having people tell me that they can get things cheaper on the internet," he said.

"I've always done my best to match the best price, and I think that another reason for our success has been because we've always provided excellent customer service."

Dublin-born Jim moved to Manchester in 1957 and worked as an electrical contractor for companies in Trafford Park. It was around this time he met his future wife, Margaret - who died five years ago - with whom he had five children.

"I've been incredibly lucky in my life to discover a career in which I was utterly content, and I'm now looking forward to spending time with my five grandchildren," he said.

"One of the first things I intend to do is head off to Australia, where one of my daughters will be giving birth to my sixth grandchild next month."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1044295_jims_farewell_to_the_great_range

Store detective: Elite

Helen Tither

7/ 4/2008

What?

Elite Dress Agency

Where?

35 King Street West, Manchester. Tel: 0161 832 3670

Why go?

Every so often Store Detective stumbles upon a hidden gem so precious that, really, we would love to keep it all to ourselves. But that would be mean - not to mention the fact we would have nothing to write about...

The Elite Dress Agency is one such buried treasure, tucked away at the bottom of King Street. Where, behind an unimposing façade hides a real pot of fashion gold.

Already a style secret among Manchester's fashionistas, it's a seconds shop with a difference, carrying only designer labels, or key pieces from the upper end of the high street.

Corrie stars, footballers' wives, the rich and famous - all come here to sell their second-hand clothes, or buy some gorgeous new ones. Which means there's a constantly revolving stock, as new arrivals fill the store five days a week.

A real stalwart of the style scene, Elite has been a fashion-lover's Mecca for 40 years now.

Originally selling all kinds of seconds, it now focuses on ladieswear, with menswear on offer in their Altrincham branch.

The secret of their success - quality. As only really well-looked after garments are put on sale. Plus, they try to stay within a few seasons of current trends.

No two days throw up the same treasures - but any given trip could unearth anything from Gucci to Vivienne Westwood. Bags are a big seller, as the cash-conscious ladies of Manchester look for arm candy from Mulberry, Chloe and the like at cut prices. The Jimmy Choo number we saw when we popped in had only been used once and was on sale at £599.90, as opposed to £1,200 new.

However, the real draw of this second-hand boutique has to be the fabulous frocks, as you could pick up a Matthew Williamson or Stella McCartney number for a fraction of the real price for that special bash. But shhh, don't tell too many people...

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/lifestyle/health_and_beauty/style/s/1044184_store_detective_elite

http://www.elitedressagency.co.uk/

Paul Smith has signed up as the second anchor tenant for Allied London's The Avenue. The retailer will open a two floor 7,000 sq ft flagship store in 1 Crown Square. Allied London is aiming to create an "exclusive shopping thoroughfare' like Sloane Square in London. As part of the development Armani will have a flagship store facing Deansgate, one of the access points into The Avenue.

Pancake Express opening in the ex-pasty unit on Cross St.

http://www.pancake-express.co.uk

Think there's one already at the TC.

It's no Dutch Pancake House:ohno:

Go to Martin's instead. They do a traditional jam doughnut. Ton's of jam and lips covered in sugar. Beautiful.

Krispy Kreme opens :puke:

Opening of the Krispy Kreme town store today

May all your Krispy Kremes come true when you go into Piccadilly Gardens today. The new Krispy Kreme store opened in town this morning at 7am following the success of the Trafford Centre store last year.

Located at City Tower the sugary sweet people at Krispy Kreme will be there all day giving away gold cards to some lucky customers and, for the first 12 people in store, bags filled with Krispy Kreme goodies.

Be one of the first to get a look at the new store today and take a box of doughnuts back to share with your colleagues – you'll be the office hero when you treat them to a much needed sugar rush to get them through a dull day at the office. With 16 different varieties and the ever popular Manchester Tart, there’s a perfect treat for everyone.

And nothing goes better with a Krispy Kreme doughnut than a cup of our expertly crafted coffee so why not try an espresso, latte or cappuccino perfected in store by our highly trained baristas. The new Krispy Kreme store in Piccadilly Gardens has opened- please form an orderly queue.

Unit B1, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BD

80 Mosley Street Retailers

Café Nero is trading from one of the ground floor retail units and Giorgio 1 Italian deli is currently fitting out.


http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080410/FREE/726392492/-1/breaking/-/-/80-mosley-street-redevelopment-finished

We already knew about Cafe Nero but it is good that the deli seems to be an independent retailer.

I went to Krispy Kreme this morning I have to say they are not as good as they are in the States and for an opening they were tight as fuck. I bought a few and I noticed they were giving out some kind of flyer so I asked for one and was told I could only have one if I bought 2 dozen doughnuts! I just laughed and looked at her like she was stupid (and she was) she then said ok you can have one. It was a flyer for a buy a dozen get a dozen free in May & July what a load of crap. I notice they are a £1 more a box here than in London too! I can't see them lasting as they will be a passing fad like when Dunkin' opened stores in London, even with the might of a huge company they didn't last. I think at £1.35 for a blueberry one they are over priced all of them should be a £1 max.

It's funny how you can just go next door to greggs and get them for half the price.

where is that apple store in manchester?

There are two offical Apple stores in Manchester, one at Manchester Arndale and another at the Trafford Centre, there is also Digital Store Manchester which is an Apple Premium Reseller which is at No1 Piccadilly Gardens.

http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/manchesterarndale
http://www.apple.com/uk/retail/traffordcentre

http://www.digitalstoremanchester.co.uk/

Shifting Markets

Helen Clifton wonders what on earth is happening to our Greater Manchester markets

The bustle of the market. The call of the trader plying their wares, the smell of fresh produce wafting through the crowds of happy shoppers, the sense of satisfaction having struck a hard bargain.

Yet the reality of Manchester’s markets is very different to this idyllic image. Many efforts to regenerate what was once a thriving part of Manchester’s economy have failed to produce the goods.

Mark Crossley has run his fishmongers at Oldham’s 140-year-old Tommyfield Market for 19 years, with fresh produce that makes supermarket offerings look pathetic. But he points to the boarded-up stalls and pockmarked tarmac as stark evidence of the market’s demise.

“It’s destitute. There were no empty indoor stalls at the beginning of last year, now there are 11. Half the outside stalls are empty, and three years ago they were all full. It’s a sad state of affairs,” he says.

Mark used to have 21 staff working at stalls in Ashton and Arndale Markets, but now he has just three staff left at Tommyfield. He agrees that weekly farmer’s markets are the future, but thinks that despite Oldham Council’s plans to relocate and regenerate Tommyfield, it is too late.

“Oldhamers are very proud people. But a lot of Oldhamers don’t really see it as their town anymore, and they don’t come as much as they used too,” he says. “They talk about regeneration, but the council just aren’t putting the investment in. They just don’t have the money. 70 per cent of my custom is pensioners and there are no young people taking their place. We have seen better days on all accounts.”

Manchester’s Arndale Market, which re-opened in September 2006 with the closure of one floor and the addition of a new food market, was promoted as a northern equivalent of London’s Borough Market: an unfortunate billing which was impossible to live up to, given the size and scale of the metropolitan venue. But Councillor Eddy Newman, Manchester City Council's executive member responsible for markets, says that many local markets have had to change, with some introducing Sunday trading, in order to survive. And in the Arndale, these changes apparently worked. The place has a much more inviting feel than windswept Oldham, and could provide a blueprint for other markets throughout the area.

According to the council, it has 110,000 visitors a week, numbers are going up by 15 per cent every year, and traders have invested £1.5m in the market since reopening.

At 1pm on a Sunday afternoon, the place is milling with people browsing through the Brazilian, Greek, and Japanese food stalls, munching and chatting. A few jolly and clearly loyal customers are already propping up the bar at John Wood’s Paradise Brewery stall. John says business has been steadily increasing since the reopening, and the market is successful because it has adapted to changing tastes.

One of his locals, sipping on a pint of homebrewed Cheshire ale, agrees, adding that the £30 million conversion of the market hall in his hometown of Bolton has failed miserably. “They are ripping the heart out of these places,” he says. “We don’t want more Boots, you have one on every high street in the country. The good thing about this place (the Arndale) is that it has an international feel and specialist shops.”

Markets that have appropriated these traditionally Northern specialities - black pudding in Bury, real ale at the Arndale - are doing a roaring trade. Traders at the city centre’s twice-monthly fashion, flower and farmer’s markets, specifically set up to cater for specialist tastes, are also reporting healthy sales. They have turned working class pursuits into kudos for the middle classes keen to get back in touch with their roots.

But in truth markets like Arndale only bear a passing resemblance to Tommyfield. It is a far cry from a traditional market, the food section is utilised more as a decent quality food hall: a place to graze whilst shopping for other produce. The only genuine stalls are single examples of meat, fish and fruit and veg outlets: the rest are - and let’s create here a new category of dining out - café-stalls.

Their customers may pay lip service to the idea of a traditional market - but when faced with the choice of trudging round Oldham or Manchester as opposed to their local Asda for a new mop, cheap clothes or heavy groceries it’s obvious where they head.

Traditional market stalls selling all the stuff you used to get before supermarkets existed are losing out. Despite her cheery optimism, Vicky Merrick, who has run Sparklers jewellery stall in the Arndale for 28 years, is struggling. She thinks the Arndale redevelopment is a missed opportunity for more traditional stallholders like her.

“When the manager first came round, he said, ‘You’re not selling this are you?’ I don’t think they thought the stall fits in with the idea of Borough Market,” she says. “They say they got consultants in to change it all but I don’t understand why. Most shoppers still don’t know where we are.”

Vicky, who lives in the Northern Quarter, thinks that the young professionals who are her neighbours will eventually shop at the Arndale. But in the meantime she is battling competition from the twin beasts of Primark and the internet.

“I thought markets would make a comeback,” she says. “But they don’t put a pound back into it once they have set it up. I don’t think that is the way to run a business. I always thought the Arndale had a long future – but I am not so sure now.”

Regeneration has moved like a juggernaut through the markets of Greater Manchester, sometimes with scant regard for the implications of change. And traders like Vicky and Mark are being left behind.

Maybe they need to adopt the sort of survival techniques Cllr Newman mentions, and start selling products that appeal to the more prosperous customer keen to buy a slice of nostalgia. But without the right kind of helping hand, businesses that have taken decades to build up could disappear within a few years. And surely that doesn’t bode well for the new generation of market traders in a world where it seems that everyone’s bubble is just about to burst.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwy6IlAnI0qiNwF6IHqi&realname=Shifting_Markets

Nokia opening a store on market street next to esprit, the signs are up, but still work to do inside. They also have an advert in todays MEN advertising their arrival

Also, piece in Drapers saying that success of their Edinburgh store has convinced Brooks Bros to bring forward Manchester opening. They are, apparently, negotiating a site

Also, piece in Drapers saying that success of their Edinburgh store has convinced Brooks Bros to bring forward Manchester opening. They are, apparently, negotiating a site

From Retail Week this article

http://www.retail-week.com/2008/04/brooks_brothers_to_expand_in_uk_despite_bosss_gloomy_predictions.html


Brooks Brothers to expand in UK despite boss's gloomy predictions

Upmarket fashion retailer Brooks Brothers is poised to open a raft of stores in the UK, despite boss Claudio Del Vecchio's warnings of a worsening global economic crisis in the second part of this year.

The US retailer is set to open 10 flagship stores in key UK cities such as Birmingham and Manchester, and 15 to 20 smaller stores in second-tier locations.

Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive of owner Retail Brand Alliance, said that he agreed with Marks & Spencer chief Sir Stuart Rose's forecast at last month's Retail Week Conference that the economy will remain tough until the middle of 2010.

He believes the US is already in recession and that "apples for apples, it is not going to be any better in the UK".

Del Vecchio said: "It used to be that the first people affected were in the middle, and retailers at the bottom end, like the Wal-Marts of this world, would still do well, but they are not doing well either. It is affecting everyone."

In the UK, Brooks Brothers' like-for-like sales are up 15 per cent this year.

The retailer, which has 320 outlets worldwide, with three in the UK, is considering entering into global wholesale agreements.

Del Vecchio added that the retailer's Country Club sportswear format could be exported to the UK within a couple of years.

Nokia opening a store on market street next to esprit, the signs are up, but still work to do inside. They also have an advert in todays MEN advertising their arrival

I think this Nokia store is there first outside London after they opened there Regent Street and Heathrow T5 stores earlier this year.

Looks like the ground floor of Tootal House in Spring Gardens will be refurbished and turned in to retail, the plans are online now.

http://www.publicaccess.manchester.gov.uk/associateddocs/MCCList1.aspx?085813/FO/2008/C1

Barefruit Juice, the Manchester-based operator of juice bar concessions which was placed into administration on 18 March, has been sold to Chichester-based rival Lovejuice for an undisclosed sum. The business, which employs 44 people and has outlets in Manchester, Chester, Hanley, Burton, Doncaster, Dudley and Coventry, was sold by Lindsey Cooper, an insolvency expert who works at the Manchester office of accountancy firm Baker Tilly. “Like many retailers at the moment, Barefruit has suffered from tough trading conditions. We did, however, recognise value in the chain and were always confident that we could sell it as a going concern.”

Upmarket American fashion retailer Brooks Brothers is to open flagship stores in Manchester and nine other UK cities. Between 15 to 20 smaller stores will open in other locations. The retailer, whose like for like sales are up 15 per cent this year, has 320 outlets worldwide but only three in the UK.

From Crains.

Soap giant PZ Cussons, best known for its Imperial Leather brand, is considering opening more Sanctuary Spas with the Manchester area a possible location.

http://ckimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=CK&Date=20080414&Category=FREE&ArtNo=195846716&Ref=AR&maxw=300

The move would be an obvious way to build on its acquisition of the London women-only health retreat, which is famous for being patronised by celebrities and business leaders.

Chief executive Alex Kanellis said the purchase had added a “very strong brand” to the company's portfolio and he was now looking at the best way to exploit it. “At the moment there is one spa and a great range of products,” he told Crain's in an interview. “There is a lot more that can be done with that.”

Kanellis would not be drawn on specific plans but said it was important to maintain the “exclusivity and magic” of the Sanctuary brand, which includes a premium range of branded body care and beauty products.

Stockport-based Cussons paid £75m in cash for Sanctuary in January and the business, which employs about 170 people, is currently operating as a separate entity. The spa in Covent Garden attracts about 64,000 visitors per year and plays an important part in the development of the beauty products. These account for about 70 per cent of Sanctuary's turnover, with a significant amount taking the form of gifts. As a result, finance director Brandon Leigh said the business was “reasonably recession proof”.

Separately, Cussons, which also owns the Carex and Original Source brands, is moving its head office out of Stockport to new premises at Arlington Manchester Business Park near the airport.

Cussons will lease around 40,000 sq ft of office space which is being built specially for the company and is due to be ready in two years' time. The premises, over three floors, will house the group's global head office and the UK back office operations.

Leigh said the move is part of the modernisation of the 129-year-old company and is aimed at boosting its profile in a bid to help attract the best talent.

Cussons move


Cussons will also move its manufacturing and research and development operations to new premises in Salford's Agecroft Commerce Park.

The move, which has previously been announced, will enable the company to increase its focus on innovation and renovation, as well as raising production capacity by about 30 per cent. There is also additional space for further expansion should it be required.

Later in the year Cussons' perfumery operations, currently located at Ellesmere Port, will also move onto the new site, leaving the company with just one UK manufacturing plant following the earlier transfer of its bar soap manufacturing operations from Nottingham to Thailand.

Tesco in frontal attack on city's new food market
By Simon Binns


Manchester City Council could grant permission for another Tesco store in the city centre, then be forced to watch as it drains custom from its own £1.5m independent food retail development on the other side of the road.

The supermarket giant is looking to open its third store in the city centre with a planning application for the High Street premises currently occupied by upmarket furniture shop Christopher Wray.

Tesco is already paying half of the lease costs of the Christopher Wray store, Crain's understands, and the food retailer's representatives have made several site visits.

The new store would take trade away from Manchester Arndale Markets, which opened in September 2006 and houses more than a dozen independent food and drink retailers who pay rent to the council.

A handful of open air market stalls remain across Church Street from the proposed site, but their future looks increasingly under threat, according to trader Mark McCall.

McCall, who runs a fruit and vegetable stall with wife Norma, is worried that increased competition and aggressive price comparisons from a Tesco store just yards away could drive him out of business.

“Obviously it doesn't help having a superstore right across the road,” he said. “Three have opened nearby in the last eight months and independents in the city centre are struggling. It has put a lot of stall holders out of business. There is already a Tesco and an Aldi in walking distance — the last thing the city centre needs is another supermarket.”

McCall said the rising costs of a license to trade in the city were also a factor. He may now look to Manchester Arndale Markets to offer a competitively-priced pitch so he can continue to run his business, as negotiations with the council over his current location rumble on.

Street trading licenses from Manchester City Council currently cost £625 a year, but traders have been told to expect a substantial increase.

“Rents and rates are going up, and I can only afford to go so far on price to be competitive,” said McCall.

“We can't compete with supermarkets on price, and they sell the products that we sell as loss leaders. We'll just have to hang in there and hope that our loyal customers continue to support us. We thought the council was supposed to be against the city centre losing its character and in favour of retaining independent trade. If they let Tesco in, it totally goes against all of that but I think it will go through.

“We're one of the last independent fruit and vegetable retailers left in the city centre, and there is nowhere else we could go. Everywhere is too expensive.”

Targeting prime sites


Jay Hickson, who owns Gastronimica in the Arndale market, said that Tesco's policy of targeting prime sites near independent retailers was “shocking”, but was hopeful that his customers would stick with him.

“We sell some specialist items that Tesco wouldn't stock, and our customers are pretty loyal,” he said. “Most of them would be repelled by Tesco anyway.”

Manchester Arndale Markets manager Brian Garbett declined to comment, but a spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “The Arndale Market has firmly established itself as a key part of Manchester's shopping and leisure offer, with an average of 110,000 visitors each week, a figure that is growing by 15 per cent year-on-year.

“It already operates successfully in a very competitive environment enhancing the city's great mix of multiple and independent retailers that make up the vast retail choice we enjoy here in Manchester.”

The council's planning department is due to decide the Tesco application by the end of May.

Tesco did not return calls.

Barefruit Juice, the Manchester-based operator of juice bar concessions which was placed into administration on 18 March, has been sold to Chichester-based rival Lovejuice for an undisclosed sum. The business, which employs 44 people and has outlets in Manchester, Chester, Hanley, Burton, Doncaster, Dudley and Coventry, was sold by Lindsey Cooper, an insolvency expert who works at the Manchester office of accountancy firm Baker Tilly. “Like many retailers at the moment, Barefruit has suffered from tough trading conditions. We did, however, recognise value in the chain and were always confident that we could sell it as a going concern.”

Not really suprised that Barefruit Juice went into administration (all be it a quiet administration). I was in the Arndale last week at lunch time and there were no customers at all at there shop. Bagel Nash, Subway and every other store in that area was busy but not Barefruit Juice.
It is good to see that the store will be taken over quickly and by quite a well knowm leader in the smoothie business.

JJB to close shops in Manchester

By James Chapelard

Wigan-based JJB Sports is expected to announce shop closures in Manchester tomorrow, the chief executive of the chain Chris Ronnie said today.

While the company (LSE: JJB) would not be drawn on numbers, it said duplications in some major UK cities meant it would be economically sounds to close some shops.

JJB Sport chief executive Ronnie said: “We have around 500 shops and we are closing a small proportion of those. In some major cities like Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh we have three or four stores on the same street competing against each other. The duplication was ridiculous.”

The company declined to comment further today saying more information would be available in the annual results tomorrow.

Earlier this year the Wigan-based retailer declined to report on comments that it was about to close 50 to 70 stores across the UK.

Since taking the helm, Ronnie has unveiled a new-look retail outlet in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, with stock displayed by product category rather than brand, and said he plans to replicate this elsewhere throughout the country. In January the company issued a profit warning citing pressure on margins as it sells off old stock. It said it remains cautious about the outlook for this year.

At the end of February JJB sold its five UK Soccer Domes for £17.4m and said it would use the proceeds to reformat its retail outlets. At the time Ronnie said the sale represented the group’s strategy of focussing on re-energising its retail offering.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080415/FREE/351221285/1022/-/-/jjb-to-close-shops-in-manchester

So by the sounds of things the JJB next to BHS on Market Street will definitely close later this year.

Home Sense from the company behind TKMaxx http://www.tjx.com will also be opening this summer.

A website is now online for Home Sense the will be one of there first stores to open in the U.K. It opens in May

http://www.myhomesense.com/

Shops urged to 'shut that door'

Ian Craig and Charlie McCathie

16/ 4/2008

SHOPKEEPERS are being urged to 'shut that door' - for the sake of shivering customers and the environment.

Euro MP Chris Davies claims a growing number of shops and stalls in the region leave their entrances wide open to attract customers.

But that means turning up the heat inside the stores which Mr Davies, an environment spokesman in Brussels, says wastes £300 million a year.

Closing the doors would not only save them money but it would also help save the environment. Former Oldham MP Mr Davies said: "I've heard shop staff and customers complaining on windy days about icy air whistling in through open doors. This is madness and I hope retailers will wake up to the waste.

"Open doors are meant to entice customers to step inside but with the UN predicting that billions will suffer from the effects of global warming it is morally indefensible to waste energy in this way."

A pressure group called Close The Door has been set up and has already persuaded fashion chain Jaeger to bring in a closed door policy. It is asking other top shops to follow suit.

Close The Door's Jeannie Dawkins said they were delighted that Mr Davies was writing to the head offices of large shop chains.

She said: "We find that small independent shops want to save energy by closing their doors but large chains are told to keep them open by their head offices."

Shop bosses say that leaving their doors open encourages passers-by to pop in but Mr Davies says a prominent sign on the doors would be all that was needed to encourage shoppers to browse.

Prominent

He said: "Retailers can display a prominent sign and they might also like to tell people that by keeping the doors closed they can cut costs and lower prices while saving the environment."

The M.E.N went to investigate whether shops in Manchester city centre have their doors wide open or firmly closed.

Chris Nicholls, 21, from Fallowfield, a supervisor in the shoe shop Duo on King Street, said: "We keep our doors open because it is more welcoming for customers. We pick up passing trade and it's nice to get fresh air in the shop."

Phase Eight, a clothes shop on King Street, also has its doors open. Manager Sian Davenport, 24, from Glossop, said: "People are less likely to walk in if the doors are shut. If it's freezing cold we might shut one but that's it. I've not really considered the environmental impact."

Exit, a clothes shop on Oldham Street, is another shop that has its doors open. Assistant manager Nick Hughes, 21, said: "People are more likely to walk in off the street and have a browse if the doors are open. We have shut them in the past when we've been cold but we don't get as many customers."

Shopper Fasul Asle, 26, from Victoria Park, Manchester, agreed that open doors are best: "I never go in if they're shut, it puts me off," he said.

Jamie Dee, 29, who owns a marketing company in Salford, said: "If the doors are open it makes you feel more welcome. It is up to the politicians to sort out climate change."

But music shop Eastern Bloc Records on Oldham Street has its doors firmly closed. Sales assistant Mark Turner, 35, said: "We have our doors shut but it's not for environmental reasons. We don't want rubbish blowing in off the street."

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1045408_shops_urged_to_shut_that_door

Sports chain JJB closes shops

08:49 | 16.04.08

Sports chain JJB is to close 72 stores as part of a property shake-up.

By Laura Chesters

In its results, for the year to 27 January, it said it had started to implement a plan to close 72 stores which it believes ‘will not make any significant contribution’.

All of the stores earmarked will close by the end of the month, although seven of the stores will be re-named Original Shoe Company, a business it bought in January.

Refurbishment programme

It is also embarking on a refurbishment programme and said it plans to refit up to 40 stores during the current year in both our out-of-town superstore and high street superstore formats.

It said the ‘closures will leave us with a more profitable store portfolio that will be able to take full advantage of the other elements of our re-energisation plans’.

Store closures

During the year it opened 14 new retail stores, reopened five stores while it closed 26 shops.

It has allowed £25m to pay for the costs of store closures.

Its portfolio now includes 192 out of town stores, 102 high street shops and 115 other stores with a total of 4.3m sq ft of selling space.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3111241&c=1

Administrator hopeful of Ethel Austin sale

Administrators are trying to rescue retail chain Ethel Austin, which has 20 stores in Greater Manchester.

A deal to sell the discount clothing chain’s 300 outlets could be announced today, but hundreds of jobs are expected to go.

Ethel Austin Retail Group Limited, whose head office is at Prescot on Merseyside, has been through two buyouts in recent years.

In June 2004, ABN AMRO Capital, now part of the RBS Group, bought it from Lloyds TSB Development Capital for £122.5 million.

The company has been trying to refinance its debts but talks collapsed earlier this week.

It annual turnover is around £150m and it employs 2,800 staff.

Elaine Gray, a former executive at MK One, the rival fashion chain, is being tipped as a possible buyer.

Phil Duffy, the administrator and a partner at Menzies Corporate Restructuring, said: “Despite the current challenges faced by the retail sector, we remain confident that a buyer can be found. Ethel Austin has a good brand and good customer base and this, together with its national coverage, should make it an attractive opportunity for a retailer."

John Gorle, national officer at shop workers union Usdaw, said: “The announcement that Ethel Austin has gone into administration isn’t a complete surprise. We’ve been aware for sometime of the financial difficulties of the business. However, we had been hopeful that refinancing of debts would stave off administration, so this news is a tragedy for all involved and employed by the business.

“We will now be working closely with Ethel Austin and administrators in an attempt to secure the employment of as many members as possible.”

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080416/FREE/949841437/1049/-/-/administrator-hopeful-of-ethel-austin-sale

We already knew about Natuzzi opening at Barton Square but here is a bit more information about them opening a store at Barton Square.


Natuzzi to move beyond London with franchise store plan

No time to relax: the retailer wants to up its UK store count by more than tenfold

Luxury Italian furniture retailer Natuzzi wants to ramp up its number of UK stores by more than tenfold, by building a network of franchises in cities outside London.

The three-store retailer wants to open between 25 and 30 franchise shops outside the capital in the next three to five years, alongside plans to open 10 company-owned stores in London by 2010.

Natuzzi UK managing director Nick Moore said that its first franchise store will open in Cardiff in the next few weeks. "It is breaking new ground for us," he said.

The retailer also plans to open a store at the Trafford Centre in Manchester towards the end of next month. The shop will be run by Natuzzi initially, with a view to it being franchised at a later date.

Moore said Natuzzi is seeking 6,000 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft premises, "ideally highly visible, with double-length glass frontages – not triple – a high street, but not off-pitch and ideally located near like-minded retailers".

He added that Natuzzi has successfully used a franchise model in many of its overseas markets, including Holland, Greece, Portugal and France.

"In London, we need a critical mass of stores to pay for our central office and to run our indirect operations," Moore said. "The ideal franchise partner is someone who understands Natuzzi or high-end retail, rather than mid-market retail."

Natuzzi owns three standalone outlets in the Southeast in Croydon, Thurrock and its recently opened store on London's Finchley Road. It also has 15 concessions at chains including House of Fraser and Selfridges, and 33 galleries at independent furniture retailers.

Moore said that Natuzzi's UK operations had delivered low double digit like-for-like sales growth in the year to date.

"We would like to think that we are at the high end of the market and that we are less susceptible to interest rate rises and talk of recession than other retailers," he said.

http://www.retail-week.com/News/2008/04/natuzzi_to_move_beyond_london_with_franchise_store_plan.html

Alder King - Retail Letting - Manchester

Date: 07 Apr 2008

The HF Group, who trade as Sharps Bedrooms, Moben Kitchens and Dolphin Bathrooms, has signed up for Barton Square, a new 200,000 sq ft development next to the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

Property consultants Alder King secured 5,000 sq ft in the new development for the HF Group, who took the retail unit on a new 15 year lease at an undisclosed rent.

Barton Square is an exclusive new retail development located on the west side of Manchester in the premier retailing area, directly opposite the Trafford Centre.

The newly constructed £70 million scheme, built by the owners of the Trafford Centre, opened in March 2008. It aims to offer a unique retailing destination for high end furniture and home interior products and is directly linked to the Trafford centre via a landmark pedestrian walkway.

The HF Group joins Marks & Spencer Home, Next Home, Habitat, BHS Home, Natuzzi, Professional Cookware and Dwell.

Dominic Rosenbaum, surveyor at Alder King, commented: "Trafford is a major retail destination for Manchester. The Trafford Centre attracted approximately 30 million visitors in 2006, so its location and established reputation made it an ideal place for the HF Group to launch their new look combined bathroom, kitchen and bedroom showroom at Barton Square."

The HF Group is due to commence its fit out shortly, to create a state of the art showroom facility. The Manchester store is the latest in the roll out of the new combined branding of Sharps Bedrooms, Moben Kitchens and Dolphin Bathrooms, located across the UK.

The HF Group was represented by Alder King. Landlord Barton Square Limited was represented by Churston Heard.

http://www.propertymall.com/press/article/19589


Trafford Centre extension launches

Squaring up: the £70 million extension opened last week

Trafford Centre's latest offering, Barton Square, opened last week. The £70 million extension, linked to the main centre by a footbridge, specialises in homewares shopping.

The first phase opened with four retailers – Habitat, Next Home, Dwell and British Home Stores. Others such as Marks & Spencer Home, Lombok, Laura Ashley and Porcelanosa will open before May. Upmarket retailer Heal's is also thought to be eyeing the scheme.

Barton Square continues Trafford Centre's bling design with Roman pillars and a fountain of mermaids and naked gold girls.

Letting agents are Churston Heard and Cushman & Wakefield

http://www.retail-week.com/Property/2008/03/trafford_centre_extension_launches.html

So confirmed retailers at Barton Square now are

Open Now

British HOME Stores
Dwell
Habitat
Next Home

Opening Soon

HomeSense
Laura Ashley
Lombok
Marks & Spencer Home
Natuzzi
Porcelanosa
Professional Cookware

This is the confirmed and rumoured list of shops that will/may open at Barton Square

Confirmed Shops

British Home Stores - Open
Dwell - Open
Habitat - Open
Laura Ashley - Opening Soon
M&S Home - Opening Soon
Next Home - Open
Porcelanosa - Opening Soon

Rumoured Shops

Arighi Bianchi - rumoured 19,000 sq ft store.
Heals - there second Manchester store.
Lombok - it is confirmed that they will be opening a store in Manchester location not known though.
Moben - there return to Manchester after closing there Deansgate store last year.
Muji - there return to Manchester after closing there store at Triangle last year.
The Professional Cookware Company - there second Manchester store after there Lowry Outlet Mall store.


So know only 2 of those stores have not been officially confirmed yet, it looks like Barton Square will turn out to have quite a well known array of homeware store.

Got a Bagel Nash leaflet the other day. It had details of the Arndale shop but it also mentioned they would be opening soon at Unit 2, 4 Hardman Square.

JJB at the top of market street has closed and all the stock has gone. That was quick! I think their unit at Ancoats maybe going too as a few stores have closed at the retail park.

^^ I won't mind the Retail Park one closing, then hopefully it'll be one step closer to biting the dust!

how many units is that closed at central retail park now?

how many units is that closed at central retail park now?

Curry's, Thomas Cook & the Jeans Store (forgot the name of the place) are all defiantly closed. That leaves JD, JJB, Toys R Us, Mothercare & Argos I think? I think Mothercare & Toys R Us should move to The Fort and the rest of them close as the 2 sports stores are dead and Argos is already at the Fort.

Well I doubt Mothercare will move as a refurbishment of the store is on the lines soon for it to become there new style Mothercare and Early Learning Centre joint store.

But if the retail park did get demolished i think that this area could be quite a good area for a possible John Lewis store seeing as we know that they are in the market for a store in Manchester City Centre.

That retail park is just big enough for Manchesters 300 meter twin towers. ;) Well we can dream.

Tesco: Lords of the World Universe

Jonathan Schofield on the row about a new city centre Tesco: is it all it seems?

I woke up the other morning and Tesco had opened a small a store in my navel. It was only a Tesco Express but it still felt out of place and uncomfortable. That was just a nightmare but it feels like we're being hemmed in by Tesco. This is why organisations such as the www.tescopoly.org, a blatantly anti-Tesco website exists. Read it: it’s fun and disturbing.

The group states on its homepage: ‘Tesco now controls 30% of the grocery market in the UK. In 2007, the supermarket chain announced over £2.5 billion in profits. Growing evidence indicates that Tesco's success is partly based on trading practices that are having serious consequences for suppliers, farmers and workers worldwide, local shops and the environment.’

Bloody hell, no wonder people think it’s the Genghis Khan of retailers. If you believe the website.

The latest Tesco row, uncovered by Simon Binns of Crain's Manchester Business, is over a proposed new store on High Street in the city centre. This would occupy the Christopher Wray lighting shop site, opposite the £1.5m Manchester Arndale Market and across the road from the last remaining fruit and veg stall-holders.

This will be the third city centre Tesco. The first lies around the corner on Market Street, a two minute crawl away for even the slowest snail. The other is up towards Piccadilly Station.

You can imagine Tesco has a big room with maps tacked down on tables, like a Battle of Britain movie, and staff, in checkout uniforms, moving stores around on long sticks. Boss, Sir Terry Leahy is maybe standing on a gantry above pointing to bits of the country not yet Tesco-ed and laughing in a disturbing manner.

And sinister it can seem when you read in the Crain’s report that ‘Tesco is already paying half of the lease costs of the Christopher Wray store’. How very cunning. Or that ‘Tesco did not return calls’ when asked about the store.

Meanwhile back with the proposed new store, Mark McCall, one of the Church Street veg traders has said: “We can't compete with supermarkets on price, and they sell the products that we sell as loss leaders. We thought the council was supposed to be in favour of retaining independent trade.”

Perhaps, but maybeMcCall’s battle has already been lost? Is the city centre the right place to join battle with the behemoth that is Tesco?

You can understand a market town surrounded by two, three or four giant supermarkets having something to gripe about. In these places the out-of-towners are overbearing bullies. You can also see why Chorlton has been protesting about Tesco encroachments. The suburb has a splendid independent range of fish mongers, butchers, off licence and delis. It literally doesn’t need any more supermarkets other than the large Morrisson’s on Albany Road/Wilbraham Road. It physically can’t fit any more.

But the city centre with its huge cosmopolitan crowds is different. A Tesco in this part of the city centre would be actively welcomed by a lot of Northern Quarter residents. More particularly for those against the new store, where are the interesting food retailers it could threaten aside from those few stall holders across the road, and those in the Arndale Market, which seem secure whether this store opens or not?

Given its claims to be the indie heartbeat of the city, the Northern Quarter should have a real proper, stonkingly good deli. But it hasn’t, and those that have tried have struggled. It seems that customers, despite what they say in bars and dinner parties, are willing to forego variety and personal service for the dull monotony of dreary old crappy Tesco .

Maybe if a deli as good as Chorlton’s Barbakan took over the Christopher Wray site then it would work, maybe then the customers would flock in. But it would have to be as good as the original, with all its amazing breads and superb hams, and not produce a Carluccio’s compromise, in other words a coffee and sandwich shop with some groceries attached.

But it would be a huge gamble: principally would the customers come? Manchester is full of people who talk the talk about ‘real’ food and paying top dollar for quality, but it has precious few who are prepared to go to those lengths. Why pay the level of rents and rates required on a city centre site on a problematical return from an audience who often troop down to the nearest chainstore for the two-for-one deal on processed ham?

At present Manchester city centre in its prime retail core deserves another Tesco because that, it seems, is all what people want.

It’s a embarrassing for a city this size that there is no big deli presence in the retail heart.

Now pass that rocket salad in the pre-packaged bag would you and let’s get out of here.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNw86IlArIaqiNwF6IHqi&realname=Tesco_Lords_of_the_World_Universe

Quicksilver now open at Chill Factor e


Surf's up

Amazing discounts and free snowboarding lessons at the Quiksilver exclusive launch party

Summer has arrived early in Manchester this year, with the opening of the new Quiksilver Store in Trafford, and we have exclusive launch party guestlist places to giveaway.

The Chill Factore has opened its doors to one of the hottest brands in the freesport’s world. And to celebrate in style, the Quiksilver Store, which also stocks its sister brand Roxy, will host a celebrity starred summer beach BBQ on Thursday 8 May.

Confidential readers are invited to join members of the Hollyoaks and Shipwrecked cast for some beach kitsch, snags and a ride on the store's surf simulator.

You’ll even get your chance to meet some of the top surfers in the UK in the form of Gabe Davies, Nathan Philips, Spencer Hargraves, Candice O'Donnell and Sophie Hellyer who are all sponsored by Quiksilver and Roxy. They’ll be around all night to answer your questions on anything 'surf'.

The BBQ will kick things off at 6pm. There will be 20% discount on all purchases made during the evening and a free snowboarding taster session with every £100 and over spent.

We have 200 exclusive invites to giveaway to this launch party. To be in with a chance of getting your name on the guestlist, please enter your details into the form below.

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNwU6IlArIpqiNwF6IHqi&realname=Surfs_up

It’s a embarrassing for a city this size that there is no big deli presence in the retail heart.
Katsouris on Deansgate/John Dalton Street seems to do well at this...

Nike ticks off new UK concept stores

18.04.08

Sportswear brand plans seven UK flagship shops to revive flagging image

By Laura Chesters

Global sportswear brand Nike plans to open company-owned shops in a bid to rescue its UK image.

In the face of the brand being hit by discounted sales in sports shops and catalogues, Nike plans to open new concept stores in the UK to improve its image.

It presently only operates its flagship European store, Niketown, on Oxford Circus in London as a company-owned store.

It is now beginning a search for up to seven stores to act as new ‘flagships’ for the brand across the UK. It has signed for a store in central Manchester and is in negotiations for two other stores.

Nike pulled the plug on company-owned stores in the UK in 2006 and only operates from franchised stores, factory outlet stores and Niketown.

The search is being led by Victor Sye, head of property at Nike, who has begun talks with landlords and agents in the search for potential locations.

A Nike spokesman said: ‘Nike is opening several Nike Stores in the UK as part of a renewed focus on retail business, with the goal to be the most exciting and compelling brand at retail. Nike wants to surprise consumers and to innovate at retail, whether in a Niketown, a shop in shop, at Nike.com, in a factory store, in the wholesale business or in a Nike brand store.’

The stores will feature concepts already established in the US, such as areas for shoppers to customise their own trainers and clothes.

Nike launched the NikeID concept in its Oxford Circus store before Christmas. It was first launched in its New York store in October last year.

Last month Nike bought Umbro in the UK in a bid to strengthen its position in the football market, where rival Adidas has been gaining ground.

Nike has already embarked on a company-owned factory outlet strategy in the UK and plans to grow this to up to 25 locations.

It has recently signed up at outlets, such as Land Securities and GML Estates’ the Outlet at Banbridge in Northern Ireland and LandSecs’ Galleria shopping centre in Hatfield.

http://www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=297&storycode=3111386

Councillor Pat Karney responds again to Confidential story

Meet at noon tomorrow and have your say on the proposed Tesco on High Street in the City Centre

People power once more.

The response to our story yesterday (Thursday) on Confidential about the proposed Tesco store on High Street has got another response from Councillor Pat Karney, and would be Labour Councillor for the city centre ward, Anthony McCaul.

If you have any particular objections or anything to say about the proposal to create Tesco's third city centre outlet - when Christopher Wray light shop vacates the High Street premises - then go along tomorrow, 19 April 2008, at noon to the site, and tell them what you feel about it.

As Cllr Karney wrote on the Confidential:

'We had the manager of Tesco, Market Street, to the City Centre Residents Forum two years ago when he told us his store was the second busiest outside Kensington in London.So it's clear that Tesco can pull in the customers. I go from time to time especially during the late hours.The proposed one on High Street is around the corner from my flat so this Tesco would half my journey and increase the temptation of late night sweets.

At the same time I have lots of requests from other parts of the city centre for shops so I would like to see Tesco's plan for the city centre. I will set up a meeting with them to look at the wider picture. They will come because the city council threw out a Tesco proposal in Chorlton two months ago. Anthony McCaul called me so we will both be outside Christopher Wray at 12 noon this Saturday to hear local views and tea/coffee afterwards.'

http://www.manchesterconfidential.com/index.asp?Sessionx=IpqiNw86IlArKHqiNwF6IHqi&realname=Councillor_Pat_Karney_responds_again_to_Confidential_story

Katsouris on Deansgate/John Dalton Street seems to do well at this...

Katsouris is fine, but it falls into the trap Jonathan alludes to elsewhere in his piece:

"a Carluccio’s compromise, in other words a coffee and sandwich shop with some groceries attached."

It is a glorified sandwich shop in concept, offering and opening hours, quite unlike it's parent business up in Bury.

Interesting to note that Love Saves the Day started with a 50/50 balance in terms of deli retail and the coffee-shop side, but over time that changed to 90% coffee shop/cafe bar. Maybe the market just isn't there (though I find that impossible to believe) as the business model only evolved over time in response to customer spend.

None of the other city/centre deli's really convince (though there are loads of great places in the Burbs). Gastros selection is patchy and I wouldn't be suprised to see it cut right back in twelve months and various others have come and gobe in the meantime. Interested to see the new place in the N4, but haven't they got a health theme to it?

Olive does well only because it is has underwritten the deli side with bog standard grocery products and actually I think this is a really useful balance. A food nerd may sneer at it calling itelf a "deli", but they sell some nice stuff, they sell bogroll, and thet are open later.

It's what I'd want if I lived around there, but it's not the Dean and Deluca/Valvona and Crolla flaghip deli that Manchester needs.

Cheers

Thom

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/004-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/014-4.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/015-6.jpg

Plus new newsagents on John Dalton Street
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/034-5.jpg

JJB at the top of market street has closed and all the stock has gone. That was quick! I think their unit at Ancoats maybe going too as a few stores have closed at the retail park.

Salford Regents Retail Park branch is closed too.

They seem to be moving very quickly

Given that their remaining city centre store must be due a Trafford Centre style refurb, I wonder if that store may move to somewhere more prominent than being above Tesco?

The store next to Tesco Metro on Market Street has already been refurbished to the new style store.

Retail News Update 07/03/08

JJB Sports on Market Street has been refurbished to there new style of store.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6183/jjbmarketst1tz7.jpg

Salford Regents Retail Park branch is closed too.

They seem to be moving very quickly

Given that their remaining city centre store must be due a Trafford Centre style refurb, I wonder if that store may move to somewhere more prominent than being above Tesco?

Crap for the staff but they must have paid them 4 weeks notice and closed them as fast as they can.
They will not move from that building because Dave Wheelan owns it, including the Tesco bit. Well he used to do it may have been sold or JJB may own it directly now.

Mishka will be opening soon in Manchester at The Trafford Centre.

http://www.mishkaonline.co.uk/storelocator.php

Also there are some other new stores that will be opening soon at the Trafford Centre they are

Bench - Saturday 26th April - 52 Regent Crescent (opposite All Saints)


Bench established in Manchester in 1989 as a cool underground label, and has now developed into an urban lifestyle brand with a broad and exciting collection.

After much anticipation, Bench are proud to be announcing the opening of their third UK standalone store in The Trafford Centre. The full range of Bench men's and ladies product including watches, underwear and accessories will be featured in the store providing one of the biggest and best brand statements about what Bench is capable of.

http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/directory/info.aspx?ID=4435

And the rest are

G Star
Castle Galleries
Subway
Calvin Klein

Bench - Saturday 26th April - 52 Regent Crescent (opposite All Saints)



http://www.traffordcentre.co.uk/shopping/directory/info.aspx?ID=4435



I'll be in there soon. They do some really good stuff. I have quite abit of there gear already. Bench > G Star. Am not into that G Star I just don't get it.

Also there are some other new stores that will be opening soon at the Trafford Centre they are

Bench - Saturday 26th April - 52 Regent Crescent (opposite All Saints)


Ace, I always go in Republic for Bench stuff at the TC.

Having a stand alone store will be great. And they represent Manchester VERY well.

I have a few shirts with the likes of 111 Piccadilly, Arndale Tower and Gateway House on them, and 2 shirts with the outline of Manc's skyline (pre-Beetham) too.

And they are very comfy to wear and look great.

Will be there on Saturday to see if there's any bargains that's for sure!

:cheers:

Poundworld will be opening a store at Manchester Arndale soon, they are now advertising for jobs.


Position:
Sales assistants

Company:
Poundworld

Closing Date:
03/05/2008

Type:
Various, Permanent

Hours:
20 - 40 Per Week

Rate of Pay:
Meets N.M.W

Details:
New retailer within Manchester Arndale require full and part sales assistants. You must have experience within a fast paced environment, your duties will involve maintaining the required level of stock on shop floor, handling deliveries, working on the till and offer customer support.

Opportunity to progress into management is available to anyone showing the correct aptitute and willingness to learn.

http://www.manchesterarndale.com/jobs_results.htm

Hopefully in a hidden corner somewhere^

Bloody pound shops should be confined to run down town centres not affluent city centres! Can you imagine one in the Trafford Centre?

Oooooo A pound shop. About time we should have a diverse retail offer to suit all budgets in the city. I prefer tidy branded pound shops to the messy ones that used to all around Piccadilly Gardens.

I'll be in there soon. They do some really good stuff. I have quite abit of there gear already. Bench > G Star. Am not into that G Star I just don't get it.

yes andy bench > g-star :okay:

been to the bench in arndale, in some department store? they have a manchester skyline backdrop to their shop unit done in poster effect but looking very expensive. i think bench are quite a big label, seen people wear it loads in several cities.

Retail News 23/04/08

Nokia is now open on Market Street

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2435/nokiafc5.jpg

Dolcis in the Arndale will close in two weeks.

Past Times in the Arndale closes on 27th April, however Past Times will be reopening a store in Manchester at Lowry Outlet Mall.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/50/pasttime2no5.jpg

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/3402/pasttime1qm1.jpg

Poundworld is opening in the former Shoe Express unit at the Arndale.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/6703/poundworld2ap7.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5613/poundworld1ug1.jpg

Transform Your Images is now open next to Carphone Warehouse on the upper mall in the Arndale.

And the art gallery opening at City Tower is now nearly completed it is opening next to Philpotts on New York Street.

*photos taken on my mobile sorry about quality.

I passed Habitat in St Ann's Sq and all the windows are covered advertising the Store at Barton Sq. If it's still open it must be bloody dark inside!
The Easy Internet Cafe is being gutted at the moment.

HomeSense opens at Barton Square on Thursday 22nd May (possible opening date for Phase Two?)


Manchester

Store hours:

Mon - Fri: 10:00 - 22:00
Sat: 10:00 - 20:00
Sun: 12:00 - 18:00

Barton Square, Barton Dock Road
Near The Trafford Centre
M17 8AS

GRAND OPENING MAY 22, 10AM

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/3860/homesensebartonsqqe7.jpg

http://www.myhomesense.com/Home/Store-Locator/Store-details&store=5

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http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u180/markydeedroppics/City%20Centre%202008/006-5.jpg

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Hey marc where are the 1st and last pictures taken from ^^ ?

Is the first off Market Street somewhere?

Cheers for the pics btw.

Great pic.s as per Marky.

The Ladbrokes is as you said just off Market St, on Spring Gardens, parallel with Brown St where Fopp is, but the opposite exit from the Post Office.

The bottom one is the very nice little building between Harvey Nich.s and the Cathedral on Deansgate- A fab restoration.

I'm getting ahead of myself here, but in 10yrs that area will be transformed- Chetham's School of Music transformation, West's Ramada Hotel demolition and whatever they put there (I'm certain it'll be good) and of course the Ask revolution taking place at Greengate. This is good little piece of the jigsaw.

Thanks Shutty.

Has that road on Spring Gardens been redone as part of the public realm improvements going on there? Looks quite nice.

Completely agree about the last pic and the transformation thats going to happen over the next decade. Looking forward to seeing Ramada plans!

A general question open to all after the new Nokia store opened:
I think there is a general opinion that most people would agree, that Market street is below standard and could be greatly improved. Any thoughts on how this could be done? Different types of shops, new/better realm, better walkways off it so its not just a pure walk through but also opens into surrounding streets?

I think the Market Street metrolink stop should definitely be moved round on to the High Street and when the last corner of the Arndale is redone, it should help, but any other ideas?

As you say spoonsbeatfish, they seem to be doing a job of transforming Spring Gardens and Brown Street into a more pedestrian friendly citiscape. Equally with New York St and the areas off China Town. This should definitely help to entice shoppers off the main drags- Market St, and to wander and explore the other streets as it's fun to do.

Though whilsts they are improvements, it's by no means perfect. The area at the bottom of Norfolk St and the back of Boots for example is pretty terrible- more like a back alley in some respects, though I concede that I'm doing the old Stock Exchange an injustice with that comment.

The Arndale by it's very nature will always attract a certain tenant- ie the national and multi-national chains, so it's vital for the diversity of the city that these smaller streets are brought to life. They can then feed off the crowds that the Arndale will always attract, and hopefully one day the shopping zone between King St and Market Street will be seamless.

Looking at other zones the revitalisation of Stevenson Square and the proposed redevelopments of the surface and adjacent multi-storey car parks on Church St should help to integrate the Northern Quarter into the city centre. Will this be good, or bad? I hope and believe that the independents have enough about them and a big enough loyal following not only to cope but to thrive should this ever become reality.

Tesco faces shop storm

Nicola Dowling

25/ 4/2008

PLANS by Tesco to occupy an empty shop in Manchester's Northern Quarter have sparked a row in one of the city's liveliest neighbourhoods.

Tesco has expressed an interest in the former Christopher Wray lighting shop on the corner of High Street and Church Street, near Afflecks.

But the plan has ignited debate over whether the supermarket should be allowed to move into an area renowned for its bohemian bars, individual traders, quirky clothes and art shops.

Those against it argue that there are two other Tesco stores within just a few minutes' walk from the High Street premises and that it will have a detrimental impact on the area renowned for its independent traders.

Coun Pat Karney has invited Tesco boss Sir Terence Leahy to come to the city to discuss the plan and possible alternative city centre sites for the supermarket chain.

He also invited local residents on a site visit to the empty shop and is urging them to make their views known to the council before a decision is taken on the application next month.

He claims there are other areas of the city centre towards Castlefield and Liverpool Road which are more in need of a supermarket.

Northern Quarter resident Phil Burke who attended the site visit said he was in favour of the Tesco bid.

He said: "Having a Tesco would be much better than having it empty."

Mokshapriya,the manager of the Earth Café in Turner Street said the possible arrival of Tesco was `awful news'.

He said: "The shop itself wouldn't affect us but as an ethical café we avoid them as a supplier because we don't believe in what they do."

Tesco would not comment on the plan.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1046963_tesco_faces_shop_storm

At first I was bothered by this, but now... not so much. The Tesco on Market St is always rammed to fuck and this would be welcome relief. It does suck that places are losing their individuality but we really only have ourselves to blame, it's not as if independants haven't tried- sure they can't compete with the low prices of Tesco but at the same time, people have a choice, I'd certainly pay a premium for a better quality product, apparently it's not on offer. Bring it on, at least it won't be a big empty unit sitting there.

residential areas need food retailers. If nobody else is willing to do it then fair enough. In Soho all you get is a Japanese supermarket, Italian Delis, a Fresh and Wild and an outdoor market.

Perhaps an outdoor food market instead of a Tesco.

its hardly the northen quater anyway, if it was on oldam road id be completely against it, bit its more arndale etc. it should be on the other side of town though, castefield is a better location.

Sunglass Hut at Trafford Centre has been refurbished so it is like there store at Manchester Arndale

JJB at the top of market street has closed and all the stock has gone. That was quick! I think their unit at Ancoats maybe going too as a few stores have closed at the retail park.

saturday
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/2565GreatAncoatsStreetTower_pic11.jpg

It looks like JJB has closed there store at Central Retail Park now aswell. All the signage seems to have been taken down from around the store and there is now mention of the Ancoats store on the JJB website now.

That sarah village tower thing is making quite an impression on the skyline from the ground. I say they should get rid of the retail park completely its very tacky and a huge eyesore, and with all the new developments ready shoot up round here the area could be the new deansgate if they play thier cards right.

with gravity, sarah village complete, that hotel next to ilva, all leading down to CIS, it will look very nice.

if they could get shut off that retail park and build something that faces right on to the road, nothing that fancy needed, it would be nice and dense, minus the odd blip, all the way down to crowne plaza.

I'm just annoyed that they allowed ilva, and its surface car park, to be built there, don't know what the hell they were thinking with that one.

I think the retail park should be flattened and the space used for a public park, all these people moving in need open spaces and i think it would look good in the middle of all this new highrise.