Retail in Greater Manchester

[iheartthenew]

Didn't see much to do with their click and collect service while I was there (admittedly in a rush as I went there for petrol, the retail geekiness was a bonus lol). I imagine the Asda living store will go if a full size Asda gets built. I think the one proposed in Altair was tiny - 'supermarket' sized, a bit useless in the face of a Tesco Extra...

[flange]

Here we go about the Click & Collect at Asda.

Asda trials off-site click-and-collect points

15 November, 2012

By Alex Lawson

Asda has expanded its click-and-collect offer to its petrol stations, non-food stores and a branded collection point within a business park as it looks to offer shoppers further convenience.

The grocer is trialling a number of new locations to allow shoppers to pick up both food and non-food products.

Asda is offering shoppers in Sale, Greater Manchester, the opportunity to pick up food and non-food products from temperature controlled lockers available to collect from 24 hours a day. It is also allowing pick up from store at a petrol station in Rugby.

It has also set up a collection point in a business park in Reading as well as offering collection of food at its Asda Living non-food store in Guiseley, Leeds.

The move comes after Asda revealed it is rolling out grocery click-and-collect to 100 stores by the end of the year and will extend it to a further 100 next year.

Asda is also in the process of installing free Wi-Fi for shoppers at all of its stores and will open a fourth dark store in Nottingham in the second half of next year as the grocer looks to harness the rapid growth of online shopping.

Chief operating officer Judith McKenna today said: “These are very low cost trials but allow us to see how people want to shop.

“Just 5% of our stores can carry the full George range because of their size so online ordering and collecting allows customers to be able to access further products online.”

Asda’s move into offering lockers is follows Amazon’s move to offer collection lockers to shoppers in The Co-op and Martin McColls stores.

http://www.retail-week.com/sectors/f...042916.article

It will be intersting to see if the rumours of Asda opening near Altrincham Retail Park do come true then iheartthenew, if they do it would be a big change to the area indeed.

[flange]

Trading levels rise at Manchester Fort

12 December, 2012

Manchester Fort Shopping Park has reported a significant increase in sales in the lead up to Christmas.

Following the recent opening of H&M in November, the store at Manchester Fort has reported a 16 per cent increase in trading above their forecast figure. Other stores at the park including Outfit, Next, Superdrug and TK Maxx have also experienced an increase in sales in the past month.

Marks & Spencer has welcomed an average 9,000 customers per week and recorded a 6 per cent increase in trading throughout the store.

“Recent figures are extremely positive and are a great boost for our retailers and operators as we reach the end of the year,” said centre manager David Wait. “As a result, we anticipate that individual stores will now look to grow at Manchester Fort, with Next in particular looking to potentially increase their home and furniture offering.

“We expect this success to continue throughout December, and remain confident that trading figures will further increase as we head into 2013.”

I would not be surprised if Next looked to expand into the former Peacocks unit next door to their existing store at Manchester Fort or even possibly relocate and upsize to the Comet unit whenever that closes down. Or maybe Toys R Us will relocate from Centrel Retail Park to Manchester Fort into the Comet unit, what with Hammerson owning both the retail parks.

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by neil

Arndale expects to pass 40 million visitors
12th December 2012

Share:By Chris Barry - Editor, North West

<snip>The Arndale, which claims to be the country's biggest inner city shopping centre<snip>

Inner city?

[WatcherZero]

As in not out of town shopping centre like Trafford Centre or Middlebrook.

[marni1971]

Asdas station in Sale is a rebranded Total garage, built 1993-ish. Not much extra room than a normal station.

[flange]

Originally Posted by iheartthenew

also believe Asda are proposing a new store in Altrincham, off George Richards way behind Aldi/near the retail park

New ASDA store in Broadheath could be on the cards

Thursday 13th December 2012

A NEW 40,000 sq ft ASDA food store could soon be built in Broadheath.

If plans go ahead, the supermarket will be located at George Richards Way and include a petrol filling station.

However, before plans are submitted, Property Alliance Group would like to hear the views of Altrincham residents and is holding a public exhibition of the plans tomorrow, December 14.

All are welcome to the meeting, which is taking place at St Albans Hall, Lindsell Road, Broadheath, Altrincham, from 3pm until 8pm.

http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk..._on_the_cards/

A bit more information and some renders for it.

NEWS: Asda plan 40,000sq ft Supermarket in Broadheath Altrincham


Asda Supermarket - Broadheath, Altrincham

Yesterday Altrincham HQ revealed (via our source on the ground Chris Reddy) that Asda were looking to open a new food store in Broadheath (just further up from the retail park for those that aren’t aware of George Richards way)

It’s probably created one of the biggest discussions we’ve had on our Facebook page and was the talk of twitter yesterday and guesstimating from the various tweets it would seem that around 60% are in favour with 40% against

Isn’t social media great for bringing together the local community and exchanging ideas with those across the whole town?

Here’s the press release information including the public exhibition this Friday so the public can see the full plans before they go for planning permission…


Asda - Broadheath, Altrincham - Map of proposed Location

Property Alliance Group announces public consultation for new supermarket proposal

Trafford-based investment and development company, Property Alliance Group, has announced plans for a new foodstore and petrol station at George Richards Way in Broadheath. The site is currently home to a dated warehouse unit and the proposals will bring the land back into full economic use.

The new 40,000 sq ft net store would create over 300 jobs, with training available in skills such as butchery, bakery, grocery, logistics and general commercial management. Property Alliance Group will work with the retailer, Trafford Council and local Jobcentre Plus to ensure that the employees of the store are recruited from Broadheath, nearby areas and colleges.

The new store will increase choice and competition locally, creating a better deal for the customer.

Property Alliance Group is currently preparing a planning application for submission to Trafford Council. Ahead of this, members of the public are invited to view the proposals and discuss them with the development team at a public exhibition taking place on:

Friday 14 December 2012 between 3pm and 8pm at St Albans Church Hall, Lindsell Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 5NX

A Property Alliance Group spokesperson said:

‘We are pleased to launch our public consultation which we hope will enable us to understand the community’s views on our plans and answer any questions that they may have.

‘These proposals represent a significant investment in Broadheath that will increase the choice of food retailers for residents and bring a good value foodstore to the local area creating hundreds of jobs.’

If residents are unable to attend the public exhibition or have any questions regarding the plans, they can contact the dedicated community information line on 0161 247 8417 or email
broadheathfoodstore@lexcomm.co.uk

KEY QUESTIONS RAISED SO FAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
* Will it take footfall away from the main town centre… so far consensus is it will be healthy competition for Tesco’s and Sainsburys locally as well as Asda at Trafford Park rather than high streets

* Will traffic infrastructure stand up to another big store locally around the retail park / Park Road bottleneck

* Do we need another big store locally?

http://altrinchamhq.co.uk/blog/news-...th-altrincham/

[flange]

It looks like another new store will be opening at the Lowry Outlet Mall, with Pagazzi now listed on the Store directory on their website. Pagazzi are listed as opening in Unit G11 which is the former Zavvi unit on the ground floor.

http://www.lowryoutlet.co.uk/stores/pagazzi

http://www.pagazzi.com/

Also on the Lowry website now @Home has been taken down from the Store Directory, which could indicate that the store has now closed down, it did look very much low on stock when I was at the Lowry over the weekend.

[WatcherZero]

HMV have issued a warning their likely to breach their banking covenants next month leading to possible administration.

[WingTips]

Originally Posted by flange

It looks like another new store will be opening at the Lowry Outlet Mall, with Pagazzi now listed on the Store directory on their website. Pagazzi are listed as opening in Unit G11 which is the former Zavvi unit on the ground floor.

http://www.lowryoutlet.co.uk/stores/pagazzi

http://www.pagazzi.com/

Also on the Lowry website now @Home has been taken down from the Store Directory, which could indicate that the store has now closed down, it did look very much low on stock when I was at the Lowry over the weekend.

The plan was to close early Jan or when ever they ran out of stock,which ever came first, as you rightly say stock is now at almost nil, so probably as earlier closure for @home

[monkey_rat]

Not seen this mentioned on here, nice little addition to the northern quarter from the looks of things:

http://www.facebook.com/BonBonChocolateWorkshop

If it succeeds it should put paid to the owner of the chocolate shop on Deansgate's bitter bollocks comments about Mancunians only liking chain stores.

[flange]

Workmen have been working in the former Vodafone unit at Piccadilly Station this week, seeming to fit it out, though who for is unknown right now.

Currys/PC World at Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street.



Workmen have recently been in the former American Graffiti on Hilton Street.

Originally Posted by monkey_rat

Not seen this mentioned on here, nice little addition to the northern quarter from the looks of things:

http://www.facebook.com/BonBonChocolateWorkshop

If it succeeds it should put paid to the owner of the chocolate shop on Deansgate's bitter bollocks comments about Mancunians only liking chain stores.

Bon Bon on John Street in the Northern Quarter, from the owner of Teacup, the place was proving very popular this afternoon.



The new entrance to Primark on Market Street now open.



EE is now reopen in the Arndale following their store refurbishment.

Tailor Mayde For You are opening in the Corn Exchange in the former florist unit on the lower ground floor.

Bottega Venta is now open on the ground floor at Selfridges in between Fendi, Dior & Louis Vuitton

Lissom & Muster is now open on Tib Street.



Store closing and total liquidation signs have now gone up in the windows at Staples on Deansgate.

Wings is now open on King Street West.

[markydeedrop]

Burger King, 99p Stores and Swarovski have all opened this week at The Rock. Greggs will be opening soon.

[markydeedrop]

Also noticed that Kuoni are fitting out a unit next to Topshop/Topman in the Trafford Centre today.

[js1000]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

HMV have issued a warning their likely to breach their banking covenants next month leading to possible administration.

The level of business acumen (or lack of it) at the top these days is pretty shocking to be honest. Its just full of spivs who don't know what they're doing. Honestly, all those retail businesses do is: BUY PRODUCTS WISELY & THEN SELL FOR A PROFIT. Its not like running a restaurant where everything has a to be consistently perfect for a customer base to exist. Having ran a business, my father can never hide his dismay at how retailers such as GAME, Woolworths, HMV can find themselves in such trouble.

[madferret]

Speechless. Do you live in the 1950s? Did the internet and the banking crisis never happen?

[iheartthenew]

Nah Madferret, Js has a point. The Internet has been around for years. Some of the biggest websites are those from bricks and mortar retailers. If it was the fault of the recession and the internet/supermarkets it shows how precarious their business model was. Adapt and die. I mean the recession/supermarkets/Internet affect all retailers. How come Wilkinsons is still going long after Woolworth's collapsed? Currys while Comet went? Look how the likes of Greggs the bakers are less bakers more take-away.... Where have all of Waterstones rivals gone? Most of the retailers that went lost there way/failed to adapt/asset stripped or genuinely badly run with too many stores.

[WatcherZero]

Its not just buying and selling though, you have to anticipate demand, identify possible store locations with a large enough market, counteract the competition.

Its not as simple as Wilkinsons buy generic toilet brush, sell generic toilet brush.

[Pit-yacker]

Originally Posted by js1000

The level of business acumen (or lack of it) at the top these days is pretty shocking to be honest. Its just full of spivs who don't know what they're doing. Honestly, all those retail businesses do is: BUY PRODUCTS WISELY & THEN SELL FOR A PROFIT. Its not like running a restaurant where everything has a to be consistently perfect for a customer base to exist. Having ran a business, my father can never hide his dismay at how retailers such as GAME, Woolworths, HMV can find themselves in such trouble.

...and when your whole business model dissapears from underneath your feet? All of the retail chains you name (and you can add others) are in trouble or have been in trouble for several years because Internet retailers can supply exactly the same product cheaper because Internet retailers dont have the same overheads such as lots of employees and a network of shops to support.

Originally Posted by iheartthenew

Nah Madferret, Js has a point. The Internet has been around for years. Some of the biggest websites are those from bricks and mortar retailers.

...and a number of these retailers have been in trouble for years.

If it was the fault of the recession and the internet/supermarkets it shows how precarious their business model was. Adapt and die.

In a number of cases the credit crunch was the last nail in the coffin that killed businesses that might have otherwise been able to adapt. Nervous financial institutions became reluctant to give credit insurance. Without that suppliers would only supply if the retailer paid up front. They didnt have that cash so went to the wall.

That said, arguably in some cases "Adapt and die" could have meant/mean closing most or all of their physical shops.

I mean the recession/supermarkets/Internet affect all retailers.

Supermarkets are less badly effected as people always need to buy food. However, havent Tesco started to make a pull-back from electricals in the last year as it is difficult to make money on it?

Equally Internet retailers dont have the same overheads. For many years a number were supplying goods from tax havens such as Jersey to cut their overheads even further. It simply isnt possible to do that on the high-street.

How come Wilkinsons is still going long after Woolworth's collapsed?

Do Wilkinsons make a large part of their sales from selling DVDs, CDs, etc?

Currys while Comet went?

Errr... Currys have hardly had an easy time over the past few years. They have the same fundamental problem as Comet: People go to the store to look at the goods and then go online and buy cheaper from someone else. Currys have invested in turning the business around. However, I cant say whether they are out of the woods and to what extent Currys have deeper pockets and more willing investors than other chains.

Look how the likes of Greggs the bakers are less bakers more take-away....

I'm not aware that Greggs have fandamentally changed their business model at all in the last 25-years.

Where have all of Waterstones rivals gone?

Couldn't compete with Internet retailers? Again Waterstones seem to have the same fundamental issue as Currys and Comet. They haven't had an easy time. Their fortunes have improved since HMV sold the chain. However, if you were asking this "man on the street" to invest, my answer would be no.

[Lynyrd]

Originally Posted by flange

Currys/PC World at Central Retail Park on Great Ancoats Street.

Has PC World on Pin Mill Brow closed and relocated here?