Retail in Greater Manchester

[flange]

Originally Posted by neil081273

It looks like there's a new tenant for the old Oasis store on King Street... They're currently replacing the shop front

Thanks neil.

The long empty unit at Maybrook House (the former North American Travel Agency) has finally been let, but I dont think many people will like who will be opening their.

Tesco signs up for more space in Manchester

By Simon Binns

Tesco Express and IBM have both been signed up as new tenants at Maybrook House on the corner of Blackfriars Street and Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

Michael Lopian, a partner at Lopian Wagner Solicitors, acted for Manchester-based property firm Arbela on the lease deals.

Tesco Express will take 4,600 sq ft on the ground floor and IBM who have taken 11,500 sq ft in the building.

Lopian said: “My clients are pleased with the substantial covenants coming in to Maybrook House. I have dealt with a number of supermarket retailers in the past and whilst negotiations are never easy it is always a relief when the deal is finally done.”

Tesco expect to be open for the Christmas trade. This will be their first store on Deansgate.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....910209985/1083

This will be Tesco's sixth store in the city centre.

Tesco Metro - Market Street
Tesco Express - Quay Street
Tesco Express - Piccadilly
Tesco Express - Princess Street
Tesco Express - Church Street
Tesco Express - Deansgate

The last two both opening before Christmas.

[Joydivison82]

I think Sainsbury's have far better locations. When I am in the city centre it always seems to be a Sainsbury's I buy quick snacks from although their store in Picciddilly Station may have something to with that.

[uklad1979]

The north american travel store is very small so I imagine they are taking the jessops store too as it seems it was put back on the market by co-op. Sainsburys will need find a new site to keep up as they have 5....
Oxford Rd/Whitworth St
Deansgate/Bridge St
Mosley St
Piccadilly Station
Quay St

[flange]

Also Co-Op will have 4 stores in the city centre when they have refurbed the Somerfield store at Piccadilly to a Co-Op Food store.

Corporation Street
Piccadilly Approach
High Street
Piccadilly

[flange]

Pets at Home are opening a new store soon at Trafford Retail Park, application for signage is online, but no documents yet.

http://planning.trafford.gov.uk/Nort...DAURI=PLANNING

[flange]

Orange opens first mobile phone concession in Asda superstore

Mobile phone operator Orange has opened its first concession in an Asda store that could lead to 30 such units around the UK if the trial proves successful.

The shop-in-shop began trading on October 8 in the grocer’s Eastland store in Manchester and represents the latest move by the mobile networks to operate concessions within major retailers’ stores. Orange already operates 20 units in HMV outlets and Phones 4u recently opened a concession in a Currys Megastore in Birmingham.

The Orange unit in the Asda store has seven dedicated employees from the mobile company who are focused on selling phones, accessories and laptops. To avoid any conflict with the existing Asda mobile offer the concession will not be selling Orange prepay deals.

http://www.theretailbulletin.com/new...tore_21-10-09/

[flange]

The Officers Club are reopening in Manchester and this time will be opening a store in the city centre in the Arndale, job applications are online now.

https://www.manchesterarndale.com/job_details-4059.htm

http://www.theofficersclub.co.uk/

[future.architect]

Originally Posted by flange

http://www.theretailbulletin.com/new...tore_21-10-09/

its been there since at least early september!?

[flange]

O'Neil and Freespirit are both having closing down sales, due to the company that own them going into administration.

New Look has been refurbished on Lower Peel Avenue

Kodak Express Print Lounge are opening their first store on Upper Peel Avenue in the former West One unit, it is a brand new concept store that will be a mix of a coffee store with printing out photos from the touch screen printers by the sounds of things.

The Applause Store are opening a new store on Lower Regents Crescent.

Applause Store opens incredible new shop in THE TRAFFORD CENTRE, MANCHESTER...[

Applause Store is opening a glittering new shop in The Trafford Shopping Centre, Mancherster on the 31ST OCTOBER 2009 and YOU are invited to check out exclusive TOP GEAR, X FACTOR, BIG BROTHER, DOCTOR WHO, BEN 10, MY NAME IS EARL, SUPERMAN, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and RED DWARF merchandise, plus much, much more!

Located on the ground floor set between The Disney Store and River Island, why not pop-in, book some exclusive free TV audience tickets and pick-up some fantastic television related merchandise perfect for a unique and exclusive Christmas present!

We look forward to welcoming you there!

http://www.applausestore.com/applaus...ews.php#news52

[flange]

Adams plots expansion to claw back position under new owner

October 23, 2009

By Eve Oxberry

The new owner of Adams Childrenswear has vowed to return the retailer to its former position as a high street leader with an aggressive store expansion programme and more premium offer.

Habib Alvi, which operates in the textiles and financial services industries, bought Adams from former chairman and owner John Shannon in September. Shannon, who had rescued Adams from administration twice before, is no longer involved in the business.

Adams has re-opened five of its former stores in the past six weeks and will open five more before the end of November, in Dartford, Bolton, Andover in Hampshire, Coventry and Kettering in Northamptonshire.

Four Adams concessions will also open in Menarys department stores in Ireland within the next five weeks. Adams currently has 124 stores and 17 concessions.

Adams has also expanded its price points with the introduction of more premium ranges.

Retail director Paul Walkden said that he is initially proposing 15 new stores before Easter. “The owners seem very ambitious. I expect expansion to escalate in 2010.”

The kidswear chain will initially target key shopping centre sites it lost during its two administrations, including Bluewater, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and the MetroCentre in Gateshead. Adams is also targeting international expansion via its franchise partners, with India and Poland first on the agenda.

Walkden said that trade had been stronger than forecast since the takeover, but that year-on-year comparisons were difficult because the stores were discounting heavily last year in anticipation of administration.

He added: “We are far less reliant on discounting since the investment by Habib Alvi.”

Walkden also said Adams was committed to continuing its store refit programme, which began last September, and said the new investment would allow this.

Adams’ contract with US kidswear chain Gymboree, which saw two Adams stores carry Gymboree’s Crazy 8 product from autumn 09, is due for review at the end of this month. It is unclear whether it will be extended.

http://www.retail-week.com/property/...007321.article

[neil081273]

Puma in the Arndale has finally closed

[Manchester Man UK]

Originally Posted by neil081273

Puma in the Arndale has finally closed

WHY ?

[flange]

Puma are closing down all their stores in the U.K. except for one which is in London.

Puma to axe all but one UK store as it cuts costs after punishing Q1

29 May, 2009

By Ben Cooper

German sportswear retailer Puma is exiting all but one of its UK stores as part of a major international disposal programme.

The retailer, owned by French retail group PPR, will close 12 UK shops, leaving only its flagship store on London’s Carnaby Street.

In the past year Puma has opened stores in some of the UK’s most prestigious new shopping centres, including Liverpool One, Bristol’s Cabot Circus, Westfield London and Victoria Square in Belfast.

It is understood Puma has retained agent Kitchen La Frenais Morgan to dispose of its UK portfolio, which also includes shops at Manchester’s Arndale Centre, Meadowhall and on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street.

A Puma spokesman told Retail Week the retailer was implementing a “cost reduction programme” across the company that would involve “evaluating and streamlining its existing store portfolio”, but declined to comment on what store closures this would lead to.

In its first quarter Puma reported comparable sales fell 0.8 per cent worldwide but fell most sharply in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, by 3 per cent to €366m (£319m). Before restructuring costs, pre-tax profit was down to €112.4m (£98m) from €126.8m (£110.5m) the previous year.

Puma said it expected its worldwide cost reduction programme to yield savings of €150m (£130.7m) in the 2011 financial year. The retailer is also understood to be scaling back its international portfolio, with closures in France and Germany expected.

Puma chief executive Jochen Zeitz said at the results: “We have decided to implement further measures to align our cost structure with the current market environment, ensuring a platform for profitable growth in the future.”

Kitchen La Frenais Morgan was unavailable for comment.

http://www.retail-week.com/property/...003100.article

[jrb]

Crains.

Harvey Nicks spends Christmas in Trafford Centre
12:00 a.m., Mon - Harvey Nichols is planning to open a 2,000 sq ft seasonal Christmas food market and wine shop in Peel Group's Trafford Centre.

[Comdot]

Recession shuts down 26,000 shops
Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:08pm GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - The lingering recession has forced almost 26,000 shops out of business, draining life from the economy and leaving hundreds of town centres pockmarked with empty premises, figures from The Local Data Company show.

One in ten of the 251,462 shops in 705 town centres tracked by the data house closed up in the nine months to end-September, as restrained consumer spending and credit pressures took their toll on frail businesses, the data showed.

More than a fifth of shops in local malls, department stores and mail order centres have fallen victim to the crunch, closely followed by womenswear and childrenswear shops, with 18 percent closing in the period.

Crushing a broad perception that retail chains are more secure than independent retailers, The Local Data Company said both types had been hit equally hard by the slump, seeing 9.9 percent and 10.1 percent of failures respectively since January.

Local accommodation businesses have proved most resilient to the downturn so far, the figures showed, with just 4 percent of 5,039 premises failing to survive.

The figures will make particularly unpleasant reading for hundreds of retail property landlords, who are still required to pay business rates on their properties even if their tenant moves out, Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said.

"Business secretary Lord Mandelson said the government's empty property tax was 'good for business'. But if charging a hardship tax on real estate firms' vacancies is the government's idea of helping business then I'd hate to see him helping an old lady across the road," Peace said.

(Reporting by Sinead Cruise; Editing by Andrew Macdonald)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE59P20Y20091026

[flange]

Originally Posted by jrb

Crains.

[flange]

The former Harpoon Louie's clearence store is now closed, ready for Vans to open their new store their in November.



Domo are now open in the Arndale.



Duffer are now open in the Arndale.



Comet are now open in the Arndale.



Helly Hansen are now open in the Arndale.



Puma is now being striped out ready for a new tennant to take occupation.

Former Original Shoe Company store now has hoarding around the unit.

A new shopfront has been installed for TK Maxx on Market Street.

Poshu are now open on Police Street.



Hoardings are now going up around the former Oasis store on King Street.

Cabbage & Roses are now open within Jigsaw at The Triangle.

http://www.cabbagesandroses.com/

RCMods are now open at The Triangle.

Eyes N Brows are now open at The Triangle.

O'Neil and Freespirit are now both closed at The Triangle.

Tesco are going to be taking both the Jessops and North America Travel Service units when they open their new store on Deansgate, license notes are in the windows of both units.

Christopher James are going to be opening in the former Sportizus unit on St Anns St, signage is starting to go up in unit now, they could possibly be relocating from The Triangle.

Wave Contemporary Jewellery are extending their store at the Royal Exchange Arcade.

Loewe are going to be opening in one of the units at St James Sq, they will be in unit 1a, the unit nearest Moo Cow Coffee.

http://www.loewe-uk.com/uk/produkte.html

Loewe expands Galerie stores across the UK

02 OCT 2009

Check out the new Loewe GaleriesLoewe will open six more Galerie retail stores in the UK this autumn. They'll be located in Chichester, Kensington, the Lake District, Manchester, Sheffield and Southampton.

This will bring the total number of Loewe Galeries worldwide to 250 by the end of 2009.

The Kensington Galerie in London joins Loewe's other London Galeries in Hampstead, Battersea and concessions in Selfridges and Harrods.

Kevin Kelly, Loewe UK's managing director, says: "This second phase of Galerie openings endorses the great success of our existing Galerie stores since they launched a year ago."

Loewe Galeries can also be found in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Rome, Vienna, Moscow and Hong Kong.

The opening of the new stores will coincide with the launch of Loewe's flagship Reference TV.

http://whathifi.com/News/Loewe-expan...across-the-UK/

[markydeedrop]

Great update flange

[jrb]

The bastard child of the Trafford Centre. No?

MEN.

Segro eye retail move in Trafford Park
October 27, 2009

PARTS of Trafford Park may be turned into retail and leisure operations as a major landlord looks to develop new opportunities.

Slough-based Segro bought 3.2 million sq ft of space at Trafford Park in June through the acquisition of Brixton.

Its tenants there include Speedy Hire and AKW Group.

It is now set to collaborate with Trafford council in talks about Trafford Park’s future, which could see the change of use of some units.

Segro managing director Ian Sutcliffe said: “I will be travelling up to meet with the borough council and want to develop a long-term plan.

“We want to make sure we do the right thing for the regeneration of all of the borough.”

Mr Sutcliffe said that parts of the park, particularly areas close to the Trafford Centre and Old Trafford, were not obviously suited to industrial use, and retail or leisure could be more appropriate.

He added: “We have got to take a step back and look at it on a plot-by-plot basis.”

Mr Sutcliffe said Segro is committed to tackling the 28 per cent vacancy rate on its Trafford Park holdings, but warned that there was no quick fix.

“It is a symptom of the times and we have got to get set for the long haul,” he said.

“We’ve got a long-term commitment to the north west and Manchester in particular.”

He added: “The market is very difficult and will remain so for 18 to 24 months.

“A lot of businesses have not yet fully felt the effects of the recession. It is incredibly difficult to do deals when everybody is so concerned with costs, consolidation and saving space.” Segro also owns the 2.5m sq ft Heywood

Distribution Park, which it bought for around £150m in 2005.

Tenants there include Argos and Eddie Stobart.

It is now pursuing a Simplified Planning Zone (SPZ) at the park in a move that would see tenants’ planning applications fast-tracked through the system.

Mr Sutcliffe said he was confident the application would be successful.

He said: “We work closely with local councils and they realise that what we are trying to do is supply a secure and long-term employment base.

“We already have this status at our site in Slough and it works very well.

“It means that you can get a development moving quickly because the principle is already accepted, which gives us flexibility.”

[flange]

Co-op rebrands Piccadilly Gardens store

By James Chapelard

The Co-operative has begun converting the former Somerfield branch in Manchester’s Piccadilly into a Co-operative Store.

As previously reported in Crain’s the new branch will be the fourth Co-op store in the city centre following recent openings on High Street and Station Approach. The Co-op said the move would secure 38 jobs.

The store will open at 7am on Friday (30 October) and is among the first Somerfield stores in the UK to convert to a Co-operative following The Co-operative Group’s £1.56 billion acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain earlier this year.

The store will feature enhanced and new product ranges, with an emphasis on fresh foods, including the Co-op’s own Fairtrade range, as well as its Healthy Living, Simply Value and premium Truly Irresistible ranges.

The conversion marks the beginning of a two-year rebranding programme which will see all the Somerfield branches convert to Co-operatives and feature the group’s new brand identity, which aims to highlight its commitment to ethical trading policies.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness....910289991/1159