Retail in Greater Manchester

[skymann]

Originally Posted by jrb

First glimpses of the new interior?

Quintain Appoints Mission Control

Quintain Estates and Development PLC has appointed Mission Control to install, manage and create content for a digital signage solution in the new Royal Exchange Shopping Centre, Manchester. Using Future Software DigiShow products, Mission Control plans to deliver HD content to wow the customers and create a unique shopping environment in the centre of the retail core.

That is nice. I'm confused how there is a glass roof? I though the shopping centre was directly under the theatre space. Obviously the Royal Exchange is kinda tardis-like or something. Great to see it's gonna come back into use. It used to be great before the bomb, but never recovered after that - now a new start.

[Isaac Newell]

I think the theatre only uses half the original trading floor.

I say I think, but am not sure.

[rolybling]

Originally Posted by Metrolink

That beach shop has been there for ages, must be about a year now.

yeah its been there ages

[jrb]

ILVA, Piccadilly Basin.

[The Longford]

Definitely the sexiest retail park ever! Only in manchester!

[kids]

Originally Posted by The Longford

Definitely the sexiest retail park ever! Only in manchester!

Right opposite central retail park, what a contrast!

[The Longford]

Some have suggested that central has had its day and Mcr Fort will wipe it out. There is no room to expand at central so hopefully it'll clear off and we'll get something decent in its place.
I think ILVA has just been let to one retailer hasnt it- a high end furniture store?
Proving retail parks dont have to be shit (with its architecture if not the concept)

[skymann]

Originally Posted by The Longford

Some have suggested that central has had its day and Mcr Fort will wipe it out. There is no room to expand at central so hopefully it'll clear off and we'll get something decent in its place.
I think ILVA has just been let to one retailer hasnt it- a high end furniture store?
Proving retail parks dont have to be shit (with its architecture if not the concept)

It's a pity the City council didn't insist that Mcr Fort could only be built if the Central one was knocked down (with the units relocatinf to the Fort). It's too prime an area to last. Must surely have a very limited period left (fingers crossed).

The ILVA company are a Danish equivalent to IKEA (bit better quality and slightly more expensive). Save having to got to Warrington IKEA (until they build one in Gtr Manchester - either city centre or that one off the M60 in east mcr - Ashton Moss??). The development is for the ILVA store only. If the furniture is as stylish as the development - it should be good. Our chance to support Denmark too! I've seen the cartoons and I can understand why Muslims might be offended, but the reaction is like something from the Dark Ages. Scary stuff. Like a kinda Spanish Inquisition reaction - totally OTT. It's not two cultures clashing - it's two time zones - 21stC and 15thC (or even 8th C where groups like the Taliban are concerned). Hope no Muslims boycott ILVA in Mcr when it opens.

[rolybling]

it looks ok compared to Central but I think its totally inappropriate for that site.

Disappointed of Whalley Range.

[Northbeach]

I thought I read that this experiment had not been wholly succesful, clearly I was wronged on bad wordings.

City's shoppers get longer hours

Shops in Manchester city centre are to stay open late all year round after a successful Christmas for retailers.
Stores experienced a 7% increase in sales in the run-up to the festive period, compared to the national figures of 2.6%.

But late-night shopping experienced the biggest boom with some shops generating 20% of their weekly income after 1800 GMT during Autumn months.

On average, retailers reported a 17% increase during after-work hours.

The figures were release by the Manchester City Centre Management Company (MCCMC) on Tuesday.

Shopping trend

Heavy workloads and shorter lunch breaks are believed to be behind the trend towards night shopping, the company said.

Psychologist Prof Cary Cooper, from Lancaster University, said: "Consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to shopping for what they want, when they want it any time of day or night.

"The Internet offers total flexibility of 24-hour shopping and today's consumers now expect the same extended shopping times on the high street."

In response to the trend, stores in the Arndale Centre and much of the city centre will now stay open until 2000 GMT every night except Sunday.

Paul Rice, MCCMC's chief executive, said stores wanted to maintain the momentum of the recent figures and respond to what people want from city centre shops.

"Manchester as a destination has so much to offer and late night trading bridges the gap between working hours and people going out in the evening to the theatre, for drinks or to a restaurant," he said.

[roverman]

I welcome the news about the later opening hours, but really it is a no-brainer and it's amazing that it has taken so long for the CBD retail community to address it. Most major cities I have visited on the continent have shops open well into the evening, and the Trafford Centre has been open to 2200hrs for some time now, with great success. So opening the city's shop (how many of them?) until just 2000hrs looks tame but it is a step in the right direction.

It is vital for Manchester to offer more than eating, drinking, and clubbing to its nighttime vistors. The addition of shopping is likely to make the city streets safer, vibrant, and more diverse in the sense of more families and over-35s. In short, a more inclusive and cosmopolitan experience, which the best cities always are. There is still work to be done on the catering front though - as anyone who has tried to get a cup of coffee in the city after about 2100 will testify - all the Starbucks etc have closed and everywhere else just wants to sell you alcohol. It is also difficult to eat in Manchester after 2130-2200 - most places closing their kitchens around that time, and you end up in Rusholme for a mediocre curry. This is not in keeping with a major international city, where you should expect to eat well into the night, or just stop off for a coffee on the way home from the theatre. Manchester is a great city by day, but still lags behind the pace after dark for many people, including me.

[rolybling]

Originally Posted by roverman

I welcome the news about the later opening hours, but really it is a no-brainer and it's amazing that it has taken so long for the CBD retail community to address it. Most major cities I have visited on the continent have shops open well into the evening, and the Trafford Centre has been open to 2200hrs for some time now, with great success. So opening the city's shop (how many of them?) until just 2000hrs looks tame but it is a step in the right direction.

It is vital for Manchester to offer more than eating, drinking, and clubbing to its nighttime vistors. The addition of shopping is likely to make the city streets safer, vibrant, and more diverse in the sense of more families and over-35s. In short, a more inclusive and cosmopolitan experience, which the best cities always are. There is still work to be done on the catering front though - as anyone who has tried to get a cup of coffee in the city after about 2100 will testify - all the Starbucks etc have closed and everywhere else just wants to sell you alcohol. It is also difficult to eat in Manchester after 2130-2200 - most places closing their kitchens around that time, and you end up in Rusholme for a mediocre curry. This is not in keeping with a major international city, where you should expect to eat well into the night, or just stop off for a coffee on the way home from the theatre. Manchester is a great city by day, but still lags behind the pace after dark for many people, including me.

Thats so true Roverman, Ive often wondered why when I've gone abroad and I see shops and services open much later; why I can't see that here in Manchester. The City centre at night time does seem to be mostly about bars and clubs which is fine for all the disco bunnies and piss heads but like you say, what about somewhere you can pop in for a coffee or a snack after 10:00pm;you struggle. Its a shame, the potential is all there it just needs tapping into.

[Sir Miles Platting]

Originally Posted by rolybling

Thats so true Roverman, Ive often wondered why when I've gone abroad and I see shops and services open much later; why I can't see that here in Manchester. The City centre at night time does seem to be mostly about bars and clubs which is fine for all the disco bunnies and piss heads but like you say, what about somewhere you can pop in for a coffee or a snack after 10:00pm;you struggle. Its a shame, the potential is all there it just needs tapping into.

Whatever happened to those wonderful tomaine-dispensing hot-dog/burger stands in town? And the ones where you could get a nice (cracked) cup of milky, lukewarm weak 'tea' where the sugar-spoon was attached to the vehicle with a fuckin' chain no less....

We didn't any of yer fancy-dan posh nosheries in them days...

[flange]

apple are possibly going to be opening another apple store in the manchester arndale extension phase 2 which is opening in april

here is the details

information

floor plan of new arndale extension

[The Longford]

Mac - tastic!

[andysimo123]

Dam it doesnt look very big. I wanted a BIG Apple Store. The one in the Trafford Centre isnt big enough at the weekends you can hardly get in there to have a good look around.

[jrb]

Originally Posted by flange

apple are possibly going to be opening another apple store in the manchester arndale extension phase 2 which is opening in april

here is the details

information

floor plan of new arndale extension

More proof of Manchester's reputation as a city on the up. Their TC store is always packed. There's plenty of money in the city centre aswell.

[The Longford]

Its one less reason to have to go to the TC. Ive been to the Tc more times since the Apple store opened than in my whole life!
Now i need ever go again - hooray!
The one in the TC is always packed but no one seems to be buying owt. The knuckle draggers who go to the TC arent sophisticated enough to appreciate Mac's anyway!

[flange]

yes the apple store does look small but look at other stores on the plan topshop looks fairly small and that is going to be the second biggest outside london so you never know it could end up to be bigger than the trafford store, and it will also probably have a better frontage than the trafford store hopefully actual display windows.

and also about the topman store it is going to be a brand new concept store, details here

topman concept store

and here is a image of what the new arndale will look like when finished

[jrb]

I'm really looking forward to the Royal Exchange opening once again. From what little information we have, it looks/sounds like it's going to be one hell of a refurb. The retail line up has been kept under wraps as well. I don't think we're going to be dissapointed.