[Femaleshopper]

Been going round in circles trying to Register on this site but got there eventually!

I founnd this site through searching for info on Hollister opening! and it was mentioned you don't have enough females so here goes.

I visted ESS on the first day just so I could say I'd been and as already mentioned it was rammed. Went back yesterday afternoon and it was much better. Apart from the up escalator from Clayton Street and the down escalator in TopShop from the top floor were not working - after only 6 days??

Thought I better visit all the shops tho I wouldnt normally go into New Look.

The Mall itself in wonderful, but it puts the rest of ES to shame big time.

Debenhams cafe was not as big as I thought it was going to be from the photos, the pictures they have of Newcastle by the lifts are a nice touch, there didnt actually seem to be that many people at the checkouts tho, maybe it was because everyone had already been and spent there money as it was at the end of the half term.

The overall shop fittings in all the shops I felt were great not just your run of the mill shop fit? All Saints is something else, yes the items are pricey but if you like something you would probably buy it. After not getting the hoop la over the Apple Shop - I now totally get it, its like a kids playground. Top Shop wasnt as big as I thought it would be. Supadry is great - did someone mention it was owned by Supadry rather than Triple S? - it had Triple S on the price tags.

Hollister is going to blow peoples minds when it opens (I hope) I've only been to the one in Westfield and it is awesome and well priced so I hope I'm not going to be disappointed!

I've read thru the 60 odd pages and want to pick up on a couple of thing - I cannot believe North Tyneside Council knocked back Krispy Kreme! and the Marble Slab Shop looks a bit bleak and doesnt really entice people inside IMHO they should have had the ice cream on view more.

 

[Femaleshopper]

Oh yeah I forgot about the outside!

I try to avoid Clayton Street at all costs along by the Black Garter! so the outside doesnt bother me too much as I would probably use another entrance or come in from ES, but it is an opportunity missed to make it great looking

 

[Femaleshopper]

Towards the end of last year, around October perhaps

They put in an application for a big standalone drive-thru factory store at Silverlink, but it was rejected by the council who felt there were already too many cafes in the surrounding areas and that it would have a detrimental effect on them hno:

They have for the time being shelved plans for a store in Newcastle, and have now focused their attentions on Leeds for 2010!!

Yes I am female

At least Leeds is nearer than London, at one time on the website KK had a store opening just outside of Leeds maybe on a retail park, dont know if that ever happened.

I went to Chester to pick up my new car last year and I am not sure what I was more excited about the car or that there was a KK over the road!!

 

[Femaleshopper]

Whats with the problems you had joining?, a few people on SSC have benn saying similar things. I have to say it was fairly easy for me to join, no real hassle, I just signed up, unless the process has changed.

Anyway it's better if this subject was discussed in the Skybar.

To register you had to wait for the confirmation email which is normal but the email took over 24 hours to arrive, so I assumed it wasn't coming. Once it did arrive it kept sayin the password was wrong but as I had finished the registration process they couldn't send a new one, when I did get them to send one it said I had to wait for an email to confirm but that never arrived, got there eventually tho

Do we get enough tourists to support a HRC?
Anyone been to the American diner in Fenwicks?

 

[Femaleshopper]

When it first opened it was definitely just a normal floor in the Mall, can't remember what was down there other than a great little coffee shop run by Su Pollards German boyfriend- honestly I am not making this up, he used to work it it too, they sold fab cakes. If you walked straight out of Fenwicks into the Mall it was on the left hand side on the corner. I cannot remember what else was down there.

 

[Femaleshopper]

You did well getting into Hollister Chris, I couldn't be bothered to queue at 5, sounds good tho

 

[Femaleshopper]

Finally made it into Hollister! I am quite a bit older than the target audience, but I loved it! As you enter ladies is in your left mens on the right.

It wasn't as dark as I remember the one in Westfield, London but there are spot lights shining on the clothes really bring the colours out

For the brand that is linked to Abercrombie and Fitch the prices are good, apart from the bikinis which were overpriced IMHO

I will be visiting regularly!

 

[Femaleshopper]

That's a shame I could see you in a bikini ; )

 

[Femaleshopper]

Has it been what you expected

The new part of the Mall itself is actually much better than I was expecting, the shops I feel are fitted out to a higher standard than I was expecting, its just a shame that it makes the rest of ES look so tatty.

Has it shifted the retail centre of the City Centre?

I don't know yet, but all I know is other than to go to TopShop I never used to go that end of ES, and when I did get down to TS I would for some reason always come back across Blackett Bridge and back through ES that way, I dont know what the stretch down to the Monument from the old Top Shop is called but I am not interested in any of the shops down there, don't want to offend anyone but most are a bit down market (not all though)

Northumberland Street

Other than cash machines, Next and access to Fenwicks I can probably leave Northumberland Street alone

Has it brought a bit of life back into surrounding areas / streets?

If I am going to the new part of ES, I would probably go the route across Blackett Bridge and walk straight ahead into it that way, I hate the Street with the Black Garter on (sorry I am hopeless on Street names) and avoid at all costs, the surrounding Streets are not much better. At the minute I still think of the Mall as just the floor straight in from ES rather than the shops downstairs as well which is a shame I suppose

 

[Femaleshopper]

There are prices on the tags at Hollister, its just that there is no £ sign next to is, from what I can remember a £ sign and underneath is the € sign it is on the left of the tag then in the middle is just a figure eg. 20, so it wasnt apparent at first that was the price (I thought it was the size at first!)

 

[Femaleshopper]

That looks much better.

Yep it does look good, I don't suppose it's anything to do with Next but it would be nice to improve the walk way from here into Old Eldon Square as it's a bit dark and grim at the minute

 

[Femaleshopper]

Anyway it's nice to see you on here again, I thought we had seen the last of you.

Thanks! no I am still here I love reading all the 'inside' information on what is happening and who is going where.

.

 

[Femaleshopper]

I hope it is a stand alone store- I am not sure how big they usually they have for a store. Does anyone know what size their store usually are and where they could open in the city centre?

I have been in one in London on Marylebone High Street where most of the shops were small so don't know if that is indicitive of the usual shop sizes, it was similar the ground floor of Thorntons in Eldon Square - sorry can't think of a better comparison!

If this doesnt read right - sorry I don't know how to take part of the quote out!

 

[Femaleshopper]

thank you anonymous - but i am official thick as that didn't work either!

 

[Femaleshopper]

Didn't Next used to have a cafe on the top floor of there original shop at the bottom of Northumberland Street where Peacocks is now? had been Woolworths?

PS thanks for the help with the 'quotes' on the previous page

 

[Femaleshopper]

Unless I'm mistaken this is the New Broadway on the junction of the Broadway and Beach Road.

I had heard rumours of that but wouldn't they have to put in for change of use and planning permission? Can't see the neighbours not objecting due to increased traffic etc

 

[Femaleshopper]

Wow, I didn't know we had one of these fish places Newcastle, I read a few months ago about the one in London where they were queuing to get in.

After wandering round ES today I see Kurt Geiger is open, I do like the shop front and sign, (I can see people running off with a shoe or two though!) but I don't see them having any thing different to Fenwicks. Don't know how long the glasses shop has been gone from where Oil and Vinegar used to be on the way to M&S but the shop is empty.

The entrance to Cotswolds on Northumberland Street looks good, well as good as an entrance can!

 

[Femaleshopper]

There is a nice little jewellary shop opening up in Whitley Bay tomorrow. It does nice, minimilist jewellary, including Pandora. I must say it will be a nice change to see a jewellary shop in a town centre that isn't just a shop full or dirty gold. I bet it won't last long though.

It is nice to have a new shop in Whitley Bay that isnt a charity shop!, there are actually quite a few nice one off shops in Whitley Bay especially down Park View? I'm hopeless on street names

 

[Femaleshopper]

Ma Provence, the little French bakery at the top of Grey St, opened today. Went in and had a very nice hot chocolate and a really fresh baguette with pesto, mozarella, tomato and ham - both delicious. The hot chocolate was free, the sandwich was £2.80 (pretty similar price to a number of other sandwich shops and much tastier by a mile) and they sell fresh bread - 90p for a fresh French stick for instance. Plus the staff are lovely (and the French girl is very pretty too!). The decor is pretty straight forward, nothing exciting but perfectly pleasant.

All in all, I really hope this place does well, one of the best little one-off eateries we've had in the city for a while.

Its looked a bit sparse when I have passed, admittedely on the way or back from to work at 9 or 5