“Iconic” Leeds shopping destination announces five new openings and an upsize

A Leeds ‘aspirational lifestyle and shopping destination’ continues to flourish with the announcement that five new brands will be arriving to its “iconic” arcades over the next few months.

Victoria Leeds will add Phase Eight, Whistles, The Whisky Shop, Jimmy Fairly and Townhouse Nails to its already impressive portfolio of brands. Premium trainer specialist Size? has also expanded its space to offer a unique conceptual retail experience.

Victoria Leeds continues to cement its position as the ‘preferred destination’ outside of London for trailblazing, desirable brands that would typically be located in aspirational districts in the capital, such as Marylebone High Street, Covent Garden and Chelsea.

Phase Eight, of The Foschini Group (TFG) will take its flagship design, modelled on the brand’s Westfield White City location and will be positioned alongside Whistles, also of TFG, which is gearing up for its return to Leeds as a standalone store. Both new stores will be located in Victoria Gate and will be opening at the end of June.

Townhouse Nails will open one of its first standalone salons in the north of England, also in Victoria Gate, whilst Jimmy Fairly will open in Victoria Quarter, priding itself on being ‘the coolest optician in town’ and offering French-made eyewear and eye tests to the fashion-conscious customer.

Premium spirits experts, The Whisky Shop, will open in County Arcade, where visitors will find a huge range of whiskies, including limited-edition, rare bottles priced in excess of £70k.

In addition to the new arrivals, designer trainer specialist Size? has upsized its space to a new three-floor unit on King Edward Street within Victoria Quarter. The space presents shoppers with a conceptual experience and is four-times the size of its former store.

The destination is asset-managed by real estate specialists, Rivington Hark, and property managed by Montagu Evans. Robert Hadfield, director at Rivington Hark, commented: “For us, retail is no longer just about real estate, and the days of relying on cookie-cutter shopping centre concepts for success are long gone.

“We are constantly seeking new ways of curating compelling experiences for both our brands and customers, which means traditional leasing activity has become somewhat of a by-product.

’’Our focus is on delivering exciting mixed-uses that vary constantly to maintain the feeling of moment and wonder. All our new lettings alongside our existing tenants expanding their spaces, have ensured Victoria Leeds has significantly more entrants compared to one year ago.“

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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