A new store has opened its doors in the Arndale Centre, offering a range of activewear, loungewear and intimates. Gilly Hicks, a branch of the Abercrombie & Fitch Co. family of brands, opened its first store in Manchester on Wednesday, moving into part of the former Topshop space in a newly created unit.
The clothing store has recently expanded its offering to include menswear and a gender-neutral collection.
It has snapped up the space where Topshop once was which has been empty since the Arcadia group went into liquidation in 2020.
Located on the lower floor of the shopping centre, the new store coincides with its sister company Hollister moving to the former Disney Store unit.
Gilly Hicks underwear, activewear and loungewear says it is designed to “take you to your Happy Place” and offers a “Hollister Carefree style for a year-round summer state of mind.”
The store has joined other new arrivals Clarks, iFix and Pizza Hut who will also be adding to Manchester Arndale’s range of retailers and F&B outlets.
This surge of leasing news follows the announcement that Manchester Arndale is now at 95% retail occupancy, confirming its position as one of the premier shopping destinations in the North West.
In October 2022, Colin Flinn, a spokesperson for Manchester Arndale, said: “We are delighted that Clarks, Gilly Hicks, iFix and Pizza Hut have decided to join the line up at Manchester Arndale.
“Rather than try and re-let the whole of the former Topshop space, we made the decision to split the space, and create three new high-quality units in a prime location.
“This decision has proved correct as we have now secured two well-known tenants, with the last unit currently under offer, which shows that retailer demand for quality, well placed units remains high.
“We are equally pleased that Hollister and Swarovski have recommitted to Manchester Arndale, demonstrating confidence in the centre as we continue to attract and retain popular international brands and retailers.”
Manchester Arndale is one of the UK’s largest city centre shopping malls and on average welcomes over 42 million visitors a year.
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