The Arndale’s darkest clothes shop, the Abercrombie & Fitch spin-off Hollister, has closed. The store, which caused roadblock queues when it opened - queues which were sometimes policed by shirtless male models - has moved a few doors down into the unit previously taken up by the Disney store.
In one thread on Twitter pointing out the old unit’s closure, one customer joked that the Hollister stores are ‘unaffected by rising energy costs… a whole shop powered by a single 40 watt light bulb’. Another lamented ‘always so dark inside’, while others said they ‘always thought it was a bar’.
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The store, which sells ‘Southern California-inspired apparel and accessories aimed at young adults’, first opened in October, 2011, with its distinctive shutters and ultra-low lighting inside.
The plans to move it were announced late last year, alongside a number of other existing operators moving units or new operators moving in, including Clarks and Pizza Hut. Hollister sister shop Gilly Hicks, which sells ‘Underwear, activewear & loungewear designed to take you to your happy place’, will be moving into the space left vacant by Topshop.
The new Hollister store is open now, though there’s no confirmed plans for the old store as yet.
Colin Flinn, 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.
“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.”
The Arndale is currently 95% occupied, with over 42 million visitors heading through the shopping centre every year.
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