Growth for Victoria Leeds

Yorkshire’s leading 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? have also expanded their 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.

Located in the heart of the city centre, this destination blends historic architecture with contemporary design across Victoria Quarter and Victoria Gate to create a stunning unique lifestyle destination where visitors can shop, dine and experience more.

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 their 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 £70,000.

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.

Victoria Leeds has long been associated with some of the world’s most renowned retail and restaurant brands and is home to the likes of Harvey Nichols, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, Boodles, John Lewis & Partners, Molton Brown, Penhaligon’s, and The Ivy Asia.

Experiential Encounters

The destination is asset managed by real estate specialists, Rivington Hark, and property managed by Montagu Evans.

Robert Hadfield, Director at Rivington Hark, said: “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. This is a great achievement and has strengthened our position to take a more strategic and longer-term view on our brand mix and what we can deliver for the discerning Victoria Leeds customer.”

Constantly evolving

Victoria Leeds has helped the city to become the third-largest retail destination outside of London. Jo Coburn, Senior General Manager at Victoria Leeds, Montagu Evans, said: “Retail is constantly evolving so acquiring a dynamic sense of ‘now’ has never been more important. The new brands are a welcome addition to Victoria Leeds as our brand mix is key to ensuring that our beautiful destination is first on the bucket list when you’re visiting our fantastic city.

“It is our aim to create engaging, relevant experiences and events around this mix, that build anticipation and engagement with our customers and, ultimately, a true sense of belonging to the Victoria Leeds community. From Fashion Weekenders and immersive activations to large-scale artistry and involvement in cultural city trails. We work proactively with all our city partners to make Victoria Leeds one of the most inspiring places to visit when you’re in the city centre.”