Retail Shorts: Il Porticciolo debuts on King´s Road | Primark Opens In Salisbury | Nike Rise at Bullring

IL PORTICCIOLO LAUNCHES DEBUT AT SLOANE STANLEY’S KING’S ROAD

Luxury childrenswear boutique, Il Porticciolo is debuting at 253 King’s Road, reinforcing the appeal of the King’s Road in attracting high-quality names to the heart of Chelsea.

The 100 sq m space boasting a two-level boutique, showcases the brand’s classic childrenswear, including cashmere, pure merino wool jumpers, and traditional hand and machine-made smocked dresses ranging from ages 0 to 12 years old. Designed in-house by the brand, the King’s Road store marks Il Porticciolo’s only brick-and-mortar location, elevating its appeal to customers across London and afar.

The luxury childrenswear retailer joins several stores on the Estate, such as Townhouse, the luxury nail care brand, Designer’s Guild, the inspirational home décor company, Timothy Oulton, the bespoke furniture brand, as well as the recently opened Jeroboams, the local wine merchant, and Birdie Fortescue, the boutique lifestyle brand.

“The King’s Road is one of the most established and recognized locations in London and we are proud to call it our home. We’ve managed to form a strong online presence, and this flagship store will deliver a home for our customers and allow us to build our brand awareness further and be more accessible to the local community. Sloane Stanley has provided us with our first prominent space in the heart of Chelsea, and we look forward to being a part of this eclectic destination”, says Carola Ploederl Cafiero, Founder of Il Porticciolo.

Primark Opens Its Doors In Salisbury City Center

The new store is located in the prime central Salisbury retail destination of the Old George Mall, which is managed by Railpen, and spans 2760 sq m across two floors. Marking a 6-million-pound investment, the opening has led to the creation of more than 100 jobs and brings some of Primark’s newest store features to Salisbury, including self-service checkouts.

Its opening means that for the first time, Salisbury shoppers will be able to snap up Primark’s popular ranges of everyday essentials and latest trends across women’s, men’s and kidswear, as well as beauty and home.

Primark Salisbury is the retailer’s 192nd store in the UK, its first new store in England in more than two years and comes as part of Primark’s 140-million-pound investment in UK retail. Looking ahead, Primark is targeting 530 stores worldwide by the end of 2026. This will include previously announced new stores in Bury St Edmunds, Teesside Park and Glasgow Fort, as well as relocations in High Wycombe and Bradford.

Alex Luker, Asset Manager at Railpen, commented on the opening: “Primark’s opening is a significant moment for Old George Mall. As a key anchor to the destination, Primark elevates our existing retail offer and delivers a leading high street brand to the centre, which is popular, relevant, and accessible. Not only does this opening signify a vote of confidence in Salisbury and the wider community, but it also represents Old George Mall’s appeal in attracting multinational retailers, reinforcing our position as the prime retail destination in Salisbury.”

“Today marks an important milestone for Primark as we open our first store in England in more than two years – our 192nd store in the UK”, adds Kari Rodgers, Primark UK Retail Director. “We made a commitment to invest 140 million pounds in our UK store estate to help create stores that customers want to spend time and bring shoppers back to the high street and I’m delighted to see this store open as part of that commitment. We hope that this store will excite and delight Salisbury residents and visitors alike.”

Nike Rise selects Hammerson’s Bullring for first concept store in Birmingham

Nike will open its first ever ‘Nike Rise’ concept store in Birmingham at Bullring & Grand Central, reflecting the strategy to reinvigorate the asset with new brands, concepts and market firsts.

Located at the gateway to Bullring and just metres from the iconic steel ‘Bull’, Nike Birmingham will follow the Rise concept’s success across Asia and the US, when it launches later this year. This is the second Nike Rise to open in the UK and the first outside of London.

Pioneers in bringing accessible in-store tech to its customers, the 1207 sq m Nike Rise format will feature several data-driven elements that are specifically tailored to be unique to its location, and help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions. Nike Birmingham will also host local events for members including run clubs and in-store workouts.

“This high-profile signing is yet again a clear sign of the value brands see in Bullring; its importance to the UK market and to all the people who live in, work in, and visit Birmingham. We are always looking to introduce new and exciting concepts across our portfolio, and Nike Rise is a great example of how we can combine a community focus with retail innovation here in Bullring”, comments Toby Tait, Director Asset Management, Hammerson.

The signing of Nike Rise is the latest in a long line of brands that have chosen Bullring for a regional debut or flagship store. Kenji, the East Asian inspired homeware brand, opened its first West Midlands store at the destination late last year, and is set to be joined in 2023 by a regional flagship for leading sportswear retailer JD.