The Royal Exchange Manchester gears up for the festive season with new store openings

Premium menswear fashion retailer Yards Store will be moving into a new unit on Old Bank Street, stocking a wide range of brands tailored for urban or outdoor living. Natural health, well-being and beauty retailer Amaranth Wellbeing is opening a store in The Arcade, while Søstrene Grene, the Danish homewares store, has opened its fourth UK store on Cross Street.

Finally, a lease agreement has also been secured with Gym Squared, a new premium gym facility and café, which will be opening in The Arcade in summer 2020. The festive celebrations at the Royal Exchange Manchester will peak Saturday, 14 December, with an afternoon of luxury Christmas shopping (1.00 – 4.00pm). With many stores offering special discounts, promotions, prize-draws and gift-wrapping, shoppers will be serenaded by carol singers, string quartets, while recharging their batteries with complimentary prosecco and mince pies.

The Royal Exchange has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two years, with many new stores and eateries opening creating a real buzz. The mix of luxury high street and boutique independents includes brands such as Watches of Switzerland, French Connection, Molton Brown, L’Occitane, Fjallraven, Jenny Jones Jewellery and Lanigan & Hulme. Emme Haycock, asset manager for Hines UK, said: “It’s a fantastic time to be opening more new stores as we approach the busy Christmas period. The Royal Exchange Manchester continues to attract an exciting range of retail talent and we are pleased to be welcoming these new retailers into the mix.”

The Royal Exchange Manchester sits in the heart of the city centre and is populated by luxury highstreet brands, independent boutiques shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as being home to the Royal Exchange Theatre. Hines acquired The Royal Exchange Manchester in November 2016 on behalf of Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK), Germany’s largest pension scheme group. This letting is part of Hines’ strategy to reposition the tenant mix to reinforce the Grade II listed Royal Exchange building as a prestigious location in Manchester’s retail landscape.