London, 2016-Aug-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Hammerson confirms that Victoria Gate, its £165 million development in Leeds, and the anchor tenant John Lewis will open its doors to the public for the first time on Thursday 20 October, 2016.
Set to transform the city’s aspirational retail, dining and leisure offer, Victoria Gate will become part of the new 53,400 m2(575,000 sq ft) Victoria Estate shopping district, which also includes Leeds’ Victoria Quarter arcades.
Anchored by a flagship John Lewis, the scheme is currently 74% pre-let and will also boast new retailers and restaurants including Russell & Bromley, Aspinal of London, Le Pain Quotidien, Neom Organics, T2, GANT, Hackett, Tommy Hilfiger, Anthropologie and international restaurant group D&D. Introducing so many new brands to the city will firmly establish the Victoria Estate as a hub for premium shopping and dining in the North of the UK.
Robin Dobson, Director Retail Development at Hammerson said: ‘It is great to be able to confirm the official launch date for Victoria Gate as the 20 October. Ideally timed for pre-Christmas trade we are delighted to bring this new and iconic retail destination to Leeds and one that is set to be the largest premium retail and leisure destination outside of London. We look forward to disclosing further detail about the launch celebrations shortly.’
James Prince, Head of Branch at John Lewis Leeds, said: ‘I can’t wait for John Lewis Leeds to open its doors for the first time. It’s our most service and experiential led shop to date, as we continue to offer more for customers that can’t be replicated online. My new team of Partners are really looking forward to serving the people of Leeds and welcoming everyone on opening day.’
Notes to editors
John Lewis – John Lewis operates 46 John Lewis shops across the UK (32 department stores, 12 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership, the UK’s largest example of worker co-ownership and all 30,000 John Lewis staff are Partners in the business.
John Lewis stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores and johnlewis.com across fashion, home and technology, and was named ‘Best In-Store Experience’, ‘Best Clothing Retailer,’ ‘Best Electricals Retailer,’ ‘Best Furniture Retailer,’ ‘Best Homewares Retailer’ and ‘Best Click & Collect Retailer’ in the 2016 Verdict Customer Satisfaction awards.
Johnlewis.com is consistently ranked one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK. John Lewis Insurance offers a range of comprehensive insurance products – home, car, wedding and event, travel and pet insurance and life cover – delivering the values of expertise, trust and customer service expected from the John Lewis brand.
You can follow John Lewis on the following social media channels:
www.johnlewis.com/twitter
www.johnlewis.com/facebook
www.johnlewis.com/youtube.
General enquires:
Vikki Speed
Senior Communications Officer
Corporate & Brand
Telephone: 0207 931 4921
Email: vikki.speed@johnlewis.co.uk
Source: John Lewis