Hammerson has announced that it has secured leading global retailer Ralph Lauren to join the line-up of international brands at Victoria Leeds, with the designer’s first store in the city.
Ralph Lauren is one of the world’s most widely recognised designer brands, with products including apparel, accessories, and fragrance collections for men and women, as well as childrenswear and home furnishings.
The new store represents the classic yet spirited American style, for which Polo Ralph Lauren is recognized throughout the world. It will occupy a 2,000 sq ft space in the centre’s Victoria Quarter with adjacencies including Mulberry and Louis Vuitton. The store design fuses elements of collegiate sports mixed with the great outdoors. Rustic oak flooring and planked wood wall panelling are combined with antique and vintage-inspired display cases and tables, and an eclectic mix of artwork and decorative props. The store aesthetic reflects the same sensibility as the brand itself – one that is both classic and casual with a modern, energetic spirit.
Victoria Quarter and Victoria Gate form part of Hammerson’s Victoria Leeds premium shopping destination, which houses a range of designer and aspirational retail and dining brands. Opened in October 2016, Victoria Gate is a modern take on Victorian arcades, and complements the adjacent listed arcades of Victoria Quarter. Anchored by Harvey Nichols and John Lewis’s first store in the city, the arcades are also home to a range of high quality and premium brands including Anthropologie, Joules, Aspinal of London and international restaurant group D&D’s, Issho and East 59th.
The signing marks the latest in a number of firsts for Leeds in the past 12 months, with Luxury British perfume house, Penhaligon’s, The Ivy restaurant and brassiere and lifestyle brand, Seasalt all taking space.
Hammerson’s recent strategy update announced in July focuses on two winning retail segments; flagship retail destinations and premium outlets. Victoria Leeds is a great example of a top-tier city shopping centre, underpinned by strong demographics and consumer catchments.
Iain Mitchell, UK Commercial Director commented: “Ralph Lauren represents another retail first for the city and is a superb addition to the existing line-up of aspirational and lifestyle brands at Victoria Leeds. Signings such as this demonstrate that demand from premium brands for high quality retail space in growing UK cities such as Leeds remains strong.”
ENDS