Duo of retailers select Manchester Arndale for city debut

Two retailers are set to make their Manchester debuts after agreeing deals to open at Manchester Arndale shopping centre.

Korean beauty specialist PURESEOUL has signed a 10-year lease for a 1,662 sq ft space, whilst mattress company Emma Sleep will occupy a 1,789 sq ft space on a five-year lease.

Launching as an online retailer in 2019, PURESEOUL has since opened stores in locations such as London and Oxford, and is opening its first store in Birmingham in September. The retailer’s Manchester Arndale store marks a debut in the North West for the brand.

Also starting out as an online retailer, Emma Sleep opened its first physical store in Stratford, London to allow customers to book personal product consultations and explore its range of mattresses. The Manchester Arndale store will become the brand’s first outside of London.

The new lettings follow a number of lease renewals and regears at the Manchester scheme, with brands including Costa Coffee, Ann Summers, New Look, Swarovski, and Kiko Milano all signing new lease agreements at Manchester Arndale.

This latest run of leasing activity caps off a busy first half of the year for Manchester Arndale. The scheme welcomed the likes of Space NK, Kuoni, B&M, and HOP Vietnamese, whilst growing brands Trailberg and Represent both selected the centre for their first physical UK stores.

Scott Linard, portfolio manager for M&G Real Estate, said: “Following in the footsteps of Trailberg and Represent, Manchester Arndale is proving itself to be a great place for fashionable brands to showcase their products in a physical retail environment. Our wide catchment of visitors allows these brands to have access to a diverse mix of shoppers who are always keen to try our new and exciting brands who offer a different type of shopping experience. Alongside these two new arrivals we are pleased to see some of our most popular brands recommit their futures to the centre as it is proof of the confidence they have in Manchester Arndale.”

Steve Gray, head of European retail asset management at Global Mutual, added: “Emma Sleep and PURESEOUL are two exciting brands which we are delighted to welcome to Manchester Arndale. Having a diverse mix of new and established retailers allows us to appeal to a wide ranging audience ensuring that footfall remains high throughout the year, this is why it is also important to secure new lease agreements with some of our most popular retailers. Our great tenant line-up at Manchester Arndale is helping to pull in even more brands looking to either expand their Manchester presence or move to the city for the first time, and we look forward to welcoming more exciting names over the next few months.”

M&G Real Estate and Global Mutual act as joint asset managers of Manchester Arndale and New Cathedral Street. Metis Real Estate and Time Retail Partners are the centre’s retained letting agents, with Green & Partners retained as lease advisory agents.