French Connection opening first UK new concept store at Royal Exchange

French Connection is to open a new concept store at Manchester’s Royal Exchange – the first of its kind in the UK.

It has signed a 10-year lease for 7-9 Exchange Street with Hines, the international real estate firm which acquired the Royal Exhange in November on behalf of Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK), Germany’s largest pension scheme group.

The letting is one of a number of significant deals which will deliver on its strategy to diversify the tenant mix and reposition the Royal Exchange as a prestigious location in Manchester’s retail landscape.

Royal Exchange Manchester is at the heart of Manchester’s bustling retail core and offers a range of boutique units in an arcade setting, as well as street facing modern sized stores with a diverse occupier base including independent and established brands.

Sharon Bloodworth, director of retail asset management for Hines UK, said: “This letting is a significant demonstration of our move to enhance the quality of retail brands offered within this landmark building. We are delighted to provide French Connection with a bespoke unit in our building and to welcome them back to this desirable location in Manchester.”

A spokesperson from French Connection said: “We are very excited to be returning to Manchester and the Royal Exchange location provides us with a prime retail space in the city.

“We already know the demand for French Connection amongst local customers, which has continued over the past 2 years via our ecommerce and local concession channels, and we are looking forward to having a physical brand presence in such an important city for retail once again.”