Summer footfall improves as retail haven King Street welcomes new operators
New operators have helped improve the mix for shoppers in Manchester’s King Street.
The latest data from Manchester BID shows footfall at the key retail site improved by 18% in June and 16.2% in July, compared with the same months last year.
At the start of summer, in June, GAIL’s Bakery opened its doors to its third bakery in the North of England at 16-18 King Street. The new bakery is located over 3,847 sq ft of space and serves artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes alongside its specialty House Blend coffee.
GAIL’s has joined a number of other F&B (food and beverage) brands located on the street including El Gato Negro, TAST, Franco Manca, and recently launched, Lucky Cat.
Gordon Ramsey’s highly anticipated Asian-inspired restaurant, Lucky Cat, also opened on King Street at the beginning of June. It celebrated by hosting an opening party with big names attending such as Tyson Fury, Paris Fury, Olivia Attwood, Sarah Jayne Dunn, and Gordon Ramsay.
TAST, which brings the taste of Barcelona to King Street, celebrated five years in the iconic location earlier this summer. The venue at 20-22 King Street has become a real destination for foodies across the city and beyond, with its authentic Spanish roots.
Other recent additions to the shopping and destination street include specialist cycling store and cafe, Rapha, which said farewell to its home of eight-and-a-half years and set its sights on 50 King Street.
Rapha hosts regular rides for both customers interested in taking their cycling to the next level and Rapha Cycling Club (RCC) members, while events such as film screenings, exhibitions, and book launches are also regular features.
The cycling specialist celebrated the move to its new King Street Clubhouse by welcoming almost 100 Pennine Rally finishers with beer and pizza.
Nail’d It opened its doors on King Street in July. The Manchester salon joins other sought locations in London, LA, Dubai, and Greece.
Other brands attracted to pop-up location, 35 King Street, include menswear brand, Arne.
King Street also saw the opening of boutique gallery, Microdot, which welcomed BBC Radio 6’s Chris Hawkins to interview Brian Cannon, the Microdot founder and designer of Oasis’ album artwork, as part of the shows ‘My Space’ feature.
Cannon’s store, his second, was featured on TheBusinessDesk.com in March when it launched.
DTZ Investors is the majority stakeholder of King Street and has worked to reposition the street to bring forward one of Manchester’s most creative and culture-focused city centre areas. The ambitious growth strategy has seen collaborations with global brands as well as increased flexibility for the street’s commercial tenants.
Tom Royston, director at DTZ Investors, said: “Summer has seen a real vibe on King Street as we continue to welcome an array of both iconic and new brands to the location.
“These are exactly the type of operators we want to see on the street and we’re looking forward to watching them all flourish. We have further exciting lettings in the pipeline for 2023.”
Orme Property and Lyon Thompson Letts are joint leasing agents on the street.
