Five more openings revealed at leisure and shopping arcades

Lifestyle and shopping destination, Victoria Leeds, says five new brands will be arriving at its city centre arcades over the next few months.

It will add Phase Eight, Whistles, The Whisky Shop, Jimmy Fairly and Townhouse Nails to its portfolio of brands.

Premium trainer specialist, Size?, has also expanded its space.

Phase Eight, of The Foschini Group (TFG) will take its flagship design, modelled on the brand’s Westfield White City location and will be positioned alongside Whistles, also of TFG, which is gearing up for its return to Leeds as a standalone store.

Both new stores will be located in Victoria Gate and will be opening at the end of June.

Townhouse Nails will open one of its first standalone salons in the north of England, also in Victoria Gate, while Jimmy Fairly will open in Victoria Quarter, priding itself on being “the coolest optician in town” and offering French-made eyewear and eye tests to the fashion-conscious customer.

Premium spirits experts, The Whisky Shop, will open in County Arcade, where visitors will find a range of whiskies, including limited-edition, rare bottles priced in excess of £70,000.

In addition to the new arrivals, designer trainer specialist Size? has upsized its space to a new three-floor unit on King Edward Street within Victoria Quarter. The space is four-times the size of its former store.

Victoria Leeds is asset managed by real estate specialists, Rivington Hark, and property managed by Montagu Evans.

Robert Hadfield, director at Rivington Hark, said: “For us, retail is no longer just about real estate, and the days of relying on cookie-cutter shopping centre concepts for success are long gone.

“We are constantly seeking new ways of curating compelling experiences for both our brands and customers, which means traditional leasing activity has become somewhat of a by-product.

“Our focus is on delivering exciting mixed-uses that vary constantly to maintain the feeling of moment and wonder.

“All our new lettings alongside our existing tenants expanding their spaces, have ensured Victoria Leeds has significantly more entrants compared to one year ago.”

Jo Coburn, senior general manager at Victoria Leeds, Montagu Evans, said: “Retail is constantly evolving so acquiring a dynamic sense of ‘now’ has never been more important.

“The new brands are a welcome addition to Victoria Leeds as our brand mix is key to ensuring that our beautiful destination is first on the bucket list when you’re visiting our fantastic city.

“It is our aim to create engaging, relevant experiences and events around this mix, that build anticipation and engagement with our customers and, ultimately, a true sense of belonging to the Victoria Leeds community.”