Abercrombie & Fitch is set to open a new prototype store in Manchester’s Intu Trafford Centre in August, marking its second UK store.
The layout of the new 5554sq ft prototype store, the American fashion brand’s eight internationally, includes changing rooms with separate light and music controls and phone charging docks.
Larger select fitting rooms will allow groups of friends to use them as private suites, and numerous point of sale locations around the store are designed to make purchasing items easier.
The store opening comes as the Manchester shopping centre starts work on a £75 million redevelopment due to launch in 2019, adding 110,000sq ft of extra space.
“Manchester is a young, vibrant and fashion-forward city, making Intu Trafford Centre an ideal location for our second store and our first prototype in the UK,” the retailers brand president Stacia Andersen said.
“Our stores are an important gateway for us to engage with our customer, and their design is a key element of delivering a seamless, customer experience, across all our platforms.
“We’ve seen increased productivity with these new prototypes and we look forward to offering another engaging A&F experience to both new and existing customers in the Manchester area.”
Intu’s regional managing director Colin Flinn said: “In this case, we’re working with Abercrombie & Fitch to create a second UK store and the first example of its new prototype in the UK.
“Abercrombie & Fitch will be at the heart of Intu Trafford Centre where it will benefit from the high number of young, affluent shoppers visiting the centre for our exceptional retail and leisure mix.
“Intu Trafford Centre will mark its 20th anniversary later this year and this is the latest in a long line of international and home-grown retailers who have come here to establish a new base outside London during that time.”
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