Ex-Woolies spotting in Inverness, Dingwall and Blairgowrie
If you like looking at shops and high streets, going on holiday to north west Sutherland, in Scotland – as I did earlier this month – isn’t...
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Gateshead’s Tesco-anchored Trinity Square gets ready for its 23 May opening
With just four days to go before the Tesco-anchored retail portion of Trinity Square opens (on Thursday 23 May), Gateshead shoppers are getting their first...
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“The high street needs to adapt and evolve”: Retailer Q&A with Havens department store
The traditional, independent department store has been a fixture of the British high street for generations – yet look around, and you could be forgiven for...
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Sports Direct heads tenant list for Gateshead’s Trinity Square
One month ahead of its 23 May opening, the names of several more tenants for Gateshead’s £150m Trinity Square development have emerged. The most recent brochure for...
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“Women are looking for stylish, flattering classic styles online”: Retailer Q&A with Lucza
Yesterday’s blog about Jack Wills opening a Newcastle store alongside TK Maxx and Armani Exchange demonstrated that many established fashion names are continuing to find opportunities on...
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Jack Wills “agrees terms” on Newcastle Monument Mall store
I understand that self-styled “university outfitter” Jack Wills has agreed terms on the prominent corner unit at Hammerson’s Monument Mall, bringing the brand to Newcastle...
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HMV needs to know its own strength
Following Graham’s recent article about HMV’s buyout by restructuring specialists Hilco, it is worth taking a look at what lies ahead for this British institution....
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“Creating new ideas and selling them is what I enjoy”: Retailer Q&A with Premurosa
One of the joys of doing a lot of networking in the North East – both via social media and in person, through networks such as Durham...
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Hilco has rescued HMV, but now the hard work really starts
It’s been nearly three months coming, but now the news that everyone wanted to hear has been confirmed: the iconic entertainment retailer HMV, which collapsed...
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Pick ‘n’ mixed grill: the ex-Woolworths that are now Wetherspoons
There are 870 Wetherspoon pubs, including a few in former Woolworths premises. Here are the ex-Woolies Wetherspoons I’ve come across on my travels to date.
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Hunting for long-gone Woolies stores in Harrow and Sudbury Hill
It’s been great to see a new Woolworths-related history blog appear this week, courtesy of longstanding former Woolies staff member Stuart Kew. His blog, Forgotten...
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Clas Ohlson launches ‘Club Clas’ loyalty scheme in Sweden – with UK expected to follow
Clas Ohlson, the Swedish ‘modern hardware’ retailer, has launched its first loyalty scheme – the ‘Club Clas’ customer club – in its home market, with...
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I’ve now visited and tracked a quarter of the ex-Woolies estate – but what have they all become?
Headlines: 214 ex-Woolworths stores visited, out of the 807 that closed following its collapse Of those, only 12 currently empty (6%) 7 continually empty (3%)...
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16 March opening for Newcastle’s “25% bigger” Maplin store
Electronics specialist Maplin has confirmed that its relocated Newcastle branch will open on Saturday 16 March. The retailer is leaving its current site at 43 Pilgrim Street and...
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Victoria’s Secret heading to Newcastle’s Monument Mall – if Hammerson’s posters are to be believed
Newcastle is set to host one of the UK’s first branches of Victoria’s Secret – if posters around Hammerson’s Monument Mall development are to be believed.
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Ponden Home opens in Gateshead’s ex-Bonmarche store as Trinity Square takes shape nearby
Ponden Home, the soft furnishings and accessories retailer, has opened a new shop in Gateshead town centre, taking the unit in Jackson Street that had been empty...
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Newcastle’s new TK Maxx gets ready for 28 February opening
Getting on for a year since the redevelopment of Monument Mall began, the first reconfigured store within the Hammerson-owned scheme is finally preparing to open...
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Clas Ohlson bucks the trend as winter ranges drive UK sales up 7% during January
On the same day as the ONS has revealed an unexpected fall in UK retail sales during a snowy January, one retailer – the Swedish hardware...
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Mountain Warehouse CEO outlines plans for relocated Carlisle store as sales soar across the chain
The boss of Mountain Warehouse has told Soult’s Retail View that the chain plans to open a new, bigger store in Carlisle – despite its current store in Scotch...
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A challenge from Sage: my tips on starting a business in retail… in 500 words
As you may have seen already, I was recently recruited as a Business Expert by the well-known Newcastle-based business software and services provider Sage. Set...
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