* You are viewing Posts Tagged ‘Manchester’

Co-op returns to Birtley with purchase of Netto store

Graham Soult June 23, 2011 Property, Supermarkets 10 Comments

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Netto, Birtley (24 Jan 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Netto, Birtley (24 Jan 2011)

The Co-operative Group has announced today that it is to acquire the Netto store in Birtley, Gateshead – one of the six remaining sites that Asda is required to divest following … Continue Reading

Remembering Shoppers World: Woolworths’ early Argos-style experiment

Graham Soult February 14, 2011 Property, Retail History, Specialist Retailers, Woolworths 9 Comments

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Shoppers World locations, 1975 (adapted from Woolworths Virtual Museum graphic)

Shoppers World locations, 1975 (adapted from Woolworths Virtual Museum graphic)

It’s always good to receive updates on former Woolies sites that I’ve previously featured here at Soult’s Retail View, so I was pleased to get an email yesterday from Martin, a regular Midlands-based contributor.

He told me that he’d visited both Burton upon Trent and … Continue Reading

Clas Ohlson heads to CSC-owned centres in Cardiff and Norwich

Graham Soult August 27, 2010 Home and DIY, Property, Shopping Centres 3 Comments

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Clas Ohlson fascia. Photograph by Graham Soult

Clas Ohlson fascia

I’m not sure whether Clas Ohlson’s people are reading this blog, or whether – more likely – the obvious locations for new UK stores are fairly easy to identify.

Either way, I was interested to spot that the Swedish retailer has this week signed contracts for new stores in shopping centres in Cardiff and Norwich – following on from … Continue Reading

Unpacking Clas Ohlson’s 203% UK sales increase

Graham Soult July 16, 2010 Brands, Financial, Overseas 1 Comment

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Existing Kingston store. Photograph by Graham Soult

Existing Kingston store

The much-blogged-about Swedish hardware retailer Clas Ohlson published its sales figures for June yesterday.

What’s interesting is that sales for the UK are now being stripped out from those of Finland, giving us a much clearer idea of how the UK business is doing. Total sales were SEK 442m, of which the seven UK stores accounted for SEK 15m. A year ago, the UK business delivered sales … Continue Reading

Clas Ohlson heads northwards… though not quite far enough north yet

Graham Soult January 01, 2010 Home and DIY, Property 5 Comments

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Clas Ohlson's existing Croydon store

Clas Ohlson's existing Croydon store

Happy New Year to you! You may recall that back in August last year (referring to 2009 as ‘last year’ is bound to take some getting used to) I blogged about the latest Scandinavian arrival to these shores, the self-styled “really useful shop” Clas Ohlson.

Back then, the retailer had already opened stores in Croydon (1,900 sqm / 20,451 sq … Continue Reading

Is Apple Store coming to Newcastle’s Eldon Square?

Graham Soult September 29, 2009 Fashion Stores, Property 4 Comments

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It certainly looks like it, according to the latest, publically available version of the Eldon Square South letting plan.[broken link removed] What’s more, it also appears that there’s going to be a branch of the trendy fashion brand of the moment, Superdry.

Here’s a screenshot:

Screenshot of ES South lettings map, September 2009

Screenshot of ES South lettings map, September 2009

At present, the only Apple Stores in the north of England are in Manchester (Trafford … Continue Reading

Who or what is Clas Ohlson?

Graham Soult August 09, 2009 Home and DIY, Overseas, Property, Woolworths 6 Comments

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Clas Ohlson sign

Clas Ohlson sign

With so many old Woolworths sites being taken over by familiar high street names and pound shops, it’s nice when the new arrival is something a little more interesting. So I was pleased to read that the Swedish “modern hardware brand” Clas Ohlson is going to be opening up in the former Woolies in Kingston upon Thames, and is … Continue Reading