Soult's Retail View

Jack Wills, Exeter (9 Sep 2011)

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 for the first time.

The unit (pictured below), with frontages to both Blackett Street and Northumberland Street, is the space that Evans and Wallis occupied … Continue Reading

1951 advert for HMV, featuring the iconic Nipper image

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 in January, has been … Continue Reading

Club Clas promotion on Clas Ohlson’s Swedish website (12 Mar 2013)

Clas Ohlson, the Swedish ‘modern hardware’ retailer, has launched its first loyalty scheme – the ‘Club Clas’ customer club – in its home market, with the UK expected to follow in 2014, I understand.

The move is the latest stage in the retailer’s multichannel offensive, which has already seen … Continue Reading

New Maplin, Grainger Street, Newcastle (3 Mar 2013)

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 moving to the ex-Tiso unit at 100-104 Grainger Street, where it will trade from both … Continue Reading

Poster showing Victoria’s Secret at Monument Mall, Newcastle (3 Mar 2013)

Newcastle is set to host one of the UK’s first branches of US lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret – if new posters around Hammerson’s Monument Mall development are to be believed.

Following the opening of the scheme’s new TK Maxx store last Thursday (28 February), posters featuring updated artist’s impressions of … Continue Reading

New TK Maxx, Northumberland Street, Newcastle (10 Feb 2013)

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 its doors.

The development’s anchor retailer – the fashion and homewares chain TK Maxx – whose opening … Continue Reading

Clas Ohlson website (15 Feb 2013)

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 chain Clas Ohlson – has unveiled its best monthly year-on-year sales increase at UK … Continue Reading

Existing Mountain Warehouse store in Scotch Street, Carlisle (13 Feb 2013)

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 Street being in the midst of a closing-down sale.

Since I … Continue Reading

Walmsley’s, Newcastle (3 Dec 2012)

Stores in Newcastle, Sunderland, Blyth and Stockton are among 24 shops that are at risk following the collapse of Walmsley’s, the high street furniture specialist, last month.

The dreaded black and yellow ‘Store Closing’ banners – now so … Continue Reading

Primark, Newcastle (30 Oct 2012)

The outside of Newcastle’s enlarged Primark is finally starting to gain its funky cladding, as the Northumberland Street store gets ready for its planned opening.

Since I last updated on the project at the end of July, the exterior of the building has changed … Continue Reading

L’Occitane en Provence, Eldon Square, Newcastle (25 Sep 2012)

L’Occitane en Provence, the high-end beauty products retailer, will open its Newcastle store on 25 October.

When news of the new Eldon Square store was revealed last month, it was expected to open in September – indeed, that’s what … Continue Reading

Retailer’s website in a browser

Whether you’re running a high-street shop, an online store or both, what are the ingredients that you need to create a really effective content website for your business?

In the previous part of this two-part blog, based on my recent seminar at Autumn Fair International, I … Continue Reading

L’Occitane shop in Mestni trg, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 Jul 2011)

L’Occitane en Provence, the upmarket beauty products retailer, is to open a standalone shop in Newcastle’s Eldon Square next month.

Details of the September store opening – which were … Continue Reading

Ex-TJ Hughes, Middlesbrough, prior to arrival of Metro Outlet (30 Sep 2011)

TJ Hughes is to reopen its store in Middlesbrough’s Captain Cook Square, it has been confirmed.

The move comes almost exactly a year after the store … Continue Reading

New entrance at Primark, Newcastle (27 Jul 2012)

Going away for a summer holiday is usually a prompt for interesting retail things to happen in my absence, and this month has been no exception.

I’ve been charting the development of … Continue Reading

Development work at Monument Mall (27 Jul 2012)

It seems that Hammerson, the owner of Newcastle’s Monument Mall, may have inadvertently revealed two of the tenants that it’s signed up for the redeveloped shopping centre.

Just on Monday, eagle-eyed retail enthusiast Mike Ho (@inmh88 on Twitter) … Continue Reading

Wilkinson, Newcastle (28 Jun 2012)

Since Wilkinson, the family-owned hardware and variety chain, quietly launched its new logo and store format over three years ago, the refreshed look seems to have been rolled out to much of the 370-strong estate. To the company’s credit, it hasn’t simply been a case of sticking a new logo over an unchanged store environment – … Continue Reading

Former Peacocks, Middlesbrough (7 Mar 2012)

Middlesbrough might have lost its Pure Party store in the fallout from Clinton Cards’ collapse, but as some retailers depart the town others are arriving – or expanding.

Just now, it seems that the once thing the town can’t get enough of is discount variety … Continue Reading

Clintons fascia

Yesterday’s news that Lakeshore Lending Limited, a subsidiary of card manufacturer and supplier American Greetings, has bought the brands and assets of Clinton Cards – including 397 of its stores and 4,500 employees – comes as little surprise.

Having secured control of £35m ($56m) of Clintons’ secured debt a month ago – the move that … Continue Reading

BHS, Newcastle (20 Apr 2012)

Given my extensive coverage of the build up to Newcastle’s new BHS store in Northumberland Street, you won’t be surprised to learn that I’ve paid a couple of visits since it opened its doors on 19 April. So, what’s it like?

From the outside, it’s hard to be anything but impressed. The new glazed frontage … Continue Reading