Harvey Nichols Announces Opening Of New Store In Bristol
London/Bristol: Monday 21 November 2005 - Harvey Nichols Group, the international luxury retailer, has announced plans to open a Boutique Store in Bristol's new Merchants Quarter development, due for completion in Autumn 2008. This will be Harvey Nichols sixth store in the UK.
The store will be spread over 32,000 sq. ft. and will offer a wide range of exclusive brands in fashion, fragrance and beauty, a foodmarket and a top floor restaurant. The store will anchor the Quakers Friars area of the development.
Joseph Wan, Chief Executive of Harvey Nichols, said: "Bristol has a great lifestyle culture and affluent population which fits perfectly with our brand. We are confident that this will be another successful store."
Bristol Alliance Leasing Director, Keith Stone said: "This world renowned retailer is an ideal anchor store for Quakers Friars, which will be transformed into a 'Café Society' area similar to the Victoria Quarter in Leeds, breathing new life into this historic setting. Harvey Nichols will put Bristol firmly on the UK fashion map."
About Harvey Nichols Group
Harvey Nichols started in 1813 and is today the UK's premier fashion retailer, renowned both in the UK and internationally for the breadth and depth of its exclusive fashion merchandise. It offers many of the world's most prestigious brands in womenswear, menswear, accessories, beauty and home.
Harvey Nichols currently has stores in London, Leeds, Birmingham (Boutique Store), Edinburgh and Manchester in the UK and internationally stores in Riyadh, Hong Kong, Dublin (Boutique Store), with Dubai opening in December 2005. Autumn 2006 will see the opening of Harvey Nichols in Istanbul, Turkey.
The London flagship store is located in the heart of Knightsbridge, London's most fashionable and exclusive shopping district. The store has a gross floor area of approximately 230,000 sq. ft. In addition to its fashion retailing business, Harvey Nichols successfully redeveloped the top floor of the London flagship store to create a Restaurant, Bar, Café, Wine Shop and Foodmarket which have become destinations in their own right. A similar concept operates from the top floors of all Harvey Nichols full-size stores.
Harvey Nichols launched its first stand-alone restaurant in 1996, the highly successful Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie, with spectacular views of the River Thames. A further restaurant, Prism, opened in the financial district of the City of London in 1999.
Further information on Harvey Nichols can be found at website www.harveynichols.com.
About Merchants Quarter
The £500 million redevelopment of Bristol's central shopping area is being undertaken by the Bristol Alliance, a partnership between Land Securities Plc and Hammerson.
The Quakers Friars area of the scheme will be redeveloped to create a new public square surrounding the remaining parts of the listed Dominican Friary, dating from the 13th century which, together with the listed Quakers Meeting House, gives its name to this part of the city. The refurbished Friary buildings will provide the centrepiece for the square.
Designed by Bristol-based firm, Alec French Architects, this vibrant shopping and café environment will provide 30 new shops, totalling 150,000 sq ft of retail floor space, and two all day brasseries. There will be over 200 new apartments including an eighteen storey landmark building above Harvey Nichols which will look out over Castle Park and the Floating Harbour beyond.
Harvey Nichols further strengthens the Merchants Quarter retail line-up which already includes House of Fraser, Arcadia, H&M Hennes and New Look. A deal with US operator National Amusements to provide the UK's first 'Cinema de Lux' comprising 13 screens was signed earlier this year.
In total the development will provide one million sq ft of high quality retail and leisure uses, as well as apartments, offices and public spaces in the heart of Bristol. Letting agents for the Bristol Alliance are Lunson Mitchenall and Donaldsons.