New
Radley store opens in The Exchange
British accessory brand
Radley is set to open its new Nottingham store on Saturday 1st
November in the city’s historic shopping arcade, The Exchange.
Founded in 1998 and now one
of the UK’s leading accessory brands, Radley have an established reputation for
quirky, hand-crafted bags, leather goods and accessories, and are another major
brand to open in the centre following Dr Martens, Patisserie Valerie and Harvey
Jones Kitchens.
The shop will open with the
new Radley ‘Christmas Workshop’ campaign which will see the store transform
into a gifting workshop. Filled with the perfect Christmas accessory gifts along
with Radley’s little helpers, who will be on hand to help with customer’s
Christmas shopping and wrapping, Radley will also be holding Christmas workshop
events. These will feature in-house craftsman embossing beautiful leather tags
for free with customer’s bag purchases in the run up to Christmas.
The Exchange Centre Manager,
Neil Fincham commented, “Radley are a really good fit for The Exchange,
complementing our other stores and adding to the overall mix in the centre,
which can only enhance its appeal as a whole. Their arrival is significant not
least because it also means The Exchange is once again fully let which, in
contrast to other larger schemes, is a notable achievement.”
The centre’s fully let
status follows a prolonged period of strong footfall returns, which show a
consistent performance above National Benchmark figures.
“Like everyone we're subject
to the vagaries of the market,” added Mr Fincham, “nevertheless, footfall in
the centre has remained strong against national comparisons, often recording
higher percentage increases.”
“Of course footfall is only
ever half the story,” he continued, “as takings in store are the real
indicator. Feedback from our stores show takings have also risen, with some
tenants reporting sales significantly up on last year. Whist not at all
complacent about the market as a whole, I feel Radley’s opening certainly speaks
of a continuing confidence in The Exchange and Nottingham as a whole, which I
also hope is a further sign of a broader economic recovery.”
Radley’s arrival caps a
notable year for The Exchange, following the wholesale replacement of the main
arcade’s York stone floor and entrance doors in the summer.