Member Article

Leeds Residents Want Selfridges In The City

AS LEEDS continues climbing the league tables of the UK’s best shopping destinations, city centre residents have revealed that Selfridges is the retailer they’d most like to see opening its doors next in Leeds.

City living specialist Morgans, asked more than 100 of the city’s newest residents, who have recently rented apartments through the company, about their shopping habits and favourite retailers.

Of those surveyed, 15% said Selfridges, which has department stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester, is the retailer they would most like to see come to Leeds. This was closely followed by John Lewis, which is set to open its biggest store outside London when Victoria Gate opens in autumn. Other popular choices were Forever 21 and Nike. When quizzed about favourite shops, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Zara, Topshop and Topman all fared particularly well.

Jonathan Morgan, Managing Director of Morgans, says: “Leeds has no shortage of great shops, and the opening of Trinity Leeds in 2013 elevated the city into a different league in terms of its retail offering. When Victoria Gate opens later this year, it will raise the bar again and should help to cement the city’s position as a European retail destination, attracting an even wider audience.

“We carried out this research to find out how big an attraction the city’s retail offering is to people when they are deciding where to live. Of those surveyed 61% said Leeds city centre’s shops were an important factor when they rented an apartment and 38% are prepared to pay a premium to live within a two minute walk of the main retail area of Briggate. In addition, a staggering 41% of city residents admit to going into a clothes shop every single day.”

Finally, Jonathan adds: “In recent years residential development in Leeds city centre has trailed a long way behind the city’s retail, leisure and office developments, with very few new apartments being built. This has created major stock shortages for people wanting to move into the city and our occupancy rates have averaged 99.5% over the last 18 months, but this finally appears to be improving.

“This year will see work start on approximately 300 new city centre homes, which will be ready for occupation during 2017 and this will help to ease tenant demand as well as mirroring the confidence that is so visible in many other parts of the city’s property market.”

Morgans manages Leeds city centre’s largest portfolio of apartments that range in price from £475 to over £2,000 per calendar month. The firm also has a dedicated corporate arm dealing with businesses relocating staff to Leeds and a highly experienced sales division marketing apartments priced between £90,000 and £825,000.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .