Abercrombie & Fitch confirms ‘first UK prototype’ store for Manchester

Abercrombie & Fitch is opening a second UK location.

The American clothing company will establish a shop at intu Trafford Centre in Manchester this summer.

The 5,554 sq ft store will be one of eight new prototype locations opened since February last year.

Abercrombie & Fitch said its prototype concept, designed to encourage product trials, has so far demonstrated improved customer engagement and productivity with a smaller footprint.

Stacia Andersen, brand president of Abercrombie & Fitch and its abercrombie kids business, said: “Manchester is a young, vibrant and fashion-forward city, making intu Trafford Centre an ideal location for our second store and our first prototype in the UK.

“Our stores are an important gateway for us to engage with our customer, and their design is a key element of delivering a seamless, customer experience, across all our platforms.”

She added: “We’ve seen increased productivity with these new prototypes and we look forward to offering another engaging A&F experience to both new and existing customers in the Manchester area.”

Colin Flinn, intu’s regional managing director, commented: “Abercrombie & Fitch will be at the heart of intu Trafford Centre where it will benefit from the high number of young, affluent shoppers visiting the centre for our exceptional retail and leisure mix.

“intu Trafford Centre will mark its 20th anniversary later this year and this is the latest in a long line of international and home-grown retailers who have come here to establish a new base outside London during that time.”

Abercrombie & Fitch will launch as work starts on a £75m transformation of the shopping centre’s Barton Square area.

The project will create an extra 110,000 sq ft of retail space, due to open in 2019, along with a new glass-domed roof. Primark was confirmed last summer as an anchor tenant.