St. David's to welcome upsized Hollister Co. store

The St David’s Partnership has announced global teen retailer Hollister Co. will be relocating to an upsized space within St David’s, Cardiff, one of the UK’s premier retail and leisure destinations, set to open this Spring.

Hollister, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., will be located on Upper Grand Arcade, the prime fashion pitch in St. David’s, and close to Victoria’s Secret, Bershka and Stradivarius. The store will include Gilly Hicks, Hollister’s intimates, loungewear and sleepwear brand, whilst also incorporating Hollister’s updated prototype format. An open-concept design and omnichannel capability will provide an enhanced customer experience, allowing customers to engage with the brand in-store and online. Click and Collect, Order in Store, and Ship from Store capabilities, as well as handheld devices to enable seamless customer checkout, will also be available. 

This news follows a bumper 2019 for St David’s with new entrants, regional debuts, upsizes and openings for international fashion, lifestyle and restaurant brands such as Hotel Chocolat, Levi’s, ECCO, FatFace and Skechers. Bolstering the all-day restaurant and dining offer within the destination is the new Ivy Brasserie, the brand having launched its Welsh debut in November.

Furthermore, anchor store John Lewis & Partners’ has invested in a new ‘Beauty Society’ concept in response to the beauty sector’s strong performance in Cardiff, featuring a uniquely designed luxe dwell space and on-hand Beauty Guides offering personalised, inspirational beauty advice to customers.

Speaking on behalf of the St David’s Partnership, Colin Flinn, intu’s regional managing director, said: “2019 was another strong year at St David’s, with new international entrants, significant upsizes, and investment from high-performing retailers. The Hollister Co. relocation and upsize is testament to the importance of St. David’s as a prime urban retail centre, and the continued growth of Cardiff as a leading city within the UK. This news highlights our lure as a location tailored towards international brands and flagship stores, enhancing our appeal to our youthful and vibrant catchment.”

Daniel Le Vesconte, GVP, Global Brands, EMEA at Hollister, added “We are excited to continue to serve our St David’s customers through an updated brand experience that meets their ever-changing needs. With both Hollister and Gilly Hicks, customers can explore high-quality products in a seamless, omnichannel environment.” 

Coinciding with St David’s successful last 12 months, a number of pop-up activations last year, such as the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N and Clicks and Mortar (in partnership with Amazon), provided visitors with an experiential and alternative local offer at the destination.

JLL and Cushman & Wakefield advised the St David’s Partnership. Hollister Co. dealt direct.

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