Fred Perry is opening up its new Manchester flagship store in Afflecks
British heritage brand Fred Perry is set to launch a new flagship store in on the ground floor of Manchester’s iconic Afflecks building.
Fred Perry – a brand adopted by generations of subcultures for over 60 years, with the Laurel Wreath remaining a symbol of “individuality and belonging” – is already a presence here in Manchester city centre, with a shop just off King Street.
But now the brand is set to relocate its retail unit and showroom to occupy a larger 2820 sq ft space in the double corner of Afflecks building on the junction of Oldham Street and Church Street.
“We’re delighted to be moving to the Northern Quarter,” said Fred Perry’s Managing Director, Richard Gilmore.
“The area has no shortage of strong associations to ground-breaking music and subcultural style – something we continue to champion – [but] our retail spaces aren’t just shops, and we’re looking forward to sharing what we do with the Manchester community as part of an exciting continuation of Fred Perry and Afflecks’ mutual commitment to heritage and innovation.
“We now have a space we can be truly proud of in Manchester”.
The new Fred Perry site – which is expected to open this summer – forms part of Oldham Street’s revival as a key destination for lifestyle and fashion retailers thats’ been happening in recent years. Having already attracted brands like Ace and Tate and Carharrt, as well as independent boutiques, Afflecks’ building managers, Bruntwood Works, have a vision is to invest in Afflecks’ presence on Oldham Street, with iconic names like Fred Perry complementing the small, independent traders within the building itself.
Inspired by its new home at the heart of Manchester’s alternative cultural neighbourhood, the design of the Fred Perry store will appropriately take its cues from the theme of ‘Past, Present and Future’.
“Fred Perry is a true icon, and we’re delighted to be welcoming them to the ground floor of our famous Afflecks building,” said Chris Middleton, Senior Retail Manager at Bruntwood Works.
“The addition of this much-loved brand will bolster the retail community in the Northern Quarter neighbourhood, building on Oldham Street’s offering as a lifestyle-led shopping destination [and] it feels particularly exciting to be announcing the news after what has been a challenging twelve months for retail,
“We look forward to a bright future for Manchester City Centre.“
You can find more information ahead of the store’s opening this summer via the Afflecks website here.