Intu to open UK’s first store dedicated to curating pureplay brands at Lakeside

Retail Week can reveal that the 8,500 sq ft store will be called Fashion House and bring together nine pureplay brands on a new flexible lease structure that Intu hopes will give it the opportunity to work with other emerging brands in the future.

The landlord will manage and operate the store including the fitout, staffing and experiential elements, which will include a catwalk, DJ booth and personal styling service.

Intu has confirmed that Whyte Studio, Gina Bacconi and Alice’s Lips will be among the brands featured in Fashion House when it opens in June.

The new store concept is being spearheaded by Intu’s customer performance director Rebecca Ryman, former regional managing director. Ryman took on the newly created role towards the end of last year with the intention of working more with online retailers.

She said: “This is a great and unique way for disruptive fashion brands to expand into bricks and mortar at minimal risk, while also delivering key elements of our strategy to sharpen our focus on our customers and transform our centres.

The store will showcase new brands with strong social media followings and brand ambassadors, bringing more of the next generation of fashion-conscious shoppers to Intu Lakeside.

“We will help these brands to curate their trading areas, while also creating an amazing experience for visitors, bringing a little bit of magic into physical retail. This will include impromptu DJ sets, fashion shows and new technology that will let our visitors tap into their social networks as part of their retail experience.”

The announcement comes as Intu is in a race against time to raise £1.3bn in fresh equity in order to refresh its revolving credit facility ahead of updating the City next week. 

The landlord struggled last year with falling values on its schemes and plunging rental income as many of its core retail occupants underwent administrations or CVAs.

Intu poach exec from House of Fraser for new team

The landlord has also created a new team in order to transform how it will work with retail and leisure brands.

There will be four heads of partnerships, with Intu poaching former House of Fraser retail operations director Sally Haskayne as head of fashion partnerships.

Former head of partnerships at The Jockey Club Bruce Gardner will lead on strengthening and building new relationships with consumer goods brands.

And Christopher Baker and Nick Round have moved over from Intu’s asset management team to take on the roles of head of lifestyle partnerships and head of food, beverage and leisure partnerships respectively.

Speaking about the new team, Ryman said: “We have built a team of sector specialists who will drive more value for our rent-paying customers and attract new brands to our centres for the first time.

“We will work closely with brands to develop and share new insight, products and services that will ensure their Intu locations are their most successful.

“Get it right and we all succeed, with thriving destinations that continue to attract visitors and encourage spend.”