{"id":8152,"date":"2022-12-22T23:23:45","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T23:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/in-pictures-the-11-best-store-openings-of-2022\/"},"modified":"2022-12-22T23:23:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T23:23:45","slug":"in-pictures-the-11-best-store-openings-of-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/in-pictures-the-11-best-store-openings-of-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"In pictures: The 11 best store openings of 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Retail<\/a><\/p>
\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"The<\/div>\n

Talk of the \u2018death of the high street\u2019 has been overstated as 2022 has brought a return of shoppers to the high street and a raft of new high-profile store openings.<\/p>\n

Retail Gazette rounds up the best new stores of the year that have given shoppers a reason to ditch their phones and get out onto the high street.<\/p>\n\n

Gymshark, Regent Street<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One of the most highly anticipated openings of the year, Gymshark opened its first-ever permanent store on Regent Street in October,\u00a0to the delight of the activewear giant\u2018s cult following.<\/p>\n

With a flurry of international flagships already trading on the famous shopping strip, the pressure was on for Gymshark to deliver and they certainly did.<\/p>\n

Its flagship store takes experiential retail to a whole new level housing a sweat room for members of the public to take part in free classes, an in-store Joe & the Juice and a hub to host podcasts, activations and more.<\/p>\n

Nike Rise, west London<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Nike\u00a0 opened the doors to its new Rise concept in London\u2019s Westfield shopping centre. The store is the first-of-its-kind in the EMEA region as the business looks to create unique in-store experiences by using real-time shopper data.<\/p>\n

The sporting giant said the new concept would \u201cset a new standard of retail\u201d inspiring the athletes in London,<\/p>\n

The store had adoped a new digital storytelling platform Sport Pulse, allowing for real-time, responsive and localised sporting stories just for the city of London.<\/p>\n

Unsure about what trainers to buy? Nike Rise uses an interactive footwear comparison tool that allows shoppers to receive reviews and real-time information on any pair of footwear with the touch of a button.<\/p>\n

Asda Express<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Asda took a giant leap into the world of convenience retail this year with the launch of Asda Express.<\/p>\n

The first store opened in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands in November and that was folllowed up this month with a store in Tottenham Hale, London.<\/p>\n

Asda has grand plans for the format and wants to \u00a0open 300 more by the end of 2026 as it looks to convenience to drive growth\/<\/p>\n

The new store certainly rivals the likes of Tesco Express and Sainsbury\u2019s Local with a surprisingly large amount of pantry staples, alcohol, food-to-go and fresh produe, alongside an in-store bakery and a click-and-collect service.<\/p>\n

Apple, Brompton Road<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s new Brompton Road store in Knightsbridge opened its door this summer and is designed to act as an interactive hub for creatives.<\/p>\n

In typical Apple fashion, the store, which is a stone\u2019s throw from Harrods, features eye-catching 7-metre floor-to-ceiling windows and the UK\u2019s first mirrored ceiling in a UK Apple store.<\/p>\n

It also houses a social gathering space called The Forum, which will run photography workshops and music workshops in connection with Apple Music as well as the first dedicated click-and-collect area within a UK store.<\/p>\n

Sports Direct, Birmingham<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In May, Sports Direct opened the doors to its new \u00a310 million, 60,000 sq ft flagship store\u00a0on Birmingham\u2019s New Street.<\/p>\n

The move is part of the\u00a0retail giant\u2019s elevation strategy, pioneered by new boss Michael Murray.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The store interiors, lighting and displays look upscale and world\u2019s away from Sports Direct stores of the past.<\/p>\n

The flagship also features a dedicated running area featuring a gait analysis section to determine which shoe is best for you, a shirt personalisation section, bra studio and more.<\/p>\n

Uniqlo, Regent Street<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Uniqlo opened its first joint store with Theory on London\u2019s Regent Street back in April.<\/p>\n

The 20,500 sq ft store is divided along three floors with Uniqlo on the lower ground, ground and first floors and Theory products stocked on the ground floor.<\/p>\n

The store also has a sustainable focus, and houses the retailer\u2019s first\u00a0dedicated\u00a0Re.Uniqlo Studio\u00a0space.<\/p>\n

There, trained staff take care of everything from hemming trousers and sewing buttons to mending holes and other damage on Uniqlo items with prices starting from \u00a33.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Re.Uniqlo Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alongside alterations and tailoring, Uniqlo will also offer an elevated service turning Uniqlo clothes into fresh new items with a host of repair and customisation offerings including the Japanese Sashiko stitching technique.<\/p>\n

Aldi Shop&Go, Greenwich<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the start of the year, Aldi stepped into the world of checkout-free stores following the likes of Amazon and Tesco.<\/p>\n

The retailer opened its first Shop&Go store in the London borough of Greenwich, allowing customers to simply put items in a bag and walk out of the store without the need to scan an item or visit a till point.<\/p>\n

Aldi has tapped retail technology brand\u00a0AiFi for the technology, which is very similar to Amazon Fresh\u2019s \u2018Just Walk Out\u2019 tech, using specially positioned cameras to detect what a customer has picked up.<\/p>\n

Primark, Belfast<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Primark\u2019s revamped Belfast store reopened its doors in October after a fire back in 2018 devasted the city\u2019s flagship.<\/p>\n

The new Primark store features 88,200 sq ft of retail space, including a brand-new Disney caf\u00e9 and a dedicated Disney department for adults, kids and home on the second floor.<\/p>\n

The store, which is 76% bigger than the pre-fire store, also houses a nail and beauty studio and a giant 12,000 sq ft Home department, which is three times larger than any other in the fashion retailer\u2019s estate.<\/p>\n

Ikea, Hammersmith<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ikea opened its first small format high street store in the UK, in Hammersmith, west London back in February with a focus on home accessories and soft furnishings<\/p>\n

The 4,600 sq m store that is set across two floors takes inspiration from London living and stocks 4,000 products, which are located next to the roomsets they represent, rather than Ikea\u2019s traditional Market Hall concept.<\/p>\n

The store also houses The Swedish Deli, which goes beyond serving Ikea\u2019s iconic meatballs and sells a range of hot and cold Scandinavian delicacies, including Sm\u00f6rrebr\u00f6d open sandwiches, Nordic Chicken Caesar and more.<\/p>\n

M&S, Stevenage<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

M&S opened a new 75,000 sq ft concept store at the Roaring Meg retail park in Stevenage back in May, which features clothing, a marketplace-style food hall with \u2018Fill Your Own\u2019 stations, a beauty department, an opticians and a 174-seat cafe.<\/p>\n

The shop also has plenty of checkouts for speedy service, a mobile Scan & Shop option, which is available via the M&S App, and a click-and-collect service.<\/p>\n

Store design expert and editor of Newstores John Ryan visited the new store and was certainly impressed.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThis really does look like a large slice of a possible way forward for the retailer, particularly as regards clothing and home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat marks this out both as a store of the future and as different from almost any other branch that might be mentioned is that it feels like one enterprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Marks & Spencer can draw lessons quickly from what has been done here and take it elsewhere, its clothing and home will be in with a real fighting chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Battersea Power Station<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Not strictly a store opening, but the launch of a big new shopping centre.<\/p>\n

Battersea Power Station opened to much fanfare in October, Battersea Power Station\u00a0after a major \u00a39 billion 10-year project.<\/p>\n

The station, which was decommissioned back in 1983, is now filled with world-beating flagships, including Zara, Nike, The Body Shop, Uniqlo, Adidas, Mango and a new-concept M&S Foodhall.<\/p>\n

The power station\u2019s Boiler House is also set to become Apple\u2019s new London headquarters, housing 1,000 staff in a 500,000 sq ft, six-floor office.<\/p>\n

Despite its position in London, which has one of the world\u2019s most vibrant retail scenes, Battersea Power Station has managed to draw the crowds with more than 250,000 people visit during its first weekend.<\/p>\n

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette\u2018s free daily email newsletter<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Retail<\/a><\/p>
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Talk of the \u2018death of the high street\u2019 has been overstated as 2022 has brought a return of shoppers to the high street and a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}