Beauty brand Lookfantastic to open first store in Greater Manchester

Lookfantastic is set to open its first physical store in Greater Manchester. The beauty giant will open it's first concept store in Altrincham town centre later this year.

The online beauty retailer is opening in the Stamford Quarter in the unit formerly occupied by JD Sports in late 2023. Lookfantastic has previously opened a a pop-up shop in London, but this will be its first ever permanent shop.

Located at 21-23 George Street, the new 5,392 sq ft store is a further boost for the south Manchester town and its high street. The space set to open in September and will feature 90 brands under Lookfantastic’s portfolio.

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The store will give shoppers the opportunity to snap up products from renowned, world-leading brands. Sol de Janeiro, Color WOW, and Yves Saint Laurent are just some of the 90 names that will be available at the new shop.

Commenting on the announcement, James Tootle, Head of Retail and Leisure at Bruntwood, said: "We’re thrilled that Lookfantastic has chosen the Stamford Quarter as the location to open their new store. It’s great to see brands like this invest in our vision for the town centre and choose our neighbourhood as the launch base for national retail concepts.

"2024 has been a transformative year for this area of Altrincham thanks to the opening of Foundation, and Lookfantastic's arrival will further cement the Stamford Quarter as one of the leading retail destinations within Greater Manchester and beyond."

At the end of last year, bosses of the town centre shopping hub were predicting a vibrant 2024 after reporting a five percent uplift in visitor numbers. Landlord and property company Bruntwood said it had a successful 2023 following an influx of new stores joining national brands and independent boutiques.

Recent arrivals include health store Holland & Barrett and Altrincham FC’s popup store. Utility, home to a range of quirky gifting and design-led products, opened in September, followed by Parasol, a lifestyle store selling accessories, clothing and gifts, and discount retailer Poundland.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that popular Manchester pizzeria, Nell's would be opening in the Stamford Quarter too. The restaurant will feature a huge bar and outside area at the Foundation building.

It follows the opening of Starbucks brand new coffee shop in the shopping district too. The new 1,708 sq ft cafe, which opened at the end of May, is located on the ground floor of Foundation, Altrincham’s new hub of workspace, retail, and leisure.

Speaking about the imminent arrival of Lookfantastic, a spokesperson from Trafford Council added: "It’s a real testament to the power of regeneration projects that Lookfantastic have chosen Altrincham to launch their first ever physical store.

"This demonstrates the attractive nature of the area for global brands, which is great news for residents – beauty fanatics or not! Altrincham town centre continues to establish itself as a destination for people across the region and beyond, and this addition to the Stamford Quarter, joining other big name brands, will only serve to increase footfall and boost the local economy for residents and businesses alike."

Owned by The Hut Group (THG), Lookfantastic is Europe’s number one online premium beauty retailer, with a portfolio of over 660 premium brands including Yves Saint Laurent, MAC, Kératese, Estee Lauder and Givenchy. The brand, which dates back to 1978, became the UK's first online beauty stores in 1997, and was acquired by THG in 2010 in 2010 for £19.4m.

"We're excited to bring the Lookfantastic experience to life with our concept store," added Lucy Gorman, Chief Executive Officer, THG Beauty.

"This innovative retail space goes beyond products, offering a unique and immersive beauty destination. It perfectly complements our omnichannel strategy, bridging the gap between our established online community and the success of our pop-up events.

“Customers can discover and purchase from their favourite brands, and also enjoy beauty services, bringing digital beauty into the third dimension for our loyal, local customer base in a whole new way.”

Further details about the new shop will be released nearer to the time of opening.