Expanding Joy

The British lifestyle retailer, Joy, is expanding its presence outside London with the opening of its first next-generation store at the Triangle Shopping Centre in Manchester this month. Other openings are planned for Leeds and Birmingham in early 2005.

Joy has appointed designers SHH to revamp its six London interiors concept in the run-up to the expansion. The company targets a mostly-female audience in the 25-35 age range. Co-founder and head buyer Maureen O'Brien describes the ideal Joy customer as "a Bridget Jones type character who is perpetually 29". The stores sell trendy as well as vintage clothing, homewares and lifestyle accessories.

The Manchester store will feature a mix of the old concept with the new, according to SHH creative director Neil Hogan. The designers are determined to bring increased theatre, colour and drama to the brand. Hogan revealed that "some tongue-in-cheek 'bling'" would be added to the otherwise empty spaces.