John Lewis To Open in Manchester

John Lewis is to open a full-line department store in Manchester's Trafford Centre in 2005. The 200,000sq ft store will trade over two floors in the Festival Village area of the centre, currently occupied by small independents.

The Trafford Centre said some of the existing retailers may be relocated to the main Peel Avenue or Regent Crescent malls but many of them have leases which are due to expire shortly.

David Riddiford, the buying and merchandise director at Selfridges, which opened in the Trafford Centre in 1998, said: "John Lewis will be another good anchor, with Selfridges and Debenhams, and will pull in a more upmarket clientele."