Days after it was revealed high-end fashion brand Tessuti was to close its 22,000 sq ft Liverpool store, Liverpool ONE says it already has a new tenant lined up for the unit. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool ONE operator Grosvenor has acted quickly to line up a replacement for Tessuti after it was revealed the high-end fashion brand was to close its city centre store.
Tessuti, owned by retail tycoon Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, has launched a closing down sale at the 22,000 sq ft Paradise Street unit, offering discounts of up to 70%. The shop had been open for less than two years.
Now Liverpool ONE estate director Iain Finlayson has told LBN that site operator Grosvenor has already lined up a replacement retailer for the premises.
“We’ve known about Tessuti’s forthcoming closure for up to a year. Shortly after opening, Tessuti was acquired by the Frasers Group, owner of Sports Direct,” said Iain.
“Since that acquisition, many of the Tessuti stores across the UK have closed or rebranded as Flannels. Clearly, Flannels already has a home in the city, therefore the decision was taken to close the Paradise St store.
“In the knowledge that the unit was to become available, we’ve been working in the background to secure a new tenant, details of which will be revealed in the autumn.
“The brand will be a first for the city and something to create a great deal of excitement, I’m sure.”
Grosvenor has a strong track record of filling vacated units quickly. When Liverpool ONE opened in 2008 it had two big anchor tenants – John Lewis and Debenhams.
However, when the Debenhams chain collapsed in early 2021 the complex suddenly found itself with a huge hole to fill. That has now been filled by Marks & Spencer, which relocated from Church Street, and the £10m Gravity Max leisure venue.
Tessuti’s closure is the latest example of the huge influence Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has on the UK high street with Liverpool being no exception.
In March this year Frasers placed Kids Cavern into administration. It was founded in 1989 by husband and wife Danny and Tracey Shelvey. It was based in Cavern Walks until 2018 when it moved to Metquarter and is now shut down.
Cricket Fashion, founded by Liverpool couple Justine Mills and Gerard Mannix in 1991, also relocated to Metquarter in 2018. In 2019 the pair sold their majority stake in the business to JD Sports which later sold the brand to Frasers.
Following the acquisition Frasers scrapped a plan for Cricket to relocate from Metquarter to a prominent unit in Liverpool ONE.
And in January this year LBN revealed that Mr Ashley’s flagship brand, Sports Direct, had acquired the former Marks & Spencer store in Church Street and will transform it into a 103,000 sq ft sportswear store and gym.