Victoria Leeds is set to be home to five new stores over the coming months, spanning from fashion, eyewear and premium alcohol.
Whistles opens a brand new store this week on Wednesday 28 June 2023 inside the Victoria Quarter, spread across 1102 square foot. The London-based style is moving into Leeds to bring ' a curated edit of must-have pieces for Spring-Summer 23 and a selection of modern occasionwear.'
Phase Eight is also coming to Leeds as one of fourteen openings the brand is rolling out in 2023. The new store will be modelled on the Westfield London location, based on a flagship store and promises to include a large collection of event wear, daywear and its luxury tie collection.
Townhouse Nails is a luxury salon that's 'built a stellar reputation with its beautiful surroundings, daring nail creations and a flawless finish guarantee' expanding through the north. The new store will be located next to Hackett.
Jimmy Fairly prides itself on being 'the coolest optician in town' and is set to add Leeds to its list in the coming months. Born out of one of London's trendiest suburbs, the brand will bring a unique style of French eyewear to the Victoria Quarter.
The Whisky Shop is also setting up shop with Victoria Leeds and will open a new store inside the County Arcade. Inside you'll find some of the world's finest whiskies incuding rare and limited edition bottles like The Glenlivet 80-Year-Old Generations Gordon & MacPhail.
And whilst Size? isn't a new opening, the popular footwear brand has seriously upscaled in moving stores to Kind Edward Street. The new home for the company is four-times the size of their previous store, spread across three floors.
Jo Coburn, Senior General Manager at Victoria Leeds, said:
“Retail is constantly evolving, and we are fast becoming the preferred destination not just for shopping, but leisure and lifestyle too. Having a dynamic sense of ‘now’ has never been more important. These new brands are a welcome addition to Victoria Leeds as our brand mix is key to ensuring that our beautiful destination is first on the bucket list when you’re visiting our fantastic city.
‘’It is our aim to create engaging, relevant experiences and events around this mix, that build anticipation and engagement with our customers and ultimately a true sense of belonging to the Victoria Leeds community. From Fashion Weekenders and immersive activations to large-scale artistry and involvement in cultural city trails. We work in collaboration with all our city partners to make Victoria Leeds one of the most inspiring places to visit when you’re in the city centre.”
One of Leeds' most iconic brands is expanding yet again.
North Star Coffee Roasters are one of the early pioneers of specialty coffee in the North of England and among the UK’s first B Corp-certified coffee roasters.
They've been keeping the people of Leeds awake since 2013, and you'll find their coffee across the country as well as at their current city centre locations.
And there really is no stopping them as just one month after opening a lovely kiosk in the famed Victoria Quarter, North Star is opening another site on Great George Street. Hurrah!
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You can find the new North Star opposite the LGI, sporting its fabulous bright colours that will be sure to wake you up even if the coffee doesn't.
At this site there will be all the caffeinated beverages as well as house-made bakes and sandwiches available to grab-and-go.
And we don't have long to wait to check it out, as they'll be opening their doors this Monday 27 July.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
“While it’s easy to focus on the challenges facing hospitality, we still believe deeply in the role that cafés play in our city's community,” said Holly Kragiopoulos, CEO of North Star Coffee Roasters.
“They are places where people come together, to meet, to pause, to connect. Choosing to invest now is a reflection of our belief in Leeds, and in the long-term value of creating spaces people genuinely want to spend time in.”
“These new sites allow us to create meaningful opportunities for both new and existing team members,” Holly added.
“Hospitality is ultimately about people - both those we serve and those who make the experience possible. As a Leeds-born business, we’re incredibly proud to continue investing in our city. The support we’ve had from day one is what’s made this growth possible.”
Bus operator partners with Leeds hospitals to help mums-to-be make vital appointments
Clementine Hall
First Bus is partnering with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to support vulnerable women during pregnancy.
The bus operator is providing an incredible 1,000 day tickets to help vulnerable mums-to-be make appointments.
The free travel passes can be provided by maternity teams to women mainly from minority or disadvantaged communities, helping them to attent important check-ups and appointments.
A recent review of records estimates that 100 pregnant women every month struggle to make hospital appointments as they have no access to funding support or face other barriers to transport.
Image: Supplied
First Bus will provide 100 day tickets per month until March 2027 for midwives to distribute to women based on travel needs following a financial assessment which is carried out during their initial appointment with the maternity team.
Nada Abdul-Majid, Specialist Midwife Health Equity at the Trust, said: “I’ve seen first-hand how women struggle to get to their hospital appointments if they don’t have enough money to use public transport.
“Our Haamla team carry out home visits to these vulnerable women however, it is important that families are able to travel to the hospital for scans, doctors’ appointments, labour and obstetric emergencies.”
Zoe Hands, Managing Director of First Bus Franchising which includes the West Yorkshire region, said: “Supporting communities in the areas we serve means, where we can, being able to assist people in all stages of life. Nothing can be more important than helping to ensure the health and welfare of mothers-to-be and the benefits this will bring to their newborn children.
“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with the Trust and seeing the positive impact our travel support can make to the lives of vulnerable women in Leeds.
“We’re really grateful to First Bus for providing these tickets for women so they can receive maternity care without worrying about the cost of travel to and from appointments,” added Nada. “This will make a real difference to mothers and babies.”
Sophie Smith -
26th June 2023 
