Pretty Green returns to Manchester high street 

Following its collapse and subsequent acquisition by JD Sports, the fashion brand’s 11 stores were closed. Now, the Liam Gallagher-founded label is to reopen in the former Jigsaw unit on King Street. 

Jigsaw exited King Street during the pandemic, leaving landlord DTZ Investors with a unit to fill. The Pop-up Club, a retail hub for independent traders, occupied the unit on a temporary basis during the summer but has now vacated. 

Pretty Green is due to open on 1 October having signed a lease until the end of 2022.  

The deal sees Pretty Green return not only to Manchester but to King Street specifically; its flagship store used to be further up the road on the ground floor of Bruntwood’s Manchester Club. 

However, while that store was the sole survivor of the administration in 2019, it eventually went the same way as the others, which were shut down following JD Sports’ acquisition of the brand. 

The return of Pretty Green is in line with DTZI’s plan to create a retail-led experiential destination King Street, associate director Tom Royston told Place North West. 

“It is a great brand that is well-known in Manchester and a step in the right direction in terms of our strategy for King Street,” he said. 

DTZI started accumulating assets on King Street in 2016 and now owns 22 units – many of which are empty. 

The former Body Shop, Jack Wills, Cath Kidson, TM Lewin and Kiehl’s stores have all closed within the last two years. 

Despite the number empty stores, DTZI said earlier this year that it was happy to play the long game in securing tenants and would not rush into filling voids for the sake of it. 

Talks with several operators and retailers are ongoing. 

Elsewhere, outside of DTZI’s holdings, pizzeria Franco Manca is to open its second Manchester restaurant within 39 King Street, the former Boots and Google store.