Leeds is the epicentre of the luxury watch industry for the North of England with its concentration of Berry’s boutiques along with a cluster of jewellers and fine watch retailers along Commercial Street.
That dominance has not deterred Goldsmiths choosing to open a new store just 20 minutes outside of Leeds at Axiom, a major new shopping and leisure development slated to open near Castleford in 2022.
No details of the opening have been disclosed, except that the Goldsmiths store will not stock Rolex.
Axiom is being built just off the M62, which runs East to West from Manchester to Hull, at the site of the current Xscape activity centre. The project is being developed by Lateral Property Group, which says it is making excellent progress at attracting big names to the Yorkshire development including Marks & Spencer, Primark, Next, Boots, H&M, JD Sports, New Look and Mango.
The site will also include a 10,000 seater sports stadium for Castleford Tigers.
A spokesman for the developer says: “We are in advanced discussion with many other international brands and will make significant announcements through 2019. Whilst there is significant change happening in the retail markets, we are creating a nationally significant, ‘next generation’ flagship leisure, retail and adventure destination. Our success in signing recent contracts with the above five brands is testament to this.
“Be assured we are doing all we possibly can to start on site at the earliest opportunity. Our target, allowing for expected political and financial uncertainty over the next two or three months, is to start on site in late summer, with stadium delivery and development opening in early 2022.”
Leeds-based Berry’s Jewellers has ruled out opening at the development.
