Arne opens Liverpool One pop-up, sees long queues

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 13, 2023

There’s a strong trend of online-only brands moving into physical spaces at the moment, even if they’re only pop-ups. And the latest is Arne, which unveiled a Liverpool One pop-up at the weekend.

The online contemporary clothing and footwear brand opened at the Grosvenor-operated mall with the landlord saying there was heavy visitor traffic and the “activation proved an overwhelming success for both Arne and Liverpool One”.

The activation ran from Friday until Sunday, covering a 2,300 sq ft space on Peter’s Lane.

Arne, founded by brothers Reece and Ryan Broadhurst, has been building a strong UK business country-wide, as well as maintaining its core following in the Liverpool region. And Grosvenor said the strength of the pop-up, highlighted this local appeal.

The store focused on the brand’s core minimalist clothing offer, plus exclusive products and limited-edition items, which is just about the sweet spot for a short-stay pop-up store as far as making consumers feel they really must visit is concerned. 

The space mirrored the brand’s clean aesthetic with an understated fit-out, complete with simple steel walls, mirrors, and concrete floors. With a focus on celebrating the support shown to Arne from the Liverpool community, the pop-up consisted of a VIP event enabling a selection of loyal customers to meet the founders and gain access to exclusive products.

Rob Deacon, Senior Asset Manager at Grosvenor, said that Arne “is a brand with strong local connections and a huge online presence” and helping it to “create a new and exciting physical experience for the Liverpool One visitor was no small feat; however, it was fantastic to see the overwhelming positively reaction they received. Arne is the kind of pioneering and authentic retailer that perfectly complements Liverpool One and our visitors”.

The pop-up came as Liverpool One continues to benefit from a raft of brands signing up for stores there or relocating to bigger spaces. They include Under Armour, Sweaty Betty, Gilly Hicks, Boss, Cricket, Quiz and a raft of Inditex labels.