Armani Exchange shuts 6 of its 8 UK shops

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 27, 2017

Giorgio Armani’s diffusion line Armani Exchange has quietly closed down six of its eight stores in the UK including its 11,700 sq ft flagship store on London’s Regent Street as the fashion group undergoes restructuring.

A|X stores at Bluewater, Kent, Intu Trafford Centre, Manchester; Met Quarter, Liverpool; Trinity Leeds and the Friary Centre, Guildford; as well as the London flagship have all ceased trading, according to Estates Gazette.

The leases have been surrendered back to the landlords and will likely be re-let.

Armani Exchange opened its flagship store at 244 Regent Street in 2007. The two-level space was the brand’s largest shop in the world when it opened, and housed affordable collections for a new generation of fashion consumers.

The UK closures are part of a wider review of the business by Giorgio Armani Group, which announced on Friday the discontinuation of its lines Armani Collezioni and Armani Jeans in a bid to simplify its collections.

The brand continues to be available at Westfield London and at York Designer Outlet Centre, as well as online.

The stores are still listed on the brand’s UK website, however listed phone numbers for the boutiques in London, Bluewater and Guilford came up unrecognised on Monday.

The Liverpool shop was closed down last week and it remains unclear when the others ceased trading.

Armani Exchange was launched in 1991 as a more affordable version of the Giorgio Armani mainline for younger consumers.