Selfridges Personal Shopping - Manchester Exchange is a calm and characterful setting, where visitors can escape the bustle of the main store to shop, socialise and relax in private. Read more
Manchester Exchange marks Carter Owers’ third collaboration within this site and founder Hannah’s ninth across the iconic department stores’ London and regional sites.
Carter Owers was commissioned to create a new, larger, stand-alone space – an expansion that reflects Selfridges’ renewed focus on in-store, personal retail experiences post-pandemic.
Flexibility was central to the Selfridges brief: they needed a space that could effortlessly adapt to different usages, be that in-person or group appointments, intimate dinners or exclusive shopping events, while still supporting their one-to-one customer strategy. The result is an aesthetically considered yet highly functional space that operates beautifully day-to-day as a personal shopping destination, but can also be easily transformed for suppers, events, and brand takeovers.
On entrance to the lounge area, visitors are enveloped by a warm and inviting material palette. Walls in putty tones and paired-back architectural detailing provide the perfect backdrop to the statement reception desk, a combination of faceted brass fins and sleek walnut top, and playful silhouettes of iconic chairs from Patrizia Urquiola and Nanna Ditzel arranged in clusters on brightly coloured and textured rugs. On the rear wall, a floor-to-ceiling curtain softens the space and serves to hide a large format digital screen, which is required for online appointments and brand events.
Introducing light and warmth into the space are brass wall lights, a custom-designed brass and glass chandelier (both made by lighting specialist Atelier Areti) and natural light, which filters in from a newly revealed window. On one wall, recessed up-lit shelves showcase an arrangement of handbags and footwear, bringing the subject of fashion to the fore.
Sweeping off from the lounge are the generously proportioned and expertly lit fitting rooms. Each fitting room or “mini suite” is characterised by a distinctive colour theme and boasts an intensely coloured powder-coated metal and brass display wall in a matching crayon hue. Furnished with stylish stools and armchairs upholstered in textured fabrics and featuring an expansive illuminated triptych mirror, the mini suites offer visitors the ultimate in convenience and comfort.
Known worldwide for its luxurious and innovative shopping experience, Selfridges continue to lead the field by focusing on personal experience.
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