- Uniqlo will open its first store in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in Nantes.
- Its building has been under construction for two years in Brancas alley, in the city center.
The construction of the building to house Uniqlo is almost complete, a stone's throw from Place du Commerce in Nantes. The famous brand of ready-to-wear will officially open on March 26, she announced this Friday. If it had a shop in Rennes since September 2018, the Japanese brand was not present in Pays-de-la-Loire.
In Nantes, it will offer a surface area of 960 m2 spread over three floors. It will be integrated into a new building, built in place of the old square Fleuriot-de-Langle, and whose architecture is already highly criticized.
An expected "locomotive"
The arrival of Uniqlo does not worry the merchants of the city center, on the contrary. A large number of them welcome the arrival of a "locomotive" likely to "boost attendance at the center". "It has been a long time since we have seen such a sign coming," says Delphine Jacob, general delegate of the shopping center Plein center. It is at the level of the Apple store, which unfortunately chose Atlantis, or even Hema [arrived in 2017 Place du Change]. It is a mark of destination. We know that customers will come from all over Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Vendée expressly for its collections. All traders are enthusiastic. "
Discovered remains
The preparatory work for this building (which also includes some accommodation), was controversial. Several Nantes residents were moved by the disappearance of the square and its magnolias, an emblematic tree of the city. The discovery of archaeological remains had also worried the defenders of the heritage.
It was finally decided to remove the basement originally planned in the project to install a glass floor and enhance these elements of the city's medieval past. They will be visible on the ground floor of the store.
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- Uniqlo
- Trade
- Downtown
- Nantes