The Stamford Quarter is celebrating the opening of its latest independent retailer Kick Collective, which was part of the successful Pop Up Shop initiative that took place last year.

Located at 20 George Street, the store is owned by local, independent sneaker and streetwear specialist Joe Digby and sells sought-after, exclusive, high-end trainers from brands including Nike, Adidas and Balenciaga and streetwear clothing including Essentials and Broken Planet.  Joe originally set up the business online and it went from strength to strength during lockdown. The foray into bricks and mortar via the Pop Up Shop at the Stamford Quarter proved to be a great success and has been a big factor in leading Joe to take the next step onto the high street with a permanent store.

The pop up shop, an initiative delivered by Bruntwood and Trafford Council in association with property agents Barker Proudlove, gave local, independent brands the opportunity to host a specially created ‘blank canvas’ retail space on the high street for between one and six weeks. The scheme was designed to give small and independent enterprises the opportunity to trial a bricks and mortar concept with minimum risk and maximum flexibility with the aim of bringing more  independent brands to the high street.

Commentating on the launch, Joe Digby, owner of Kick Collective, said:

“Our Pop Up Shop was a great success and we are delighted to be opening up a permanent store.  We are looking forward to welcoming customers old and new on the high street over Christmas and beyond.  We have built an even more desirable product range now with lots of sneakers that you won’t find anywhere else. The Stamford Quarter is a fantastic location with a great footfall and vibe and we look forward to being part of this community. “

James Tootle, Head of Retail & Leisure at  Bruntwood Works, added:

“Joe and Kick Collective are a great success story moving from online, to a pop up and now  permanent site, all here in the Stamford Quarter.  The specialist product range is a perfect addition to the local high street and gives Joe the opportunity to really showcase his brands. The opening supports our vision for the Stamford Quarter as we head into 2023 with lots of exciting things to come as we continue to transform the high street in Altrincham.   Alongside the opening of our new Foundation building and other exciting things to come over the next 12 months are going to be a really important time for this thriving part of Altrincham town centre.”

Kick Collective joins the burgeoning community of independent stores and brands in the Stamford Quarter, where Bruntwood and Trafford Council have supported many local businesses onto the high street as part of their vision to reimagine the town centre. This includes locally grown boutiques including Skanda Clothing, Altrincham-based jewellery studio Muse and vinyl, coffee and beer specialists Stutter and Twitch, alongside the new Foundation building which will bring a market-leading blend of workspace, retail and leisure to Altrincham.