How Harvey Nichols shaped noughties Leeds shopping - and what comes next

1996 was the year the Spice Girls ruled the charts, Gazza was scoring for England - and Harvey Nichols opened its doors in Leeds.

The department store coming to Yorkshire was a big deal. It was the brand's very first foray outside London, and signalled a confidence in the city as a destination for luxury shopping that was dubbed "Knightsbridge of the North".

Its cultural significance was such that it was regularly mentioned in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, and its opening on Briggate saw throngs of shoppers turn up dressed as characters Edina and Patsy.

Now its golden era has come to an end and it is set for a rebrand after a buy-out by Frasers Group, with rumours that it will become the city's second branch of designer goods store Flannels.

According to retail expert Jonathan De Mello, the appeal of Leeds has not diminished, but Harvey Nichols has failed to keep pace with changes in the luxury retail sector.

"Leeds remains a very strong retail city and it is very attractive for the retailers that I work with who want to be there.

"Harvey Nichols is closing most of its stores, but the fact that the Leeds one will remain under a different name shows that Leeds still remains a priority for Frasers Group," he says.

The traditional customer base for Harvey Nichols in Leeds was middle-aged women, but modern rivals such as Flannels actively target Gen Z shoppers.

"There is an evolution of luxury in general where it is becoming more youth-oriented, harnessing the power of social media," De Mello adds.

"I think we are seeing a shorter shelf life for luxury in general but it is still there and Leeds remains a key city on the map for luxury shopping."

Frasers Group has owned Flannels since 2017, and it has rapidly expanded to more than 60 locations. The group's CEO, Michael Murray, told the BBC in 2023 that the target market for Flannels was "aspirational" customers aged 18-30, many of whom still live at home and spend their income on health, fitness and clothing.

De Mello agrees that Flannels has succeeded where Harvey Nichols failed because it is geared towards these younger shoppers with more disposable income.

"In Harvey Nichols, the average age of customers these days is probably in their 40s but I would say Flannels is more positioned to those who are more like late 20s, early 30s.

"They are usually renting, and many don't yet have kids. They want to spend on fashion as well."

He cites Harvey Nichols' focus on occasionwear as a reason it failed to entice this demographic of older shoppers squeezed by household bills to part with their cash, while Flannels sells everyday streetwear.

De Mello also speculates that the existing Flannels store in the former Debenhams building could close to allow Frasers Group to focus on the "more iconic" Harvey Nichols site.

Yiannis Zardis was one of the employees present on the first day Harvey Nichols opened in Leeds, having transferred from his job at Topman to work in the menswear department.

He remembers the window being adorned with bright pink feathers, door staff in top hat and tails and a risque advertising campaign that graced billboards around the city.

"It was a great time," he says. "The 90s was a golden era.

"The customers who would come in, I had never served people like that before.

"At the beginning it was very rich people who would come in and then gradually it would be normal everyday people, they would save up and come to buy a pair of Versace jeans."

He went on to work for Selfridges in London, but believes the regional Harvey Nichols stores "always carried" the London flagship.

On the impact of the name disappearing from the Leeds high street, he says: "The majority of shops in Trinity Centre are high street and John Lewis is more in the middle.

"There are a few boutiques in the Victoria Quarter but they don't cover anything like what Harvey Nichols has.

"Also it is the experience in store - it is not just about buying luxury clothing, and that is so important in retail.

"It will be a void that can't be filled."

When the BBC speaks to shoppers who remember the 1990s heyday, they mention the arrival of London looks and fashions not previously as accessible in the north.

This is in contrast to the strategy of Flannels, which has targeted regional cities for its largest stores because customers' exposure to major designer brands is now from social media and London's role has become less important.

Ruth Clapton, a fashion content creator from York, remembers a visit to Harvey Nichols as a "treat".

"When I was first going in there, I used to like Miu Miu, Missoni, and I mean having these kind of brands in the north was a big deal - especially in the 90s and the 2000s.

"I like actually that there's a bit of a range of price point. It was not just tailored to people who can afford the more expensive brands, it was also going mid-range as well, which I thought was a really great move."

Another frequent shopper, Jenn Jordan, recalls her excitement at the store's opening.

"It felt so exciting that a bit of London was coming to Leeds. I was so impressed by it."

The 44-year-old, who was 16 when it opened, remembers her first Harvey Nichols purchase - a pair of Calvin Klein knickers.

Jordan, who lives in Kippax, has continued to shop at the department store over the years and is "very sad" to hear the brand will vanish.

"Flannels has a much more sporty feel to it and I think and it's geared towards younger shoppers.

"At Harvey Nichols in the 90s, if you got the Calvin Klein pants and the CK One fragrance, it felt like you were almost Kate Moss."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.