The store has undergone a massive expansion with sections of the store temporarily closed since May
First look at Zara menswear section
I’m a self-confessed online shopping addict and have been for years. I constantly have a basket filled with wishlist items on one website or other, and I find the internet a much easier place to shop than some high street stores. I find it simpler to search lots of different brands online and track down items that often aren’t available in-store.
Liverpool has such an amazing selection of high street and designer shops in the city centre – but sometimes I’ll still find myself ordering items into the physical store from the brand’s website, because I want a particular item that isn’t available on the shop floor. One of the stores I frequently place online orders for is Zara – mainly because they’ve got a really easy in-store returns process in their Liverpool ONE shop.
I absolutely love Zara clothes, both for myself and my little boy – but in the past I’ve found their online selection to be far better than the in-store offerings, with lots of additional options on the Zara website. That changed today when I was the first person allowed inside the newly expanded Liverpool ONE store.
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Within seconds of opening its doors, the revamped store was already flooded with shoppers who were keen to get a first look at the new collections on offer. But I was allowed in 45 minutes before the shop opened to get a sneaky look around.
For starters, the shop is absolutely huge. It’s the biggest Zara I’ve ever been inside, and the way they’ve used the new floor space makes the entire store feel so much more spacious and relaxed. I sometimes found the previous store to feel a little bit cramped and hectic, especially during high-traffic times like Saturday shopping days or the busy Christmas rush. But the expanded store has so much space between the displays, and everything is so well presented that I think it will be a decidedly chilled shopping experience, even at the busiest times.
The store is also really well lit – including the changing rooms. One of the other reasons for my online shopping habits is that I find changing rooms inside physical stores can vary wildly in terms of lighting and mirrors. I emerge from some changing rooms feeling like a hideous goblin, while others make me feel like a supermodel. Usually, I find myself thinking that at least I know where I stand with my mirror at home.
But the new Zara changing rooms are a whole different experience. They are equipped with automatic lighting when you step inside, plenty of space and loads of mirrors that felt like they offered an accurate all-round view of the items I was trying on. Changing rooms can feel leave me feeling a bit flustered, but there was so much space and choice of cubicles that I was relaxed about the often fraught trying-on process.
I spend a lot of time scrolling the Zara website looking at items that I previously wasn’t able to find in store – and their site is so vast that I sometimes give up part-way through my search because the choice is almost overwhelming. The new store had so many collections and different areas that I felt spoiled for choice without being overwhelmed.
I was particularly impressed by the children’s section. I’m sure I’m not the only Liverpool boy-mum who loves Zara clothing but has previously been frustrated at how limited the in-store choice is. It’s sometimes hard to know which size will best fit my little boy, and that means having to order multiple sizes online to find the best fit, and then return the others.
The new Liverpool ONE store has expanded the kidswear section so vastly that I was completely blown away. I could spend hours browsing the rails and picking out adorable outfits for my son, with lots of choice between trendy looks and cute character clothing, as well as pyjamas and accessories.
As someone who usually opts to online shop rather than heading into a physical store, I have been well and truly converted by this expanded city centre shop. So much so that I’m fearful for my bank balance this month.
