The online retail giant is taking the entire 15th floor, to serve as a satellite creative hub for its creative department, comprising animators, production staff and graphic designers.
Supporting its headquarters in Bolton, where the firm was founded, AO’s creative team will now be located in the heart of Manchester city centre to support its plans to attract and retain the best talent.
By relocating to 111 Piccadilly, AO will gain direct collaboration and networking opportunities with other like-minded tech businesses already based at the building, including the likes of national EV charging networkBe.EV and payment solutions software provider, Total Processing.
111 Piccadilly is a pioneering tech and innovation hub supporting companies in technology, finance, and sustainability. Designed to foster collaboration through its communal spaces, it also enhances customer well-being with a state-of-the-art circadian lighting system. This innovative lighting mimics natural light patterns, helping regulate sleep, wake cycles, hunger, alertness, hormone release, and body temperature, creating a more comfortable working environment.
Customers located here also benefit from a range of high quality amenities including Ancoats Coffee Co. situated in the ground floor café and lounge, superfast WiFi throughout to allow for breakout and flexible working, an art exhibition space housed in the ‘Gem’ — the building’s sculptured entrance – and high-quality showers, changing facilities and a secure cycle hub to promote sustainable and active travel to and from work.
Joshua Hancock, Associate Commercial Director at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Following a long-standing and positive relationship with AO during their time as a customer at Baskerville House, we are incredibly excited to welcome them back into the Bruntwood SciTech portfolio as the firm looks to strengthen its creative offering. There is no better home for them to do so than in Manchester – recently named the UK’s ‘creative capital’ – and at 111 Piccadilly specifically, where the team will be surrounded by like-minded, forward-thinking tech and creative businesses.
“The fact that AO has chosen to open its city centre hub here is testament to not only the market-leading quality of the workspace we’ve created at 111 Piccadilly, but also the environment we have cultivated that allows businesses to collaborate and knowledge-share. This collaboration also extends across our Manchester city centre innovation hubs, which AO will also have access to.
“We are looking forward to seeing how AO’s creative team is able to grow and thrive within our established customer community and look forward to supporting them to achieve these goals.”
Vicky Monk, AO’s Group Marketing Director, said: “Being able to have a fully managed satellite office to support our continued growth and innovation is invaluable to us, and something that will set us apart from others in our field.
“We’re looking forward to rejoining the Bruntwood SciTech community and becoming part of the 111 Piccadilly ecosystem of forward-thinking, creative businesses.”
