News

Hines acquires Leeds retail park from Tritax

Hines, acting on behalf of Hines Global Income Trust (HGIT), has acquired Junction 27 retail park in Birstall, near Leeds, from Tritax Big Box. The acquisition marks HGIT’s entry into the UK retail market, and further diversifies the trust’s $4.5bn (£3.4bn) portfolio. The fully-let retail park comprises 13 units across over 131,000 sq ft of net rentable space. Tenants include Currys, Furniture Village, ScS, Barker and Stonehouse, Pizza Express, TGI Fridays, and Zizzi. Alfon­so Munk, pres­i­dent and chief information officer of HGIT, said: “Real estate has remained resilient, offer­ing reli­able cash flow and strate­gic open­ings to lever­age evolving mar­ket dynam­ics. ​“Good buy­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties are expect­ed to per­sist, but not all retail is cre­at­ed equal. Hav­ing local exper­tise and being selec­tive are essen­tial, so assets in key loca­tions and spe­cif­ic retail sub­types, such as Junc­tion 27, are par­tic­u­lar­ly appealing.” Accord­ing to research from Hines, the glob­al retail sec­tor has a sig­nif­i­cant per­cent­age of mar­kets in some phase of the ​‘buy’ cycle, with larg­er for­mats, such as UK retail parks, seeing strong occu­pi­er demand and a lim­it­ed devel­op­ment pipeline. HGIT said it has the abil­i­ty to pur­sue com­pelling real estate invest­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties wher­ev­er they arise, due to its global reach.

Deals

Competitive socialising concept picks Metrocentre for second UK venue

Competitive socialising concept Activate will open its second venue in the UK at Gateshead’s Metrocentre. The technology-led gaming concept joins a number of other leisure operators at Metrocentre, including Treetop Golf, Clip ‘n Climb, Namco Funscape, and The Escapologist. The concept, which launched in Canada in 2017, has 60 locations across North America and Dubai. It was brought to the UK by We Do Play, the experiential leisure group behind the Flip Out, Putt Putt Social, and Boom Battle Bar brands. Activate – which opened its first UK venue at London’s O2 in December – will also be opening in Leicester and London’s Oxford Street later this year, in addition to the Metrocentre venue. Ben Cox, director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, asset Manager of Metrocentre, said: “Activate is unlike anything we currently have at Metrocentre, or indeed anything that exists in the North East, so it will offer a real point of difference to a destination that already dominates its region. “We know there is growing demand from our visitors for more competitive socialising concepts and Activate is the perfect operator to deliver a dynamic and unique experience, one that at the moment can only be found in London. Our ability […]

Requirements

Matalan looks to open new stores after £25m investment

Matalan is looking to open more new stores after receiving £25m in new funding from its investors. The clothing retailer – which trades from over 220 locations across the UK – is also planning to open a further 10 stores this year. Matalan is targeting use class E units located in retail parks, town centres, and shopping centres, ranging in size between 10,000 sq ft and 35,000 sq ft. For units sized between 10,000 sq ft and 20,000 sq ft, mezzanine space is required. Leasehold properties are preferred by the retailer, although freeholds will also be considered. Savills has been retained to find suitable properties in Scotland and Northern Ireland, whilst Stockford Anderson has been appointed to find units in Wales and the North of England. Smart 4 has been appointed across the South of England and London. As well as opening new stores, Matalan will also be investing into refreshing 30 of its existing stores this year. The retailer has completed works at stores in Linwood, near Glasgow, and Croydon, with refurbishments at its Dumfries and Bristol Filton stores to be completed within the coming weeks.

Insights

Derbion Q&A: New arrivals, recent investment, and what’s in store at the shopping centre

Many shopping centres in UK towns and cities have struggled in recent years as the retail market gets to grips with a post-pandemic world and shifts in spending habits. However some assets appear to have bucked the trend, such as Derbion in the East Midlands, which has welcomed new tenants and continued investment from occupiers. Spanning 1.1 million sq ft, the Derby scheme is home to over 200 tenants, including Next, Zara, Mango, H&M, M&S, Hobbs, Hugo Boss, and JD Sports. It also contains a 127,000 sq ft department store for Frasers, Sports Direct, USC and GAME. Completely Retail News caught up with Michael Boundy, director of asset management at Derbion, to chat about what’s new at Derby’s largest shopping centre: What new retailers has Derbion welcomed in recent months? “2025 has been off to a flying start at Derbion, with a range of new and exciting brands and store upgrades. Following excellent sales performance, JD has doubled its footprint to a newly fitted out 20,000 sq ft store which opened in February, whilst iconic lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret will open its new, standalone 5,721 sq ft store at Derbion this summer, expanding out of its current space in Next, […]

Advice

Finding the right retail property for you

Every business is unique, and for those who want to enter the world of physical retail, finding the right property is no different.

News

UNIQLO makes city debut at Liverpool ONE

UNIQLO has opened the doors to its store at Liverpool ONE, as the Japanese fashion brand makes its city debut. The 25,000 sq ft store spans two floors and features the brand’s full range of menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear. The store on Paradise Street also includes features such as self-service checkout areas and dedicated collection points, as well as clothing repair, alteration, and recycling services to help extend the life of UNIQLO clothing. The retailer currently has 21 stores in the UK, and is continuing its expansion with further openings in Glasgow and Birmingham due later this year. Rob Deacon, asset management director at Liverpool ONE, said: “In a year of landmark openings, UNIQLO’s showcase space on Paradise Street is a brilliant addition to Liverpool ONE. The destination continues to attract strong demand from iconic international brands for flagship stores, with UNIQLO joining our exceptional line-up of best-in-class names in fashion, offering consumers even more reasons to visit Liverpool ONE.” Metis and CBRE acted for Liverpool ONE.