Latest Retail News

Dolce&Gabbana opens first-of-its-kind store at Covent Garden

18th February 2025

Dolce&Gabbana has opened a combined beauty and accessories store, a first for the brand, at the Historic Market building in Covent Garden. This marks a return to the iconic London neighbourhood for the luxury and lifestyle brand, which opened a Christmas pop-up on the Piazza in 2022. The new store features Dolce&Gabbana’s cosmetic and fragrance ranges, alongside accessories including eyewear, under one roof for the first time. Dolce&Gabbana at Covent Garden sits opposite the junction of James Street, alongside other beauty and fragrance brands including CHANEL Beauty, Diptyque, Glossier, Guerlain, Miller Harris, Penhaligon’s, Tom Ford Beauty, and the recently opened Charlotte Tilbury. William Oliver, retail leasing director at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “Dolce&Gabbana’s commitment to blending tradition with innovation is what makes Covent Garden the perfect location to debut a world-first concept, following in the footsteps of Chanel, Charlotte Tilbury, Glossier, and Tom Ford. Building on the noteworthy success of its pop-up in 2022, the brand has reinvested in the destination, showcasing Covent Garden’s appeal for internationally renowned fashion houses to put down permanent roots.” This follows the recent opening of Alo Yoga at the junction of Neal Street and Earlham Street, after a milestone year of brand commitments at Covent […]

Tenpin strikes deal at Redditch shopping centre

18th February 2025

Bowling operator Tenpin is set to open a new entertainment centre at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch, Worcestershire. The 28,500 sq ft venue – which will occupy the former B&M and Wilko stores on the lower floor of the shopping centre – is set to open this summer on what is understood to be a 25-year lease. In addition to 22 bowling lanes, the centre will offer three escape rooms, laser tag, karaoke rooms, interactive darts, and pool tables. It will also be supplemented by a 140-seat bar offering food and drink alongside live sport. A spokesperson for Kingfisher Shopping Centre said: “Tenpin will further enhance our leisure offer at Kingfisher Shopping Centre, boosting the town’s appeal and providing exciting new opportunities for both residents and visitors.” Sue Clews, regional manager at Tenpin, added: “We are excited to share that we are opening a new site in Redditch. This venue promises to provide guests with a range of activities for all ages and occasions, and we can’t wait to welcome the first customers through the doors.” KLM Real Estate are the leasing consultants at Kingfisher Centre and acted for the landlord The Gluck Group. Portland Leisure Advisers acted for Tenpin.

News

Private investor acquires Colchester retail park for £34m

18th February 2025

A private South African client of Pembrey Asset Management has acquired Stane Retail Park in Colchester from the developer Churchmanor Estates for £33.95m. Comprising 123,637 sq ft of retail accommodation, the scheme was opened in phases between October 2021 and October 2022 and is anchored by an 80,000 sq ft purpose-built M&S store. Other tenants at Stane Retail Park include Superdrug, Mountain Warehouse, Furniture Village, Greggs, and Cook. B&Q and Aldi also have stores at the retail park held in a separate freehold ownership, totalling almost 100,000 sq ft. The scheme offers a weighted average unexpired lease term of 14 years and holds a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’. Pembrey Asset Management was represented by Cushman & Wakefield, whilst Churchmanor Estates was represented by XPROP. Marcus Wood at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “2025 is set to be another strong year for retail warehouse investment volumes. C&W recorded £3.5 billion of out of town stock in 2024 and whilst there was a huge surge in transaction volume in Q4, very little of that was of the quality that attracted our client towards Colchester” Matt Cloke at Churchmanor Estates added “We are delighted to have completed this sale, marking the conclusion of 12 […]

Deals

ProCook to open at Centre:mk

18th February 2025

ProCook is set to open a new store at Milton Keynes’ Centre:mk shopping centre later this month. The kitchenware brand’s 2,760 sq ft store at Silbury Arcade will open on Friday 21st February and offer a range of essentials, electricals, tableware, and gadgets. Customers will be able to explore the store’s interactive displays, test products prior to purchasing, and customise their own cookware and tableware sets. Kevin Duffy, Centre:mk’s centre director, said: “With one of the strongest anchor brand line-ups in the UK, Centre:mk continues to outperform benchmarks for footfall and sales. As the latest brand to open at the centre, ProCook benefits from the exceptional trading opportunities here at Centre:mk and we are pleased to welcome them to Silbury Arcade.” Andy Kerr, ProCook retail director, added: “We’re delighted to announce the opening of our new ProCook in Centre:mk, a fantastic retail destination with a strong regional pull. This new location allows us to bring our high-quality cookware and kitchenware essentials to even more customers, offering an engaging in-store experience where shoppers can explore our products firsthand. We look forward to welcoming the community from across the region, and sharing our passion for cooking with them.”

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

Completely Retail

Mall Unit 5, Arena Shopping Park

The unit occupies a prominent position adjacent to Specsavers and Shoezone directly opposite a 140,000 sq ft Tesco Extra. Other retailers on the scheme include M&S, Next, JD Sports and Boots. The Arena Shopping Park comprises a total of 294,760 sq ft and is the principal retail and leisure destination in Coventry. The scheme attracts in excess of 5 million visitors a year.

Requirements

Cards Direct targeting over 20 new stores in 2025

7th February 2025

Cards Direct is looking to open more than 20 new stores in 2025. The retailer – which operates over 80 stores – is seeking units with between 1,200 sq ft and 2,000 sq ft of sales space. Ideal units will have a minimum width of 18 ft and will be located in prime or good secondary areas including shopping centres and high streets. Cards Direct opened 21 stores last year and has branches in major locations including The Centre in Milton Keynes, Queensgate in Peterborough, and Cabot Circus in Bristol. The retailer’s target locations include, but are not limited to: AS Retail has been appointed to find suitable units.

Insights

How will the UK Net Zero Building Standard impact the retail sector?

7th February 2025

Savills' Olivier Garnier and Yorgos Koronaios look at the new UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard and how the retail sector will be affected.

Advice

Finding the right retail property for you

20th March 2024

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

Savills advises British Heart Foundation on flurry of retail park signings

18th February 2025

Savills has advised the British Heart Foundation on the acquisition of new retail park leases, including at former Wilko units, across the north of the UK. As it looks to expand its presence in retail parks across the country, the charity has agreed leases ranging between five and 10 years at: Jonathan Netley, retail director at Savills Manchester, said: “These latest store acquisitions from British Heart Foundation reflect their growing appetite to increase their retail offer in out of town locations, having already built up an established presence on the high street. Offering a wide range of clothing, homeware goods and furniture, their offer is perfectly suited to complement the existing retailers on these parks.  “We are looking forward to continuing to support British Heart Foundation with their expansion process across the north of the UK.”

News

Buckinghamshire shopping centre offers start-ups free retail space in competition

17th February 2025

A shopping centre in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire is offering start-up retailers the chance to win six months of rent-free space. Local businesses that have been established for at least 12 months have been invited to enter Eden Shopping Centre’s ‘Start up to Store’ competition. Business owners who believe a physical space within the centre, sitting alongside national and independent brands, will make a real difference to their businesses are being invited to apply online. The Eden Shopping Centre team, which includes centre director Andrew Norton alongside judges including Regina Smith and Fiona Brownfoot, will review entrants and invite shortlisted candidates to a second-round event towards the end of next month. Rebecca Gomme, Eden Shopping Centre’s marketing manager, said: “Here at Eden we are a big supporter of the local community.  We are excited to give an ambitious local business from within our community the opportunity to benefit from the thriving retail environment we have created at Eden.   “Eden Shopping Centre is committed to creating memorable experiences for the community, with a diverse range of retailers and activities available to all.  “I, for one, am excited to see the creativity, ideas and ambitions of businesses in the community and believe that Start […]

More Latest Retail News

Colliers appoints former Cushman partner to hotels team

17th February 2025

Colliers has appointed former Cushman & Wakefield partner Richard Candey to its 40-strong hotels team. The hospitality development and investment specialist will join the London-based team – which advises owners and developers on investment transactions as well as planning viability, funding, and brand and operator agreements – in March. Candey has worked in the hotel market for over 30 years, leading several high-profile hospitality projects including Soho House White City, Pullman Liverpool, and Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. He also specialises in hotel solutions for stranded office or retail properties, having played a role in managing the sale of several London properties including 5 Strand, a former Westminster Council office building, for hotel redevelopment. James Shorthouse, head of alternative markets at Colliers, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Richard to our team. His unparalleled experience in the market will be crucial for our clients who rely on Colliers to provide the most relevant expertise on all facets of hospitality. These range from initial concept curation, to development viability, through to capital markets and valuations as well as management and operator searches. With the addition of Richard, we will be well-positioned to continue supporting clients at all stages of the property lifecycle.”  Richard […]

Birkenstock to open two London stores amid sales boost

17th February 2025

Birkenstock is set to open two new stores in London in 2025 as the footwear retailer sees an increase in sales. The German brand will open a permanent store on the King’s Road in Chelsea, and a pop-up location in Shoreditch, Retail Gazette reports. This comes after Birkenstock reported a year-on-year increase in turnover of 25% to £59.8m in the 12 months to 30 September 2024. The brand also recorded a rise in operating profit of 42% to £1.9m. Birkenstock’s board said: “Birkenstock UK has achieved significant revenue growth in a challenging economic environment, underscoring the strength of its brand and business model. “While profitability was impacted by rising costs and strategic investments in retail expansion, the company achieved revenue growth in 2024 and this is looking to continue into 2025. “By leveraging its vertically integrated operations and strong wholesale partnerships, the company remains resilient amidst market challenges and poised for future success.”

Nomination opens first Scottish concept store at Braehead

14th February 2025

Nomination has opened its first concept store in Scotland at SGS Group’s Braehead Shopping Centre in Glasgow. The store – which is operated by jewellery retailer Argento – is located on the scheme’s upper level and looks to provide an immersive shopping experience that showcases the Italian brand’s collections. Nomination joins a line-up of jewellery retailers at the centre, including Beaverbrooks, Goldsmiths, H.Samuel, Ernest Jones, and Pandora. Rob Jewell, managing director of asset management at Pradera Lateral, said: “The arrival of Nomination’s first concept store is a great addition to our retail mix, reinforcing Braehead’s position a premium retail and leisure destination in Scotland. This exclusive location is testament to Braehead’s appeal, offering a curated retail experience that sets it apart from other shopping centres. Nomination will further add to the centre’s diverse jewellery offering, bringing stylish, high-quality collections to the centre, and ensuring that visitors continue to enjoy an exceptional shopping experience unlike anywhere else.”
Deals

Hammerson scores Aston Villa signing at Bullring

14th February 2025

Aston Villa Football Club is set to open a new retail experience at Hammerson’s Bullring in Birmingham. The Premier League team will open a 10,000 sq ft, two-storey store on the scheme’s Lower Level East in May. The store will offer Aston Villa products such as kits, training wear, and limited-edition collections, as well as Adidas merchandise including footwear and clothing. In line with the historic club’s heritage, the Bullring store will also feature elements from the club’s 150th anniversary and the iconic Villa Park stadium, as well as a museum area to highlight the club’s place in Birmingham and football history. Paul O’Brien, director of leasing and commercialisation at Hammerson, said: “Aston Villa’s new store coming to Bullring is a great example of Hammerson’s occupier mix strategy, delivering best-in-class spaces that are exciting and unique in equal measure. The one-of-a-kind retail experience from this historic football club points to the quality we are successfully driving across our portfolio, and aligns with our commitment to keep Bullring’s visitors engaged and coming back.” Chris Heck, president of business operations at Aston Villa FC, added: “Bullring is, without a doubt, the best possible location to launch this flagship Aston Villa store. As […]
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