News
Wingstop opens fifth restaurant in Essex in Harlow
17th April 2026Wingstop has opened its fifth restaurant in Essex at The Water Gardens in Harlow. The fried chicken restaurant chain has opened a 3,024 sq ft space at the open-air shopping centre, which can host up to 75 covers. The restaurant will offer a range of wings, tenders, burgers, and sides, as well as milkshakes, churros, and beers. Wingstop Harlow joins the brand’s existing Essex restaurants in Chelmsford, Basildon, Lakeside, and Southend. Wingstop currently occupies 92 sites across the UK and Ireland, with plans to grow to up to 200 sites over the next five years. Dionne Thomas, centre manager at The Water Gardens, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Wingstop UKI to The Water Gardens. Their arrival brings an exciting new dining option to Harlow, and we’re confident their bold flavours and quality offerings will be a fantastic addition to our food and beverage lineup. We look forward to seeing our customers enjoy this popular brand at Water Gardens.”
Deals
New York-based luxury duo choose Mayfair’s Mount Street for European debuts
16th April 2026New York-based independent luxury brands Foundrae and Adam Lippes are set to open their debut European stores on Grosvenor’s Mount Street in Mayfair, London. Foundrae – a fine jewellery brand that’s attracted a following that includes Taylor Swift and Cynthia Erivo – will open its first standalone European flagship in July 2026, taking 2,300 sq ft at 119 Mount Street. Adam Lippes, the American designer renowned for tailoring and sportswear, will open in June with a 2,100 sq. ft store at 9 Mount Street. Both brands join a mix of luxury names on Mount Street, including Jessica McCormack, Simone Rocha, Toteme, Moynat, Oscar de la Renta, Rubinacci, Valextra, and Marchesi 1824 – the Milanese patisserie owned by Prada which chose the location for its first store outside Italy. Henry Hunter, Mayfair retail director at Grosvenor, said: “Our retail strategy is centred on building a distinctive, complementary mix of brands that value creativity, quality and a more considered customer experience. Adam Lippes and Foundrae are fantastic additions to the premium retail line up on Mount Street, and attracting such respected independent brands for their first standalone European flagships reflects the enduring appeal of Mount Street Neighbourhood as a destination of choice […]
Requirements
OKA unveils target locations as it eyes more UK stores
14th April 2026British furniture and lifestyle retailer OKA has released its latest property requirements list as it looks to expand across the UK. The retailer is seeking units ranging between 2,500 sq ft and 5,000 sq ft in size, preferably in high street or roadside locations. Ideal units will have car parking available nearby. Target locations include: CBRE has been appointed to find suitable locations.
Insights
Rethinking healthcare delivery: the case for retail parks in easing NHS pressure
10th April 2026By Lauren Chew, senior asset manager at Redevco Pressures on NHS services are well recognised and have prompted an important conversation about how care can be delivered more effectively, accessibly and closer to people’s daily lives. While demand continues to outpace traditional capacity, recent evidence shows that when primary care access is limited, patients often look elsewhere for support. The Care Quality Commission’s State of Care report (October 2025) highlighted this system-wide impact, noting that 6.6% of respondents to the 2025 GP Patient Survey attended A&E because they were unable to contact their GP or were uncertain about next steps. Together, these insights underline the opportunity, and necessity, to innovate beyond conventional healthcare settings and rethink how and where services can best meet patient needs. Herein lies a key opportunity: retail parks are already embedded in everyday life. With high footfall, strong transport links and often free parking, they are uniquely placed to support public health by meeting people where they already are – offering a level of accessibility that many traditional healthcare settings struggle to match. Unlike clinical environments, which can feel formal or intimidating, retail parks are familiar and convenient spaces, making them ideal locations for healthcare initiatives, […]
Advice
Turn lease events from growing pains into commercial gains
10th March 2026By Simon Matley, director for dilapidations and occupier services at TFT After a period of acquisition, a large commercial retail portfolio can become either a major liability or a powerful cost saver for retailers who need every advantage they can get in a challenging consumer market. For national multiples and high street brands, often with sizeable portfolios numbering in the hundreds of units, or for smaller regional operations that are growing at speed, flexibility and control are hugely important. Brands today are adapting their portfolios in light of changing consumer behaviour and omni-channel retailing, and this is shaped by the increasingly sophisticated data capture that allows them to better understand stock, fulfilment, customer behaviour, and operations. For many who have been acquiring premises over the past 10 years, they will almost certainly find that data allows them to be more efficient in the space they need, not least because of the growth of last mile logistics and on demand deliveries which enables occupiers to be nimble in how they use their spaces. Whether they operate on the high street, in retail parks or rely on distribution centres, retailers want to scale fast, explore new territory and snap up the right […]
News
Space NK opens at Harlequin Watford
16th April 2026Space NK has opened the doors to its new store at Harlequin Watford. The cosmetics retailer has taken a 10-year lease for a 3,432 sq ft store, which features the brand’s latest store concept. The store offers a range of makeup, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products from a number of global brands, such as Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, Olaplex and Charlotte Tilbury. Space NK joins a line-up of beauty and wellness brands at Harlequin Watford which includes the likes of Boots, Lush, MAC, Superdrug, Rituals, and The Fragrance Shop. Simon Plumb, centre director at Harlequin Watford, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Space NK to Harlequin Watford. As one of the UK’s leading beauty retailers, its arrival enhances our beauty offer and brings an exciting new experience for our guests. We’re confident it will quickly become a must visit destination for beauty lovers in the region.” The leasing agents for this deal were LM Real Estate and Time Retail Partners. Harlequin Watford is owned by SGS UK Retail and asset managed by Pradera Lateral.
