News

Aldi to invest £300m into 25 store refurbishments

Aldi is set to revamp 25 stores this year as part of a wider £300m investment into its UK store estate. The supermarket retailer will introduce a variety of changes, including upgrades to bakery, health and beauty, and fresh food areas in some locations. Selected stores will also benefit from the addition of new sustainable features, such as energy-efficient fridge doors and natural refridgerants. Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, said: “We’re continuing to invest in our existing stores because we know how important the in-store experience is to customers. “These upgrades will create more space, improve key areas of our stores and make them easier to shop. It’s an important part of how we’re investing in the communities we serve.” The stores due to receive upgrades are:

Deals

Hollister to open first Leicestershire store at Highcross

Hollister is set to open its first store in Leicestershire at Highcross Leicester, taking over the former Topshop unit. The Abercrombie & Fitch-owned retailer, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, will open a ‘new format’ store, offering clothing, accessories, and fragrances. Hollister’s arrival at Highcross comes amid a heightened demand for nostalgic and Y2K-inspired fashion, forming part of a strategy to introduce trending brands to the centre. The retailer will join a lineup of brands at Highcross that includes Levi’s, H&M, Zara, Mango, Next, River Island, Urban Outfitters, and PURESEOUL, which opened at the scheme in early May. Michelle Menezes, centre director at Highcross, said: “Hollister has always been one of those brands that our shoppers have wanted at Highcross, and with the demand for early noughties fashion making a huge comeback, now is the right time to welcome this icon of high-street fashion to the centre. “Since joining the centre, the goal has been to introduce brands that shoppers genuinely want to see in Leicester, and that ambition remains unchanged today. Hollister’s an exciting addition to Highcross, and it’s just one of a number of retailers that we’re planning to bring to the city this year, and brands that […]

Requirements

Toolstation eyes new sites as it looks to expand London and South East estate

Toolstation has released its latest property requirements list as it looks to expand its store estate across Greater London and the South East. The trade supplies retailer is seeking units on high streets and trade parks ranging between 2,000 sq ft and 5,000 sq ft in size, located in prominent and visible roadside locations. Ideal units will be situated in easily accessible locations, with access to parking and loading bays essential. Target locations include: GCW has been retained to find suitable locations.

Insights

The rise of ‘treatonomics’: how changing spending patterns are affecting retail destinations

Times of economic difficulty and reduced consumer confidence have traditionally seen consumers tighten their purse strings, occasionally saving up for a larger purchase. But a recent shift in spending patterns suggests that shoppers are now shunning big-ticket purchases in favour of smaller, less expensive products or experiences. This concept, dubbed ‘treatonomics’, has been observed by Alex Petit, head of research and insights at Global Mutual, within the group’s portfolio of outlet shopping centres. “What we’ve seen is that cost-of-living crisis, combined with people wanting to keep on treating themselves, means that people are suddenly treating themselves on much smaller price points. That’s what we’re seeing with treatonomics”, she tells Completely Retail News. Data from the ONS found that despite increasing costs, sales volumes have remained broadly flat against pre-pandemic levels. This implies a shift towards consumers spending money less often, but instead choosing to make select purchases of higher values. “People are being very considered”, says Petit, “I think it comes from the pandemic as well, when we were all locked at home and we were deprived of a lot of things. People now have a slightly different outlook on life as there’s this hang-up psychologically, from us not being […]

Advice

Turn lease events from growing pains into commercial gains

By 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

Inditex’s Lefties makes UK debut at Liverpool ONE

Inditex-owned fashion retailer Lefties has opened its first store in the UK at Landsec’s Liverpool ONE shopping centre. The retailer’s new store, located on South John Street, extends to 27,000 sq ft across two floors and offers products for men, women, children, and babies, alongside the brand’s home, accessories, and footwear categories. The flagship will also feature some of the brand’s latest retail technology, already introduced at recent European openings. This includes robotic hanger sorters and radio-frequency identification self-checkouts. Lefties’ arrival at Liverpool ONE builds on its parent company Inditex’s long-standing relationship with Landsec, with the retailer joining sister brands Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, and Stradivarius at the shopping centre. The brand’s UK debut builds follows recent arrivals at Liverpool ONE including Salomon, ARNE and Montirex. Pablo Sueiras, head of retail and hospitality leasing at Landsec, said: “Lefties making its UK debut at Liverpool ONE is a significant milestone for the destination and highlights its continued appeal to retailers looking to establish themselves in the UK market. “Lefties’ arrival builds on our long-standing relationship with Inditex and the success of its existing brands at Liverpool ONE. It also reflects the confidence global retailers have in the destination’s ability to deliver the scale, […]