News
Martin Property Group acquires National Car Parks out of administration
8th October 2026Martin Property Group has acquired the business and assets of National Car Parks Limited (NCP) from its joint administrators PwC UK. The group will hold the NCP brand, along with the majority of NCP car parks under NCP UK Trade Co Limited. Founded in 1931, NCP operates 145 car parks across the UK. The business entered administration earlier this year, however Martin Property Group said this deal helps safeguard one of the UK’s largest parking operators. Martin Property Group is a privately owned family business with a history spanning over 50 years and has significant experience across property investment, operational real estate, and the acquisition and management of substantial leasehold portfolios. Alongside investing and developing residential and commercial real estate, Martin Property Group operates a range of businesses, including hotels, shopping centres, food, manufacturing, technology, and has recently expanded its operations into continental Europe. Martin Property Group also has considerable experience in the ownership and operation of car parking assets across the UK and Ireland, both as standalone investments and as integral parts of larger retail and mixed-use properties. Gary Martin, director of Martin Property Group, said: “Despite its difficulties post-pandemic, NCP is an iconic brand with a loyal customer […]
Deals
Hampshire shopping centre reaches full occupancy following Deichmann signing
7th October 2026Princes Mead Shopping Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire, has reached full occupancy following the signing of Deichmann. Opening before Christmas, the footwear retailer’s new store will offer a range of national brands and independents for men, women, and children. The opening marks a milestone for Princes Mead, with every retail unit within the mall occupied once Deichmann opens its doors. Located in Farnborough town centre, Princes Mead brings together over 30 stores, with retailers at the scheme including Boots, JD Sports, Clarks, Holland & Barrett, The Works, and Yours, alongside independent shops such as Dress Mode, Party Buzm and The Crafters Collective. The F&B mix includes the likes of Costa Coffee, Subway, and a recently refurbished Burger King. Duncan Coombes, centre manager at Princes Mead, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Deichmann to Princes Mead. Its range of affordable footwear will be a welcome addition for our shoppers, and reaching 100% occupancy makes this opening a particularly proud moment for the centre. “Our focus is on making Princes Mead a place that serves local people, with shops they value and reasons to visit throughout the year. This milestone is an opportunity to thank our retailers and the community for their continued […]
Requirements
Costa Coffee brews up further expansion
8th September 2026Costa Coffee has unveiled its latest property requirements as it looks to continue its expansion across England, Scotland, and Wales. The coffee shop chain, working with its long-standing partner Savills, is looking to open new locations in retail parks and shopping centres, as well as on high streets and within travel locations. Costa Coffee is also looking to open drive-through units in out-of-town retail locations. Ideal units will range in size between 1,250 sq ft and 2,200 sq ft and be located adjacent to foodstores, retail warehousing, and leisure space. Within retail parks, Costa is seeking units ranging between 1,500 sq ft and 2,500 sq ft in size with external seating. Freestanding or in-line units will be considered, with nearby car parking a necessity. Ideal units will be situated in out-of-town locations with significant traffic flow, adjacent to foodstores, and retail and leisure clusters. In high street and shopping centre destinations, Costa is looking for units between 1,500 sq ft and 2,500 sq ft with outside seating. Locations such as universities, hospitals, and leisure destinations will also be considered. The operator is also looking to open new sites within travel locations such as transport hubs and train stations with significant […]
Insights
Alliance Retail Exchange: Retail space is the name of the game in the out-of-town market
2nd October 2026A lack of quality out-of-town space continues to be the challenge faced by retailers in 2026, according to the delegates Completely Retail News spoke to at September’s Alliance Retail Exchange (ARX) event. Demand for retail warehousing space remains high, but many retailers and operators are continuing to find a lack of churn to be the biggest obstacle to their expansion plans. As a result, rents are expected to grow, while landlords and prospective tenants are having to be more creative to create new opportunities in the out-of-town market. This may lead to the development of new stock, the splitting of existing units, or the creation of new formats. The event, which was sponsored by PureGym, was held at The Brewery in London and attracted over 500 delegates, including agents, landlords, and retailers. The morning of the event saw a welcome speech and breakfast before the floor was opened to dealmaking. This was followed by a presentation by Savills’ Sam Arrowsmith and George Trimmer, which looked at the lack of out-of-town space available to retailers. The presentation highlighted how, outside of drive through formats and bespoke discount grocery stores, no new stock is coming to the market. That said, the general […]
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
Brighton retail park handed £39.4m price tag
7th October 2026A retail park in Brighton has been placed on the investment market with an asking price of £39,352,000, reflecting a net initial yield of 5.43%. Pavilion Retail Park on Lewes Road comprises 77,387 sq ft of gross internal area across a 5.24-acre site. The scheme, which was refurbished in 2017 and 2018, is fully let to five national occupiers, including B&Q, Aldi, Halfords, Hobbycraft, and Costa. The asset has a weighted average unexpired lease term of 6.3 years to expiry, and produces an contracted rent of £2,100,875 per annum. Pavilion Retail Park benefits from an affluent and expanding 20-minute drivetime catchment of circa 376,000 people, skewed towards higher income households. It is also sitauted adjacent to a University of Brighton campus and approximately 1,544 purpose-built student accommodation beds. Other nearby schemes include Goldstone Retail Park, Brighton Retail Park, Davigdor Road Retail Park, and Hollingbury Retail Park. XProp has been appointed to find a suitable purchaser.
