News
Planning permission awarded for £2bn expansion of York City Centre
11th September 2026The first phase of development at urban regeneration scheme York Central has received planning approval from the City of York Council. McLaren Development, in partnership with Arlington Real Estate, will now look to deliver over 1,000 new homes alongside a commercial district, a hotel, and a new station entrance at the site. New public squares, a public park, and a network of courtyards, cycle ways, and footpaths will also be created to connect the new 110-acre quarter to the rest of the city. Construction will start on site next year following site investigation works, which will begin imminently. In addition to the previously approved Museum Square, and 134,000 sq ft Government Property Agency hub, the new approval provides for 67,447 sq ft of retail and leisure space, 1,014 mixed-tenure homes, a 213-bedroom hotel, new parkland and public realm, and a 99,190 sq ft innovation hub. The first buildings are expected to be completed and available for occupation by early 2029, with all of phase one estimated to be complete during 2030. David Skaith, mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “York Central is going to transform the city, delivering thousands of much-needed new homes, including affordable housing, and creating thousands of high-quality jobs. “That’s why […]
Deals
SpudBros Express to open first-ever outlet location at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Swindon
10th September 2026SpudBros Express is set to open its first-ever location within an outlet centre at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Swindon. The fast-growing food brand – founded by brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson – will open the restaurant in partnership with brand platform Taster and franchise Ketch & Co. With 17 locations across the UK, SpudBros Express has rapidly grown from an independent family business into a nationally recognised brand. Nicky Lovell, head of outlets and retail business development at Global Mutual, said: “Alongside recognised national brands, we’re focused on identifying ambitious businesses that bring something new to the destination and reflect the way customer expectations continue to evolve. “SpudBros Express has built an impressive following in a remarkably short period of time. Choosing Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Swindon for its first outlet location is a strong endorsement of the destination and demonstrates our ability to attract exciting brands at key stages of their growth.” Jacob Nelson, co-founder of SpudBros, added: “Opening our first outlet location at Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Swindon is an exciting milestone for the business as we continue to expand into new locations across the UK. The destination’s strong regional catchment, established retail offer and reputation as one of the […]
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
The rise of ‘treatonomics’: how changing spending patterns are affecting retail destinations
9th July 2026Times 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
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
Ardent acquires pair of UK shopping centre assets
11th September 2026The Ardent Companies has acquired two shopping centre assets from a client of Delancey in an all-equity purchase. The US-based real estate investment and asset management firm completed the acquisition of Royal Priors Shopping Centre in Leamington Spa earlier in September and has exchanged contracts with the same seller to acquire the Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City. Located in the centre of Leamington Spa, Royal Priors provides 172,000 sq ft of retail and dining space, with notable occupiers including Søstrene Grene, Superdry, Hobbs, Pandora, Sports Direct, Waterstones, Mountain Warehouse, and Giggling Squid. The Howard Centre, located adjacent to Welwyn Garden City train station, offers 180,000 sq ft of retail, dining, and leisure space, with brands at the scheme including H&M, FatFace, Hotel Chocolat, Nando’s, The Gym Group, Boots, and Starbucks. These schemes join Ardent’s existing portfolio of UK retail assets that includes Touchwood in Solihull and The Royal Exchange in the City of London. Matt Shulman, CEO and managing partner of The Ardent Companies, said: “We have long-term conviction in the potential of UK real estate. Since entering the UK in 2021, we have built a diversified portfolio across retail, industrial, and self-storage, and the work we have done at […]
