News

Gloucester Quays hails record start to 2026 as footfall increases by 10%

Peel Retail & Leisure is celebrating a record breaking first half of the year at Gloucester Quays, during which the outlet centre recorded a 10% year-on-year increase in footfall. The scheme also saw a strong increase in food and beverage sales during the period, which were up by 11.9% year-on-year following a number of new arrivals, including Muse Brasserie, Banchina Italian, and Umami. Gloucester Quays also welcomed leisure operator Clip ‘n Climb in the spring, as Peel Retail & Leisure looks to deliver a full day-out experience for families. Retail performance at the scheme was also strong, with the home and gifts category leading the growth, securing a 70% year-on-year sales increase in the second quarter. Menswear also celebrated a strong quarter, growing by 28% year-on-year. Paul Carter, asset director at Peel Retail & Leisure, said: “Our strategy has always been to create a destination that offers desirable outlet shopping with a great mix of other uses, and these results demonstrate that approach is continuing to resonate with visitors. The addition of operators such as Muse Brasserie, Umami, Banchina, and Clip ‘n Climb has had a notable positive impact on our all-day appeal, creating even more reasons for people to […]

Deals

Olympian-founded swimming concept signs at GRID Braehead

Swim!, the swimming concept founded by Olympic swimmer and double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, is set to open a new venue at GRID Braehead in Glasgow. Spanning 5,800 sq ft, the facility will feature a purpose-built teaching pool designed specifically for children’s swimming lessons, alongside Swim!’s latest fit-out concept. The operator’s opening at GRID Braehead forms part of its wider UK growth strategy, as it targets 17 dedicated centres by the end of 2026. Alongside its standalone sites, Swim! currently operates from over 30 school, college, and university pool locations nationwide. Rebecca Adlington, founder of Swim!, said: “As we continue to grow across the UK, we’re always looking for family-friendly destinations where we can help even more children build confidence in the water. GRID Braehead is a fantastic opportunity for us to bring our learn-to-swim programme to more families across Glasgow and the surrounding areas, helping even more children develop a skill that could save their life.” Huw Kmiot, associate director of asset management at Pradera, added: “Swim! is an excellent addition to GRID Braehead and further strengthens the destination’s appeal to families and active leisure audiences. The brand complements our existing line-up perfectly and reflects our continued focus on curating a […]

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

M&S opens largest standalone food store in Godalming

M&S has opened its largest ever standalone food store at The Wharf Retail Park in Godalming, Surrey. The 22,000 sq ft store, located within a former Homebase, offers the retailer’s full range of food. Features include wider fresh produce areas, multi-temperature zones in herbs, organic and fruit, a larger in-store bakery, an enhanced cheese barge, a dedicated chicken shop, a sushi section, a rotisserie chicken counter, a new kitchen shop, and an upgraded beers, wines and spirits shop-in-shop. The opening forms part of M&S’s wider investment into new and renewed stores as it looks to modernise its estate, create larger foodhalls, and make the retailer more relevant for families doing more of their weekly shop. Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, said: “We’re doubling our food business with investment where family customers are asking for it most: bigger, better stores and more trusted value on the products families buy every week. “Godalming is our biggest ever standalone food store and an example of the kind of modern, full-range foodhall we’re investing in as we double the size of the business. It brings together the full M&S Food range, more space for the weekly shop and the latest store design so […]