News

Majestic opens 30th store under Fortress ownership as part of £4m investment

Majestic has opened its 30th store under the ownership of Fortress Investment Group in Ealing, London, as the specialist wine retailer’s invests £4m into its store portfolio in 2026/27. The opening follows a number of refurbishments to Majestic’s existing sites and the launch of its Trowbridge shop in July. Further new locations are planned in the New Year, as the retailer looks to commit to experiential bricks-and-mortar retailing. Since its split from Naked Wines and subsequent acquisition by Fortress Investment Group in 2019, Majestic has invested significantly into its store portfolio, refurbishing dozens of stores and opening new sites across the UK. This expansion has seen the launch of Majestic’s first ever store in Jersey, and the rollout of smaller high-street branches in Harpenden, Crouch End, Banstead, and Marlow. The new store in Ealing is located on St Mary’s Road, less than 500 metres from South Ealing underground station and in close proximity to Walpole Park. Majestic has transformed the former National Tyres garage into a 2,550 sq ft store, stocking over 1,000 wines alongside a growing offer of beers, spirits, soft drinks, low and no alcohol alternatives, and snacks. John Colley, executive chairman and CEO of Majestic Wine Group, […]

Deals

Newcastle shopping centre welcomes two independent retailers

Gosforth Central shopping centre on Gosforth High Street in Newcastle is set to welcome two independent retailers. Forum Books will open its fourth shop, which will trade as The Forth, while Ouseburn-based boutique The Find will open its second location, selling local art and handmade and vintage goods. Both retailers are currently fitting out their stores and are expected to open before the end of November. The two shops are the first lettings in the former TGJones store, which closed in September and has since been sub-divided into four ground floor units and one first floor unit. Forum Books and The Find have taken two ground floor units, pre-letting 50% of the former TGJones floor space. The Forth will be the latest bookshop from the team behind Forum Books, which opened its first store in Corbridge in 2011 followed by The Bound in Whitley Bay and The Accidental Bookshop in Alnwick. The Find has traded on Lime Street in Ouseburn for over three years, with owner Jessica Penrose looking to bring together a collective of local artists, makers, and vintage sellers specifically chosen for Gosforth Central. The two lettings continue the transformation of the 74,000 sq ft centre which was […]

Requirements

Costa Coffee brews up further expansion

Costa 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

New data shows over half of consumers to make purchases over Black Friday period

New data from CACI has suggested that over half of consumers will make purchases over this autumn’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. The research suggests that both Christmas gifting and the timing of payday are shaping when shoppers can afford to buy. This year, payday for a quarter of working adults falls on Monday 30th November, the last working day of the month and Cyber Monday itself. By Black Friday, which falls on 27th November, many shoppers will have a lower disposable income. As a result, brands – such as Currys, Dunelm, Sephora and Boots – are rolling out their Black Friday offers early. Insight from CACI’s most recent Voice of the Nation Survey, which analyses data from a sample of 2,000 respondents across the UK, found that: Chris Lidington, director of Retail, FMCG, and logistics at CACI said, “The recent Voice of the Nation survey findings reveal that Black Friday and Cyber Monday remain an important opportunity for retailers, but understanding what is driving consumer spending is key. With Christmas gifting emerging as the primary motivation for many shoppers, retailers have an opportunity to capture seasonal spend earlier, while differences across genders, household types, and regions highlight the […]

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

Poundland owner releases £10m in bid to secure rescue deal

The owner of Poundland, Gordon Brothers, has released £10m of the retailer’s cash in a bid to secure more time for a rescue deal. The funds – which were released on Tuesday – will be used to pay the embattled retailer’s suppliers. The decision to release funds follows increasing pressure on Gordon Brothers after the investment firm restricted Poundland’s access to cash and credit facilities, resulting in the discounter unable to order new stock ahead of the Christmas trading period. BBC News had previously reported that the group had frozen around £50m of Poundland’s assets, preventing the retailer from stocking its shelves at around 600 stores. The £10m of released funds does not guarantee that the retailer will avoid administration. Poundland previously filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, which is due to expire on Thursday. Poundland has been under pressure for many months. In 2025, the retailer avoided collapsing into administration after its restructuring plan was approved by the High Court, and earlier this year the owner of TGJones emerged as a potential buyer for Poundland. More recently, Irish property investor Martin Property Group is understood to to be interested in acquiring the business as a going concern, […]