News

Comment: Korean brands in the UK – from consumer trend to leasing opportunity

The rise of Korean brands in the UK is one of the clearest examples of how quickly international consumer trends can translate into mainstream demand. It is no longer a novelty to see Korean brands across food and beverage, supermarkets, and beauty taking space in leading shopping centres and performing strongly.

Deals

Harrow shopping centre fully let after pair of new signings

St. George’s Shopping Centre in Harrow, Greater London, has reached full occupancy after the signings of Wingstop and Juice’n More. Chicken wing chain Wingstop is set to open a 2,150 sq ft restaurant on the scheme’s ground floor, adjacent to Cards Direct. The restaurant will accommodate 68 covers while offering dedicated click-and-collect and delivery collection points. Wingstop’s UK and Ireland operator, Lemon Pepper Holdings, recently opened its 100th UK restaurant and plans to open up to 30 further UK sites in 2026. The move follows Ryman’s relocation to a larger unit within St. George’s Shopping Centre, allowing the stationery and office supplies retailer to expand its range while freeing up its former St Anns Road unit for Wingstop’s new restaurant. The centre will also welcome fresh juice and smoothie operator Juice’n More later this month, adding a new health-focused offer to the food and beverage lineup. A number of existing tenants are also continuing to invest in their presence at the centre: Vue, Pizza Express, TK Maxx, Putt&Play, and Vision Express have all recently invested in new upgrades to their stores. Tikka Nation is now operating under new ownership, while McDonald’s and Haute Dolci are currently undertaking refurbishments of their […]

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

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

Waitrose Clapham Junction reopens following multimillion pound refurbishment

Waitrose Clapham Junction in South London has reopened following a multimillion pound refurbishment. The store – located on St John’s Road – has undergone a nine-week refit to introduce a number of enhancements, including modernised departments and operational improvements. Key highlights of the refurbishment include a redesigned store layout, new refrigeration, a new customer coffee machine, and a new dry-aged beef cabinet. The opening marks a fortnight of investment in the area, following the reopening of the nearby Waitrose Balham earlier this month, which also underwent a store transformation. Martin Lockwood, branch manager at Waitrose Clapham Junction, said: “Our Clapham Junction branch has been at the heart of the bustling St John’s Road community for almost 20 years, and this refurbishment is all about giving our customers the inspiring experience they deserve. “From our new-look layout to our product displays, every improvement has been made with our customers in mind. “Hot on the heels of our sister store in Balham reopening just last week, this is a real demonstration of Waitrose’s commitment to our south London community. We’re thrilled to welcome everyone back with live music, giveaways, and plenty of delicious food to taste.” Gary Burt, executive BID manager for […]