News
K-Way to open third UK store at Covent Garden’s Seven Dials
15th September 2026French outerwear brand K-Way is set to open its third store in the UK at Covent Garden’s Seven Dials neighbourhood. Opening at 19 Earlham Street in October, the retailer’s new 1,200 sq ft space will offer K-Way’s signature windbreaker jackets alongside a variety of jackets, fleeces, and apparel for men, women, and children. K-Way also partners with high-end fashion and streetwear brands, such as Fendi, Saint Laurent, Ami Paris, Kappa, and Universal Works. The new store will become the brand’s second within Shaftesbury Capital’s portfolio, joining K-Way on Carnaby Street in Soho. William Oliver, director of retail and restaurant leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, said: “The strength of our portfolio lies in the distinct character of each of our neighbourhoods and our long-term approach to curating a mix of brands that enhances these destinations. K-Way has already established a strong presence on Carnaby Street, and its decision to open a second location with us in Covent Garden reflects both the appeal of the neighbourhood and the confidence brands have in our stewardship of London’s West End.” Lorenzo Boglione, CEO of the BasicNet Group, added: “The opening of our third K-Way monobrand store in the UK marks another important milestone in our […]
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
Hollywood Bowl opens multimillion pound venue in Banbridge, Northern Ireland
14th September 2026Hollywood Bowl has opened its second venue in Northern Ireland at The Boulevard in Banbridge after a multimillion pound investment. The venue, which joins Hollywood Bowl’s location near The O2 in Belfast, features 21 bowling lanes, alongside amusements and pool tables. The opening of Hollywood Bowl forms part of a wider £9m transformation of the western part of The Boulevard, which looks to create a ‘Food and Entertainment Quarter’ spanning 60,000 sq ft. Craig Turnbull, centre manager for Hollywood Bowl Banbridge, said: “We are delighted to officially open the doors to our new Hollywood Bowl centre at The Boulevard in Banbridge. This marks an exciting milestone in our growth across Northern Ireland, and we’re thrilled to bring the town a brand-new entertainment experience. The centre offers multiple lanes of ten-pin bowling, pool as well as a packed-full amusements arcade, creating enjoyable, memorable and fun experiences for all the family.” Chris Nelmes, retail director at The Boulevard, added: “Hollywood Bowl is a fantastic addition to The Boulevard and we are thrilled to see the lanes officially open following extensive development and investment. The Boulevard continues to go from strength to strength, cementing its position as not only a leading destination for shopping, but also dining and leisure, creating […]
