Latest Retail News

Hines acquires trio of UK retail parks

2nd September 2026

Global investment manager Hines has expanded its UK retail park portfolio with the acquisition of three fully-leased assets, totalling approximately 438,000 sq ft. The schemes, which were acquired on behalf of the Hines European Core Fund (HECF), comprise Nugent Shopping Park in Greater London, Altrincham Retail Park in Manchester, and Straiton Retail Park in Edinburgh. Nugent Shopping Park is a 139,000 sq ft scheme located in Orpington, anchored by a full-line M&S store and occupied by a range of leading national retailers. The asset benefits from a large London commuter catchment, limited competing retail park supply, and attractive rental growth prospects. Spanning 228,000 sq ft, Altrincham Retail Park serves a large catchment in North West England and is occupied by retailers including Lidl, Boots, B&Q, Currys, B&M, Pets at Home, and TK Maxx. The fully-leased asset serves an affluent customer base and offers attractive rental growth potential. Straiton Retail Park extends to 71,000 sq ft and is anchored by Home Bargains, The Food Warehouse, and Dunelm. The asset is supported by a strong tenant mix and regional catchment, as well as stable income characteristics. Hines said the acquisitions come as UK retail parks benefit from a scarcity advantage, with new […]

CBRE adds executive director to retail occupier team

2nd September 2026

CBRE has appointed Mark Smith as an executive director within its European retail occupier team. He joins from JLL, where he worked for 16 years in senior leadership roles. He brings an understanding of evolving cross-border strategies to CBRE, having advised clients including Adidas, PVH, and ALO on flagship transactions and relocations across the UK and other key European markets. In his new role, Smith will work with Tom Dancer, CBRE’s head of retail occupier for Europe at CBRE, to execute the firms retail strategy, supporting brands many of which have pan-European expansion plans. Tom Dancer said: “Mark’s experience advising global brands on cross-border strategies, combined with his strong relationships across the retail sector, will be instrumental in delivering our pan-European growth ambitions and strengthening our ability to support clients across Europe.” Mark Smith added: “Joining CBRE provides the opportunity to be part of the leading retail advisory business in Europe. The depth of expertise and advisory capabilities across the team ensures we’re best placed to support global brands in driving strategic growth across the region.”

News

Pair of F&B brands to join Bristol’s Gloucester Road

1st September 2026

Savills has advised two food and beverage franchise operators on the acquisition of a pair of adjoining retail units on Bristol’s Gloucester Road. Franchise operators Fatima Café and Chocoberry Bristol have each agreed 15-year leases, taking a combined circa 2,500 sq ft of space. Fatima Café, which will trade as Chaiiwala, is set to occupy 171 Gloucester Road while Chocoberry Bristol, trading as Chocoberry, will take the neighbouring unit at 173 Gloucester Road. Chaiiwala is a fast-growing brand known for its signature karak chaii, alongside a menu inspired by South Asian street food and café culture, while Chocoberry is a contemporary dessert, brunch, and coffee brand offering an all-day café experience. Known for its mix of independent retailers, cafés, and restaurants, Gloucester Road serves a large residential catchment and attracts visitors from across Bristol. Robert Palmer, director in retail at Savills Bristol, said: “These lettings demonstrate the continued appetite from food and beverage brands for well-positioned high street locations. Gloucester Road remains one of Bristol’s most sought-after retail destinations, and we expect both Chaiiwala and Chocoberry to be strong additions to the area’s already vibrant food and leisure offering.” Mohammed Zahid Mahmood, director of the parent companies behind Chaiiwala and […]

Deals

Hollister to open first Leicestershire store at Highcross

1st September 2026

Hollister is set to open its first store in Leicestershire at Highcross Leicester, taking over the former Topshop unit. The Abercrombie & Fitch-owned retailer, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, will open a ‘new format’ store, offering clothing, accessories, and fragrances. Hollister’s arrival at Highcross comes amid a heightened demand for nostalgic and Y2K-inspired fashion, forming part of a strategy to introduce trending brands to the centre. The retailer will join a lineup of brands at Highcross that includes Levi’s, H&M, Zara, Mango, Next, River Island, Urban Outfitters, and PURESEOUL, which opened at the scheme in early May. Michelle Menezes, centre director at Highcross, said: “Hollister has always been one of those brands that our shoppers have wanted at Highcross, and with the demand for early noughties fashion making a huge comeback, now is the right time to welcome this icon of high-street fashion to the centre. “Since joining the centre, the goal has been to introduce brands that shoppers genuinely want to see in Leicester, and that ambition remains unchanged today. Hollister’s an exciting addition to Highcross, and it’s just one of a number of retailers that we’re planning to bring to the city this year, and brands that […]

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK

Completely Retail

19/21 Dundas Street

The unit comprises a fully fitted corner and basement floor restaurant unit contained with a 4 storey and basement traditional Georgian building,

Requirements

Toolstation eyes new sites as it looks to expand London and South East estate

22nd April 2026

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

9th July 2026

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

10th March 2026

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 […]

Walsall shopping centre reaches full occupancy following two new lettings

26th August 2026

Aldridge Shopping Centre in Walsall has reached full occupancy after the completion of two new lettings totalling 2,437 sq ft. Williams Nails has taken Units 41-42 on a six-year lease, adding to the centre’s health and beauty offer. The 595 sq ft unit adds to a growing cluster of personal care operators at the scheme. Meanwhile, Sweetland has signed a seven-year lease on Unit 11, Anchor Parade, taking 1,842 sq ft. The lettings bring the 150,000 sq ft centre to 100% occupancy across its 58 units. Aldridge Shopping Centre is located on the edge of Walsall town centre, close to the M6 and M6 Toll, giving occupiers access to the Birmingham and Wolverhampton catchments. Tenants at the scheme include Iceland, Boots, Home Bargains and Greggs. Rob Ellis, asset manager at LCP UK, part of M Core, said: “Reaching full occupancy at Aldridge Shopping Centre reflects the strength of demand for well-located, affordable retail space in the West Midlands. Williams Nails and Sweetland bring genuine diversity to our tenant mix, and both are already trading well. We’ll continue to invest in the centre to support our occupiers and the wider Aldridge community.”

News

Aldi to invest £300m into 25 store refurbishments

1st September 2026

Aldi is set to revamp 25 stores this year as part of a wider £300m investment into its UK store estate. The supermarket retailer will introduce a variety of changes, including upgrades to bakery, health and beauty, and fresh food areas in some locations. Selected stores will also benefit from the addition of new sustainable features, such as energy-efficient fridge doors and natural refridgerants. Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, said: “We’re continuing to invest in our existing stores because we know how important the in-store experience is to customers. “These upgrades will create more space, improve key areas of our stores and make them easier to shop. It’s an important part of how we’re investing in the communities we serve.” The stores due to receive upgrades are:

More Latest Retail News

Inditex’s Lefties makes UK debut at Liverpool ONE

27th August 2026

Inditex-owned fashion retailer Lefties has opened its first store in the UK at Landsec’s Liverpool ONE shopping centre. The retailer’s new store, located on South John Street, extends to 27,000 sq ft across two floors and offers products for men, women, children, and babies, alongside the brand’s home, accessories, and footwear categories. The flagship will also feature some of the brand’s latest retail technology, already introduced at recent European openings. This includes robotic hanger sorters and radio-frequency identification self-checkouts. Lefties’ arrival at Liverpool ONE builds on its parent company Inditex’s long-standing relationship with Landsec, with the retailer joining sister brands Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, and Stradivarius at the shopping centre. The brand’s UK debut builds follows recent arrivals at Liverpool ONE including Salomon, ARNE and Montirex. Pablo Sueiras, head of retail and hospitality leasing at Landsec, said: “Lefties making its UK debut at Liverpool ONE is a significant milestone for the destination and highlights its continued appeal to retailers looking to establish themselves in the UK market. “Lefties’ arrival builds on our long-standing relationship with Inditex and the success of its existing brands at Liverpool ONE. It also reflects the confidence global retailers have in the destination’s ability to deliver the scale, […]

Chopstix continues expansion with two openings in one week

27th August 2026

Chopstix has continued its UK expansion with opening of two new restaurants withing one week. The Asian-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand has opened its second site in Swindon at Swindon Designer Outlet, accommodating 10 covers. The 20-cover restaurant showcases the chain’s latest store concept, which features new visuals and updated in-store offerings such as self-service kiosks. This comes seven days after Chopstix opened a new restaurant at Gateshead’s Trinity Square. Chopstix said that opening in destination shopping locations such as Swindon and Gateshead is reflective of the brand’s wider growth strategy, as it looks to expand its store footprint in high footfalls areas that the brand has seen continued success with. These store openings are supported by investment made by European QSR operator, QSRP, in October 2024. Gareth Brannigan, head of new store openings at Chopstix, said: “These openings demonstrate the pace and ambition of our growth strategy as we continue to invest in locations where we know customers are looking for high-quality, great-value dining options.” “Following the support of QSRP and the strong performance of our existing estate, we’re delighted to be opening in both Gateshead and Swindon, creating new jobs and bringing the latest Chopstix experience to even more...

TGJones owner emerges as potential buyer for Poundland

27th August 2026

Modella Capital, the private equity firm that acquired WHSmith’s high street business in 2025 before its rebrand to TGJones, has reportedly emerged as a potential buyer of discount retailer Poundland. Industry sources told Sky News that although Modella has not yet made an official bid for Poundland, the group was a “logical buyer” of the retailer, having bought its Polish sister company Dealz several months ago. Last week, it was reported that Gordon Brothers, which acquired Poundland for one euro last year, had appointed Alvarez & Marshall to oversee an auction of the retailer’s business. Poundland’s sale was part of a restructuring process that saw the closure of around 200 stores, with the chain now operating from around 600 locations. The addition of Poundland to Modella Capital’s business would be a continuation of the group’s strategy, which has seen it acquire retailers including Flying Tiger Copenhagen, Hobbycraft, and Claire’s in recent years.
News

John Lewis unveils new restaurant concept on Oxford Street

26th August 2026

John Lewis has unveiled a new in-store restaurant concept, Platter, at its flagship store on London’s Oxford Street. The concept forms part of a £800m investment in John Lewis, and will replace John Lewis restaurants across 32 stores by the end of 2027. The restaurants in Bluewater, Chichester, and Reading have already reopened. Platter Oxford Street features an open kitchen serving hand-stretched pizza, a made-on-site deli, a dessert parlour, a bar overlooking the shop’s atrium, and accommodates 300 covers including fifty on the fifth-floor terrace which overlooks Oxford Street.  It also features an in-store roastery and The Residency, a rotating pop-up launching with London patisserie The Eclectic Collection. John Lewis said the change reflects changes in how people shop now. Hospitality accounts for over 20% of the retailer’s in-store transactions, with sales increasing by nearly 10% in the past year. John Lewis opened its first café in 1965 and now operates 62 cafés and restaurants across the country. Katie Papakonstantinou, director of services and hospitality for John Lewis, said: “This is a real investment in something customers told us mattered. Sitting down for something to eat and drink has become part of how people shop and Platter is built for that. […]
News