
News
Newmark forms retail, hospitality, and leisure practice
14th March 2025Newmark has made six appointments to form a new retail, hospitality, and leisure project and cost management practice. The new hires will support clients in the UK and Europe, providing specialist project, programme, and cost management expertise across retail, hospitality, and leisure portfolios. The practice will work closely with corresponding departments across building consultancy, occupier agency, business rates, and capital markets, looking to help brands at every stage of their real estate journeys. Leading the practice is Vinnie Kilner, who brings 17 years’ specialist experience in major projects, having advised international brands and occupiers on project delivery strategies, ranging from multiple store rollouts to flagship projects. Parin Patel joins as senior associate, providing programme management and project delivery expertise, having worked with retailers on large scale international expansions and being responsible for the construction of hundreds of stores. Also joining Newmark is Alfie Molloy, senior associate, who has a background in project and cost management. He joins with a focus on supporting Newmark’s leisure clients. Ine Roren, associate, will lead multi-territory programmes for high-profile brands, having worked on both the client and consultancy side of international store and showroom expansions. Nathan Archer joins as senior cost manager. His experience spans luxury retail, food […]

Deals
Australian retailer Harvey Norman picks West Midlands shopping centre for new store and HQ
13th March 2025Australian homewares retailer Harvey Norman is set to expand its UK presence with the opening of a new store and headquarters at The Gracechurch Centre in Royal Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham. This comes after the retailer opened its debut store in England at Merry Hill in October 2024. The opening represents the first in a number of planned investments across the West Midlands, as part of the business’ wider UK and global expansion drive. Founded in 1982, Harvey Norman has since expanded its global presence and now has over 300 stores worldwide across Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Slovenia, Croatia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Katie Page, CEO at Harvey Norman, said: “The West Midlands’ high grade retail space and exceptional connectivity are two key reasons why we’ve chosen Sutton Coldfield as the home of our new UK headquarters and to launch our next store here. Gracechurch will provide an excellent hub for our growing UK team and I look forward to returning to the region soon as we progress our expansion plans.” The opening forms part of a wider effort by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which is backing plans to breathe new life into the […]

Requirements
Indoor activity park operator appoints agents to support UK rollout
7th March 2025Indoor multi-activity park operator SuperPark United has appointed Savills to support its expansion across the UK. The brand – which was founded in Finland over a decade ago – is looking secure between 30 and 40 sites over the next five years, including a flagship in London. The operator is looking for unit ranging in size between 20,000 sq ft and 35,000 sq ft, located within shopping centres, retail parks, and high streets. SuperPark United operates in 23 locations worldwide, offering a range of nearly 100 activities, of which 30 to 40 are chosen per location. These include digital football, basketball, and baseball games, as well as climbing structures, obstacle walls, zip wires, slides, pedal cars, trampolines, and gymnastic floors. Jessica Hill, surveyor in UK restaurants and leisure at Savills, said: “We’re focused on securing locations that align with SuperPark’s vision for the future. The pandemic has had a huge impact on consumer behaviour, driving demand for more engaging and active experiences. The range of activities and flexibility on offer by SuperPark, provide a complimentary use to other leisure anchors. By focusing on nation-wide locations in retail and leisure destinations, we are confident that SuperPark will quickly become a standout destination” The […]

Insights
Fashion Week, a lesson for our high streets
3rd March 2025By Juliana Bentel, graduate surveyor at Lunson Mitchenall. I recently had the opportunity to attend Paris Fashion Week 2025, and with London Fashion Week 2025 now coming to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the insights the high street can gain from these major moments in the couture calendar. It is no secret that bricks-and-mortar retail has suffered since the pandemic, but there has been one saving grace for our high streets and shopping centres that online shopping cannot replicate – immersive and dynamic shopping experiences. Fashion Week exemplifies the importance of experiential retail and engaging with customers, offering more than just products on a shelf. These immersive and dynamic ways of presenting new collections are already influencing retail spaces and trends, and the high street would do well to pay close attention. Throughout Paris Fashion Week, I attended a range of shows, with each designer presenting their new collections in immersive and unexpected ways. From deconstructed ‘avant-garde’ to theatrical performances and storytelling, each designer tapped into the cultural identity of their consumer to shape both their runway presentations and retail strategies. Japanese designer Maison Mihara Yasuhiro’s show was a great example of this. Yasuhiro’s shows transformed the audience to […]

News
AEW UK acquires £10m Hertfordshire high street asset
14th March 2025AEW UK REIT has acquired a freehold high street asset in Hitchin, Hertfordshire for £10m, reflecting a net initial yield of 8.31% and a capital value of £213 per sq ft. The property, located at 13/13A, 114-119, 121-123 Bancroft and 3-4 Portmill Lane, extends to 46,905 sq ft of space across 12 retail units, a standalone office building, and car parking and service yards. The retail element of the property is fully let to a line-up of 12 tenants, with major occupiers including Marks & Spencer, Next, Vodafone, The White Company, and Holland & Barrett. The vacant office element, which is located to the rear, provides various asset management options in the short-to-medium term, including new lettings or residential conversion. Hitchin is a market town with an affluent catchment, served by rail connections to both London and Cambridge. The acquisition comes as part of AEW UK’s ongoing redeployment of sale proceeds from the recent disposal of Central Six Retail Park in Coventry. In considering the re-deployment of the remaining proceeds from the sale, AEW UK said it has identified an attractive pipeline of investments available for purchase in the current market and is considering available growth opportunities. Laura Elkin, portfolio […]
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