Retail Property News

Comment: Can building technology really deliver meaningful returns in retail?

24th June 2026

James Hallworth, partner and head of building technology at Workman, explains why intelligent building optimisation is no longer the preserve of the office sector; and what shopping centres stand to gain.

DTZ Investors acquires Slough Retail Park

24th June 2026

DTZ Investors has acquired Slough Retail Park, a fully-let scheme comprising eight units and a drive-through. Spanning 121,000 sq ft across a 9.6-acre site, tenants at the retail park include Lidl, The Range, and Costa Coffee. DTZ Investors said the transaction forms part of its essential retail sector strategy, and follows a number of recent acquisitions including Cantium Retail Park in Southwark and The Oaks Retail Park in Harlow. Rebecca Burley, associate director at DTZ Investors: “Slough Retail Park is the dominant out of town retail destination in its catchment. Proposed reductions in retail space, both in the town centre and out of town, will further tighten supply, underpinning strong occupier demand in this location. This is a complementary addition to the fund, increasing allocation to retail warehousing which aligns with our strategic objectives.” DTZ Investors was advised by Morgan Williams and Rosebury Real Estate. CBRE advised the vendor.

Savills appoints director to property management team

24th June 2026

Savills has bolstered its property management division with the appointment of Marcus Hutchings as a director, based at the firm’s Margaret Street headquarters in London. He joins from CBRE, where he spent over 12 years and most recently held the position of senior director. He is a chartered surveyor with over 15 years’ of experience and specialises in the oversight and transformation of property management mandates across institutional portfolios and mixed-use estates. Throughout his career, Hutchings has advised a range of major institutional investors and high-profile clients, including M&G Real Estate and Shaftesbury Capital, across large and complex portfolios. Katrina Mackay, chief operating officer of property management at Savills, said: “Marcus is a highly respected property management professional with an impressive track record advising some of the UK’s largest and most complex real estate portfolios. His experience in driving operational excellence will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our service offering and build on the progress we have made across our retail and business space platforms over the past 12 months. The appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to investing in the very best talent, and ensuring we have the depth of expertise required to support our clients and the continued […]

RivingtonHark appoints portfolio director to bolster asset management and investment capabilities

23rd June 2026

RivingtonHark has appointed Ilan Goldman as portfolio director, as the shopping centre and urban regeneration specialist looks to strengthen its asset management and investment capabilities. He brings over 30 years’ of experience, having worked across shopping centres and mixed-use and regeneration projects. Some of his most notable projects include securing planning consent for the redevelopment of St John’s Shopping Centre in Preston into a mixed-use destination with 500 new homes, an NHS health hub, and F&B space. He also led the delivery of an educational campus for Kendal College within Westmorland Shopping Centre, as part of a wider asset transformation programme. In his new role, Goldman’s portfolio will include Liverpool St John’s shopping centre, an asset owned in joint venture, as well as Palace Gardens and Exchange Enfield, managed on behalf of DWS. Mark Harvey, executive director and head of asset management at RivingtonHark, said: “Ilan is an exceptionally experienced and driven professional, and we are delighted to welcome him to RivingtonHark. His proven ability to deliver asset-led strategies that create value across our core markets will be a valuable addition to our team. Ilan’s expertise, combined with our capital capability and market knowledge, strengthens our position to identify, acquire and […]

JD Gyms to make regional debut at Harlequin Watford

23rd June 2026

JD Gyms is set to open at Harlequin Watford, with the fitness operator launching its first gym in the region. Spanning over 30,000 sq ft, the venue will serve as a regional flagship for JD Gyms. The space will look to deliver a fitness experience that combines a state-of-the-art gym and studio facilities with a huge range of cutting-edge equipment. The operator will join a mix of leading UK and international retail and leisure brands at Harlequin, including Uniqlo, Space NK, PuttShack, and Boom Battle Bar. JD Gyms will look to benefit from Harlequin Watford’s annual footfall of 17.2 million and its diverse catchment, which extends into London and across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Robert Jewell, managing director of asset management at Pradera, said: “As Harlequin continues to evolve as a dual-purpose destination for both retail and leisure, the signing of such an in-demand brand as JD Gyms is another landmark moment for the centre’s ongoing evolution. Harlequin continues to welcome its visitors back time and time again, and the arrival of JD Gyms will create yet another reason for customers to spend more time at the centre as part of their active lifestyles.” Darren Pallett, property director at JD Gyms, added: “We are delighted […]

GCW makes senior surveyor promotion

23rd June 2026

GCW has promoted Ewan Stacey to the position of senior surveyor. He joined the town centre real estate specialist at the start of 2025 from a West End-based property company and has since established himself within GCW’s owner team. Stacey primarily provides advice across London and urban areas in the South East, and has played a role in securing new instructions and leading client mandates. GCW said the promotion reflects both Stacey’s growing responsibility within its team and his achievement of becoming a member of the RICS through GCW’s APC training programme. Nick Warr, head of GCW’s owner team, said: “Ewan has made a significant impact since joining the business – demonstrating both commercial acumen and a strong work ethic. His ability to build client relationships and lead instructions has been particularly impressive and this promotion is well deserved.”

Metrocentre completes refurbishment of independent retail hub

22nd June 2026

Metrocentre in Gateshead has completed the refurbishment of The Crescent, an 11-unit retail hub designed for local and independent businesses to trial retailing within the scheme. Units within The Crescent have been refurbished, 60% of which are currently under offer. Tenants within The Crescent will be able to join a retail lineup at Metrocentre that includes retail giants such as Zara, Hollister, and Sephora, as well as Bershka and Lefties which are set to join the scheme later this year. Local operator Café Filto is set to act as an anchor tenant, offering its signature coffee cans alongside a new summer menu, which includes selection of hot and cold beverages, açai bowls, cakes, sandwiches, and light snacks. Noah Knapton, asset manager at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, asset manager of Metrocentre, said: “The Crescent is an important evolution of the offer at Metrocentre. To be launching with Café Filto as the scheme’s inaugural tenant brings our vision for the space to life, setting the tone for what’s to come. Independent retail is something we really value, and The Crescent, alongside The Village located in Upper Blue Mall, are all about supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs and providing them with a platform to […]

M Core acquires Hampshire shopping centre

22nd June 2026

Sheet Anchor Evolve, part of M Core, has acquired Dukes Walk Shopping Centre in Waterlooville, Hampshire. Extending to 42,500 sq ft, Dukes Walk is located in the centre of Waterlooville and is home to a mix of national and independent occupiers including One Beyond, PureGym, The Works, Savers, Card Factory, Holland & Barrett, Bonmarché, and Edinburgh Woolen Mill. The scheme, which sits approximately eight miles north of Portsmouth, also benefits from over 250 car parking spaces. Danny O’Keefe, co-founder of Sheet Anchor Evolve, said: “Dukes Walk is a well-established town centre asset with a strong occupier base and an important role in serving the day-to-day needs of local residents. The centre adds to our presence in the South East and our focus now is on active management to support occupancy and the needs of the local community.” Cited Property acted for Sheet Anchor Evolve.

Blackstar wins trio of asset management mandates

22nd June 2026

Blackstar Real Estate has been appointed as asset manager for a portfolio of three UK retail assets, comprising Market Place in Bolton, Waverley Market in Edinburgh, and Rutherglen Exchange in Glasgow. Market Place is a 430,000 sq ft retail scheme in Bolton town centre, anchored by Primark, Next and H&M together alongside a range of retail and leisure operators. Waverley Market, located next to the Princes Street and Waverley Station, is home to a variety of independent and national occupiers, whilst Rutherglen Exchange, to the south-east of Glasgow city centre, serves as a core convenience retail destination for the local community. Blackstar will be responsible for delivering asset management strategies across all three schemes, with a focus on income optimisation, leasing activity, tenant mix enhancement, and identifying opportunities for repositioning and future-proofing the assets. Sabri Marsaoui at Blackstar Real Estate said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to manage these three important retail assets. Each scheme presents a distinct opportunity to apply our hands-on asset management approach, strengthen tenant engagement, and drive long-term value. We look forward to working closely with the stakeholders to enhance performance and fulfil their true potential.” Blackstar Real Estate said the mandate reinforces its […]

GPE signs Australian menswear brand to fully pre-let St James’s scheme

22nd June 2026

Great Portland Estates (GPE) has fully let 30 Duke Street St James’s, SW1, following the signing of Australian menswear brand M. J. Bale. The retailer has exchanged on 2,636 sq ft of space on the Jermyn Street frontage for its first store in London. This follows the pre-letting of the entire office space, comprising 62,300 sq ft, to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) in May 2025 and the letting of the Piccadilly retail unit to restaurant group L’Eto in October 2025. In total, 30 Duke Street St James’s has secured approximately 67,700 sq ft of lettings across office and retail space, delivering £12.6m of total annual rent. Dan Nicholson, executive director at GPE, said: “Fully pre-letting 30 Duke Street St James’s ahead of practical completion is a great result and highlights the enduring appeal of the West End. From CD&R to M.J. Bale, the quality of the customer line-up demonstrates the continued pull of St James’s and the depth of demand which our development pipeline is well placed to capture.”

Superdry to open 11,000 sq ft store at Lincoln’s Waterside centre

19th June 2026

Superdry & Co is set to open an 11,200 sq ft store at the Waterside centre in Lincoln. The fashion retailer will take two floors at the retail and leisure destination, offering a range of men’s and women’s clothing. The store’s fit-out has now begun, with an opening expected at the end of July. The ground floor will be dedicated to womenswear, with menswear occupying the store’s upper level. Superdry & Co will join the existing retail offer at Waterside, which includes brands such as H&M, Next, Rituals, The Body Shop, New Look, Accessorize and Office. The Waterside centre is owned and operated by Wykeland Group. Wykeland formed a joint venture with Lincolnshire Co-op to acquire the 130,000 sq ft centre in 2023 before taking full ownership last month. Jason Platten, Wykeland’s Head of Retail and Leisure, said: “We’re delighted that Superdry & Co is coming to Waterside. As one of the UK’s most recognised fashion brands, it’s a fantastic addition to the centre and further strengthens Waterside’s retail offering. “It’s also a major vote of confidence in Waterside as a vibrant retail and leisure destination with strong footfall in the heart of a prosperous city. “As Waterside’s owner and […]

Lakeside unveils repositioned Brompton Arcade

19th June 2026

Lakeside shopping centre in Essex has unveiled a newly-repositioned Brompton Arcade, formerly Brompton Walk, a hub for independent businesses and local entrepreneurs. Located on Level 2 of the scheme, Brompton Arcade’s aim is to is to curate and support ambitious, independent, and experience-led brands, providing them with greater visibility, operational support and access to Lakeside’s 17 million annual visitors. Local and independent operators will be able to trade alongside leading brands at the scheme, including anchor brands FLANNELS, Reiss, and Beaverbrooks. Brompton Arcade forms part of a wider transformation programme at Lakeside. The destination has welcomed significant tenant investment including £100 million over the last three years, £30 million of which has been in the past six months alone. Robert Jewell, managing director of asset management at Pradera, said: “Brompton Arcade represents an exciting new chapter for Lakeside, reflecting our ambition to create a destination that champions independent businesses and entrepreneurial talent. Through significant investment, we’re creating a renewed identity for the Arcade, one that combines unparallelled visibility with a strong sense of community and collaboration. Our Open Day presents a unique opportunity for ambitious operators looking to grow their business and become part of Lakeside’s long-term vision.” Lakeside’s ongoing...