Retail Property News

ARNE steps into debut permanent store at Liverpool ONE

15th September 2025

Contemporary footwear and clothing brand ARNE has opened its first-ever permanent bricks-and-mortar store at Liverpool ONE’s Peter’s Lane. The opening follows ARNE’s two pop-ups and interactive activation at Liverpool ONE over the past three years. The 6,750 flagship store offers a range of clothing and footwear for men and women, and also features ARNE Bites, the brand’s in-store ice-cream and bakery concept. Rob Deacon, director of asset management at Liverpool ONE, Landsec, said: “ARNE’s first-ever standalone store reflects a longstanding and successful partnership between Liverpool ONE and the brand. The latest in a series of digital native brands to commit to Liverpool ONE, ARNE’s permanent store is emblematic of the demand from innovative global retailers looking to capitalise on our second-to-none city centre location, high footfall, and leading reputation.” ARNE is the latest brand to launch at Liverpool ONE in 2025, which has continued to be the destination’s biggest year for openings since it opened in 2008. So far this year, Liverpool ONE has welcomed 15 brands, spanning over 70,000 sq ft of prime retail and leisure space. Other recent openings include TFG London’s 12,000 sq ft multi-brand flagship on South John Street and city debuts from UNIQLO and Sephora.

Places for London appoints agents at new North London retail destination

15th September 2025

Places for London has appointed Bruce Gillingham Pollard as its commercial leasing agent for Kilburn Mews, a new retail and hospitality destination situated beneath the Metropolitan Line in North London. Located between Kilburn High Road and Loveridge Road, Kilburn Mews comprises a number of railway arches which are currently being refurbished by Places for London to provide 12 retail units within a pedestrianised public realm. Kilburn Mews is situated opposite Kilburn Station and benefits from high footfall and exposure, making its a suitable spot for independent boutiques, cafés, and restaurants alongside health, wellbeing, and fitness studios. Tracey Pollard, founding director at Bruce Gillingham Pollard, said: “Kilburn Mews represents a unique opportunity for retailers, restaurants and wellness operators to establish themselves within a vibrant community in the heart of north London. “We look forward to curating an exciting occupier mix that will meet the demands of residents and visitors.” Jo Fisher, head of arches at Places for London, added: “Places for London owns and manages over 850 arches across the capital, and we are thrilled to partner with Bruce Gillingham Pollard to identify the right businesses to occupy the fully refurbished arches at Kilburn Mews following significant investment that will transform this...

Aldi to open 80 stores in two years as part of £1.6bn investment

15th September 2025

Aldi has announced plans to open 80 stores over the next two years as part of a £1.6bn investment into its store estate. The supermarket retailer is set to open a total of 21 stores in the next 13 weeks, including Shoreditch in London, Durham in the North East, and Kirkintilloch in Scotland. Earlier this year, Aldi confirmed 20 priority locations where it was actively seeking sites, including Bromley and Ealing in Greater London, South Shields in Tyne and Wear, and Witney in Oxfordshire. These openings form part of Aldi’s long-term ambition to have 1,500 stores across the UK, with the retailer currently operating 1,060 supermarkets nationwide. This comes as Aldi releases its financial results for the 12 months to December 2024, which showed sales increased to £18.1bn over the course of the year, up from £17.9bn in 2023. Giles Hurley, chief executive officer for Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Since we opened our first UK store over 35 years ago, we’ve brought high-quality, affordable groceries to almost 800 towns and cities, but there are hundreds more communities that don’t have an Aldi nearby. We’re more determined than ever to meet that demand, and that’s why we’re investing a record […]

Roadside Real Estate to dispose of commercial property business

12th September 2025

Roadside Real Estate has announced the proposed disposal of its entire commercial property business to Tancourt Properties for approximately £12m. The group said the disposal will allow it to concentrate on its roadside real estate business, as well as its strategic focus of building and scaling a portfolio of modern operational roadside retail assets, including petrol filling stations and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Roadside Real Estate added that disposing its commercial property arm will simplify its business, strengthen its balance sheet, and bring further opportunity in the active management of operational real estate in the roadside sector. Tarncourt is a company ultimately controlled by Charles Dickson and the Dickson family. Charles Dickson is chief executive officer and a director of Roadside Real Estate. Steve Carson, chair of Roadside Real Estate, said: “This is an important step in streamlining the group in line with its strategic focus.   “We believe the roadside retail assets have the potential to generate significant returns for shareholders and Roadside continues to seek, and is currently evaluating, a number of opportunities to acquire further roadside retail assets to meet evolving consumer demands. “The directors believe that the disposal is in the best interests of shareholders and will […]

CBRE brings South Manchester retail investment to market

12th September 2025

CBRE has brought a retail investment opportunity in Altrincham, Manchester to market with an asking price of £3.95m, reflecting a net initial yield of 7.01%. Situated alongside Stamford Quarter, which is owned by a joint venture between Trafford Council and Bruntwood, the asset extends to 23,000 sq ft and comprises five ground floor restaurant and retail units. The fully-let development is home to tenants including Nando’s, Loungers, The Entertainer, Oriental grocer Chi Yip, and Most Bakery. The retail cluster produces £295,000 of rent annually, and has a weighted average unexpired lease term of 10.3 years to expiry and 7.3 years to break. CBRE said there is scope for this rental income to rise to £420,000 annually.

Frasers Group acquires Scottish retail park

12th September 2025

Frasers Group has acquired Waterfront Retail Park in Greenock, Scotland from HKIP for an undisclosed fee. Situated within the town centre, the scheme extends to over 90,000 sq ft of retail warehousing and drive-through space and is let to tenants including Currys, Halfords, and Pets at Home. The acquisition comes after the retail park became 100% let, after Farmfoods agreed a long-term lease on the former SCS unit. This finalised HKIP’s asset management program, which saw the property investment company add occupiers such as JD Gyms, Home Bargains, Costa Coffee, and Pizza Hut to the scheme during its ownership. Knight Frank acted for HKIP, whilst Sims Retail acted on behalf of Frasers Group. This transaction was Knight Frank’s second sale to Frasers Group, following the retail group’s recent acquisition of Rose Street Retail Park in Inverness.

New research reveals three markets set to dominate UK retail

11th September 2025

New research from data specialists CACI and leasing agency P-Three suggests that three key markets are set to dominate the UK retail market: beauty, footwear, and social wellness. According to the report, the beauty market is being transformed by three key movements: clean beauty; Korean beauty; and accessible luxury fragrance. This shift has been reflected in occupier demand, with premium brands like Le Labo and Byredo choosing Leeds for their debuts outside of London, while Charlotte Tilbury has launched new spaces in Covent Garden and Soho. CACI’s Brand Dimensions data correlates with these trends, showing a 15% spending increase in this market comparing June 2025 with the same month in 2023. It has also noted positive performance for brands with strong store acquisition plans, with PureSeoul (+86.5%), Space NK (+20.2%), Sephora (+14.9%), and Rituals (+33.7%) all benefiting from year-on-year sales growth as of June. Meanwhile, the footwear industry is experiencing a nostalgic revival, with brands such as Crocs, Uggs, and Birkenstocks regaining their popularity. Simultaneously, the athleisure movement has continued to grow, fuelled by ‘Gorpcore’ streetwear and sneaker culture. This is evidenced by recent openings in London from brands such as Salomon, On Running, and Saucony. As a result, some […]

Dolce&Gabbana relocates Sloane Street store

11th September 2025

Dolce&Gabbana has relocated its Sloane Street store, taking on a 4,994 sq ft unit within The Knightsbridge Estate in Central London. The new store, located at 5 Sloane Street, is the brand’s fourth standalone location in the Capital and offers a full range of men’s and women’s fashion, accessories, and jewellery. Located between department stores Harrods and Harvey Nicholls, The Knightsbridge Estate is home to prime retail and Grade A office space, cafés, restaurants, and homes. New additions to the estate include fine-dining Japanese restaurant Clap and its all-day café concept Clap Ka-FE, as well as bag retailer Coach. The area has also undergone a number of changes in recent times, including the pedestrianisation of Basil Street and a new step-free entrance to Knightsbridge Underground Station. Neighbouring landowner Cadogan has also recently completed works to upgrade the public realm on Sloane Street. Tom Woolven, on behalf of The Knightsbridge Estate, said: “Dolce&Gabbana’s arrival within The Knightsbridge Estate demonstrates the enduring strength of Knightsbridge as a hub for luxury retail in London. The retailer’s decision to relocate highlights the confidence leading fashion houses place in this location and in our vision for the area. We are delighted to welcome them as […]

LondonMetric snaps up hotels and convenience assets in £79m acquisition haul

11th September 2025

LondonMetric Property has acquired a portfolio of five hotels and two convenience assets as part of a haul of triple net (NNN) acquisitions totalling £79m. The group has acquired five Premier Inn hotels from Whitbread for £44.4m. The hotels – located in Chatham, Exeter St David’s, Penzance, Southampton, and Witney – are let on new 30 year leases with five-yearly rent reviews. In addition the group has purchased a 21,000 sq ft convenience development funding in Ludlow, Shropshire for £7.6m. The development is pre-let to M&S on a new 15 year lease with five-yearly rent reviews. LondonMetric has also acquired a 40,000 sq ft convenience asset in Tunbridge Wells for £7.5m. The asset is let to Booker for a further 14 years with five-yearly fixed rent reviews of 3% per annum. The group has also acquired a pair of industrial warehouses located in Malton, North Yorkshire and the West Midlands for a total consideration of £19m. Andrew Jones, chief executive of LondonMetric, said: “The Premier Inn transaction presented a great opportunity to acquire mission critical assets let on very long leases to a FTSE 100 credit with guaranteed rental growth. It adds to our NNN investment in budget hotels, which is benefitting […]

Glasgow retail park brought to market with £9.1m price tag

11th September 2025

Xprop has brought a retail park on the outskirts of Glasgow has to market with an asking price of £9.12m. Located on a 4.7-acre site, Atlas Retail Park is a modern purpose-built scheme constructed in 2022 with a gross internal area of 53,343 sq ft. The asset is predominantly let to The Range, which operates a 50,251 sq ft unit, with one smaller, 3,092 sq ft unit let to Flooring Superstore. The retail park generates a passing rent of £632,500, reflecting an average rent of £11.86 per sq ft. Of this income, 87% is secured to The Range for another 16.7 years, with five-yearly RPI indexations. The property also benefits from a surface car park located to the front with 300 spaces and six newly-installed EV charging stations. Atlas Retail Park is located off the A82, adjacent to Great Western Retail Park, the area’s predominant retail asset which is anchored by Sainsbury’s and B&Q. Xprop said the price tag of £9.12m reflects a net initial yield of 6.5%, rising to approximately 7.4% in May 2027.

Revo adds British Land shopping centre boss to board

11th September 2025

Revo, the membership forum for retail-led mixed-use real estate, has appointed British Land’s head of shopping centre leasing, Kate Lea, to its executive board. Lea brings over 20 years’ of industry expertise to Revo’s board, having predominantly worked in the development and leasing of major UK shopping centres at a senior level, in both consultancy and client-side roles.  In her role as head of shopping centre Leasing at British Land, Lea is responsible for leading the leasing strategy and transactional activity across British Land’s shopping centre portfolio, which includes campuses across London, such as Broadgate, alongside asset management instructions across the UK such as Meadowhall in Sheffield, and Southgate in Bath. This appointment follows the recent additions of URW’s Jacinta Roswell and Landsec’s Jack Busby to the Revo board. Kate Lea, head of shopping centre leasing at British Land, said: “Revo plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of retail-led destinations. I am looking forward to joining the executive board to share my experience in the sector, support its important initiatives, and collaborate with peers to help drive meaningful opportunities.” Vivienne King, chair of Revo’s executive board, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kate Lea to Revo’s executive board. With outstanding leasing expertise […]

Montagu Evans recruits partner to retail and leisure lease advisory team

10th September 2025

Montagu Evans has appointed Jonathon Essex as a partner within its retail and leisure lease advisory team. He joins from Avison Young, where he was a director for over seven years, bringing experience working with rent reviews, lease renewals, and regears, having acted for a range of institutional landlord and tenant clients. Essex also brings experience in dispute resolution, being on the RICS chair’s panel of independent experts and arbitrators, where he has regularly acted as a witness in arbitrations and independent expert determinations. Based at Montagu Evans’ London office, Essex will look to grow the partnership’s activity in this area as part of its commercial and agency department. Alongside client delivery, he will also support the development of his colleagues. Rob Lawson, partner at Montagu Evans, said: “With the rebasing of historically high rents, and an uptick in tenant demand, we are seeing rental growth at rent review and lease renewals for retail warehousing. Client demand for specialist consultancy in this area continues to grow, and Jonathan’s technical expertise, market insight and experience mean we are in a stronger position to add value long-term.” Jonathan Essex added: “Montagu Evans’ collaborative approach and ability to deliver high-quality cross-service advice clearly...