April 2026
Recent developments in commercial property – and especially in GCW’s activities – show how a focus on the people visiting, working or living in an asset is fundamental to creating value.
Whether it’s curating the right mix of retail, leisure and F&B to enhance residential schemes, or ensuring high streets maintain their appeal by offering the brands, products and services today’s consumers want, GCW has started 2026 with some notable success stories.
As this edition’s front cover shows, GCW client London Square is behind some of the capital’s most impressive residential schemes – and their appeal is largely down to the developer’s emphasis on placemaking, paying close attention to the non-residential elements of each location. Carefully selected shops, restaurants and entertainment make a huge difference when people are deciding where to put down roots, as can be seen in schemes such as Ransome’s Wharf and Nine Elms in Battersea, and Leegate in Blackheath (see pages 4-5).
Other mixed-use developments benefiting from GCW’s involvement include Hurlingham Waterfront in West London, The Venue in Hayes and Goodman’s Fields in Aldgate. At the latter, GCW’s owner and investment teams have combined their expertise to maximise the sale value of the commercial elements of the site (see page 20). For the investment team, this is just one of many transactions in the last year that have contributed to it achieving an impressive 30% market share (see pages 12-13).
On the UK’s high streets, GCW’s understanding of what makes people want to visit – and spend more time in – a neighbourhood is helping turn empty units into vibrant businesses. A great example is Hanningtons Lane in Brighton, where strong relationships with landlords, local stakeholders, and detailed research into customer needs, have helped the destination progress from around 80% vacancy to being fully leased (see pages 18-19). Other examples of GCW’s ability to create a tenant mix that brings people into locations include Windsor Royal (see page 3), Palace Gardens in Enfield (see page 26), Jackson Square in Bishop’s Stortford (see page 8) and Lion Walk in Colchester (see page 20).
Staying ahead of consumer trends is obviously vital to helping owners fill units and occupiers find the right locations. A major recent change is the rapid rise of health and wellness products and services. As the opinion piece on pages 6-7 explains, this trend – encompassing everything from cold plunges and sound baths to vitamin injections and dietary supplements – is transforming many high streets. Among the operators in this growing sector is diagnostics provider Randox Health, which GCW is helping expand (see page 21).
One occupier with a particularly strong focus on people is Onwards and Upwards, a charity that helps ex-offenders find new careers through retail ventures including XO Bikes and XO Barbers. The spotlight feature on pages 16-17 outlines the organisation’s innovative work, its exciting expansion plans and its particular retail-property needs.
Reminding us that, above all, GCW is a business built on talented people, page 14 features news of two key promotions and two passes in professional qualifications. You can also read about team members’ charitable fund- raising (page 15) and sporting endeavours (page 14).
In addition, the following pages include industry insights, such as how agents and lawyers working together can support lease renewal negotiations (see pages 22-23). You will also find a full round-up of all the latest GCW transactions, carried out for both landlords and tenants, in what’s shaping up to be a very busy year.