The overwhelming theme of 2020 has been one of change. As we move into 2021 we have reflected on events and what this means for our marketplace going forward, identifying trends that are here to stay.
Majestic Wines has signed on for a 3,066 sq ft store, taking a 15-year lease with a break clause after 10 years. The wine company will pay an annual rent of £90,000.
GCW have advised UBS Asset Management on the acquisition of the Sainsbury’s in Hinckley for £45.2m reflecting 5%.
Phil Fishwick and Chris Harris have both successfully passed the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
A recent example of investor appetite for supermarket assets during the pandemic is GCW’s sale for PWC of the Lytham St Annes Aldi.
The Marketfield Way Scheme will enhance Redhill’s night-time and leisure offer. The scheme comprises 150 one and two-bedroom residential units and 70,000 sq ft of commercial space, which will be anchored by a seven screen cinema.
Let us not mourn the demise of something without relevance
The New Norm or Back to Old Ways?
106 Hours of Continuous Exercise! Monday 27th April (8am) to Friday 1st May (6pm)
When restrictions are eased the landscape we return to will be different. The vacancies that were prevalent before the lockdown will remain, others will come via business failures and further consolidation that occurs through this period.
Change has been thrust upon us with no clear date for a return to normality. Will the new normal be the same as the old? How might we adapt, who will be the winners (and losers)?
We are thrilled to be a finalist for this year’s Property Awards, in the Retail & Leisure Agency category
The world of property never stands still. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’ve seen the role of town centres change beyond all recognition.
Crosstree Real Estate Partners has begun work on the refurbishment of Edmonton Green town centre, North London. GCW advised St Modwen on the sale of the 495,000 sq ft centre in 2018 and is now working with Crosstree to enhance the asset through a comprehensive investment programme.
A team of 14 GCW staff have raised more than £20,000 for the worthy cause Solving Kids’ Cancer. The group completed the gruelling 140-mile hilly Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge to support children and their families in the fight against rare childhood cancer, neuroblastoma.
Revo chief executive Ed Cooke is confident about the future of our town centres but insists their longevity depend on new ways of thinking, modern business models and greater cross-sector collaboration.
Keith Stone, director of KeyStone Retail Property, is one of the best-known names in development leasing. From a degree in town planning and cutting his teeth with local authorities, he went on to work on flagship projects, including Grand Central Birmingham, Touchwood in Solihull, Cabot Circus Bristol and Bluewater. He reflects on a rich and varied career.
GCW has advised Gylo on the acquisition of the Belvoir Centre in Coalville. The private property investment unit trust purchased the Leicestershire shopping centre from an institutional investor and has appointed a team of advisors to ensure the scheme is focused on the needs of the catchment.
Multi-generational living key to the future of our town centres
Furniture and household retailer, Dunelm has opened an anchor store at Yeovil’s Quedam Centre. GCW helped secure a 36,000 sq ft letting which marks a major vote of confidence in the town centre scheme.
GCW has been retained by DIY operator Leyland SDM to assist with its expansion programme.
GCW has advised UBS on the sale of a prominent mixed-use property on London's Bishopsgate to British Land for £37,205,000 reflecting a net initial yield of 4.79%.
Brighton's newest lane with the first retailers finishing fit outs of their units in time for the opening last month. Hanningtons Lane is part of Hanningtons Estate, which developer Redevco is transforming into an exciting destination blending retail, food and beverage, architecture, and street art.
Barons Quay shopping centre is set to capitalise on the boom in food markets with a letting to an established operator to deliver bars, street food and live music to the centre. The popular Marine Street Social operates in New Brighton, Liverpool and is looking to replicate the success with the opening of Barons Quay Social.
Henley-on-Thames will welcome a brand new multi-million pound retail, leisure and living destination, Gardiner Place in the heart of the town centre early next year.
GCW has used its expertise in transport retailing to complete a successful rent review for Chiltern Railways at Marylebone station.
Japanese restaurant operator Yo Sushi has joined GCW's portfolio of food and beverage clients. GCW is carrying out professional work for the new client and offering general strategy advice.
GCW has completed its latest piece of work for a local authority with the purchase of a hotel in Hemel Hempstead for South Bucks District Council.
Furniture and household retailer, Dunelm will open at Yeovil's Quedam Centre later this year.
Hempstead Valley shopping centre is set for an ambitious overhaul with a significant investment in the redevelopment and repurposing of the centre.
GCW has been appointed to advise on Wembley Central, the retail-led mixed use scheme in North London following a change of ownership last year.
GCW has been appointed by new client, the Jasper Group to advise on a development of four retail units on the High Street in Slough town centre. The landlord is converting the upper parts into residential and GCW will begin marketing the ground floor retail units in early 2019.
GCW has acquired all the commercial elements of a new housing development, Beaulieu Square on the outskirts of Chelmsford, for client Deekay Management.
GCW has expanded its role with long-standing retailer client JoJo Maman Bebe to run its entire estate asset management function for all lease events. The maternity and baby clothes retailer has over 80 shops across the UK and GCW will begin the arrangement with 20 imminent renewals. This allows a strategic approach to be adopted for all stores.
GCW has acquired a Starbucks unit on the A259 near Pevensey on behalf of the existing franchisee occupier, Euro Garages.
GCW is working closely with restaurant client KFC on its expansion drive and has secured six restaurant openings in 2018 including Kingston, Hounslow, West Norwood and Chessington. They covered a variety of offers from high street, small box and drive-to restaurants.
GCW's Alternative Sectors team has acquired its second healthcare site for Hamberley Development with the purchase of Honeysuckle House in Enfield. The 0.89 acre site consists of an existing, two storey, 21,847 sq ft care home with 35 beds. An application for a new care home will be submitted shortly.
GCW has secured a successful shopping centre sale for St Modwen in Edmonton Green.
Notcutts has appointed GCW to provide concession agency advice across its UK portfolio of 18 garden centres.
Archie Morriss has become the latest GCW graduate trainee to attain the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
The Zocial, an innovative eat, drink and work concept is to open in Bradmore House at the entrance to Hammersmith Broadway shopping centre.
Resistance is increasing against Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVAs). The system is being abused to the detriment of both landlords and those retailers who stand by the contracts they signed. The legislation was originally based on a principle of fairness – where a solvent restructuring of troubled businesses would protect jobs and ensure an equitable repayment to all creditors. But in the retail property arena, the system is clearly broken.
Two new restaurants have opened in Maidstone's Fremlin Walk following the shopping centre's stated ambition to bring in more food and beverage operators. GCW agreed the deals on behalf of owner M&G Real Estate.
A bold vision is essential to capitalise on the changing purpose of town centres across the UK. GCW's directors explain how putting the needs of people at the heart of the places where they live and work will create stronger communities and drive successful living, shopping and leisure destinations.
GCW has agreed a 15-year lease with the popular childcare provider Poppies Day Nurseries for Sorbon Estates' newly-built £1 million Cliveden Nursery in Maidenhead.
Barons Quay retail scheme in Northwich has secured two key anchor tenants, H&M and Sports Direct.
Forward thinking by GCW's professional team has driven a positive result for the owner of the former Debenhams' store in Eltham.
GCW has used its expertise in the gym industry to advise energie Group's Fit4less brand in Elmfield Road, Bromley on a rent review.
GCW have been retained by premium fashion brand Karen Millen to provide strategic advice across its UK store portfolio including agency, lease renewals and rent reviews.
GCW has been appointed to sell the investment in Edmonton Green's entire town centre. Covering 26 acres the sale includes an Asda and 109 other shops, a sports centre, medical centre, hotel, a local market and 754 residential units.
GCW emerged as winners of the annual retail property charity event, the Elifar Challenge, just weeks before taking on a whole-firm charity day building a community allotment in West London.
GCW has promoted Simon Horner to Equity Partner. Simon leads its Alternative Sectors team, covering areas such as hotels, retirement living, gyms, children nurseries, student housing and drive thru restaurants.
A team of seven surveyors from GCW competed in the Elifar challenge helping to raise over £65,000. The funds have been put to good use by Elifar, making a real difference to the lives of young people and their families.
GCW has advised client LAP on its innovative approach to managing Brixton Markets for over 12 years
Market Halls, the newly launched food hall operator, is to open its first venture at Fulham Broadway. GCW has agreed the letting of the former ticket hall and entrance to the London Underground station to Market Halls on behalf of CBRE Global Investors.
GCW has purchased a foodstore in the affluent Surrey commuter town of Ashtead for BlackRock.
GCW has sold a prime retail investment for UBS Asset Management (UK) on Taunton's popular Fore Street for £4.895 million reflecting a net initial yield of 5.75%.
GCW's Alternative Sectors team has branched out into the car wash market with its appointment by the world's largest provider, IMO to acquire over 100 new sites across the South of England.
Three successful lettings by GCW in Northampton have enabled Topland to progress its asset management plans on a prime retail parade acquired in 2016.
GCW has been appointed as letting agents on Barons Quay shopping centre in Northwich, one of the five shopping centres to open in 2017.
GCW has added Lion Walk shopping centre in Colchester to its successful portfolio of 36 shopping centres where it acts as leasing and asset management advisors.
There has been significant structural change in the supermarket sector of the retail property market leading to revised store requirements of the major operators. Whilst there has not been the predicted substantial reduction in the size of food retailers' portfolios, there has been a greater focus on how these are utilised and the type of stores which will be opened in the future.
A team of nine surveyors from GCW raised a huge £17,500 for Elifar taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. The funds have been put to good use by Elifar, making a real difference to the lives of four young people and their families.
2017 saw the introduction of tax-free childcare for some families and a roll-out of increased entitlement for other working parents in England.
GCW has purchased a flagship landmark retail unit in Leeds for new investment client, St Brides Managers.
GCW's lease advisory team has begun work with two leading restaurant sector operators.
GCW continues its work for hotel developer Vastint with the purchase of a 0.7 acre site adjacent to the Moxy Hotel in Heathrow. The hotel site was GCW's first purchase for Vastint as it rolls out the Moxy chain of hotels across the UK.
Cinema operator, Empire has agreed terms to remodel and refurbish its cinema within Sutton's St Nicholas Shopping Centre.
GCW's Alternative Sectors team is advising on a new style of occupier for a former Primark store in central Sheffield.
leading health and beauty retailer, Superdrug to open new stores in non-traditional retailing locations such as transport hubs and hospitals.
Strong trading has helped the Stratford Centre to attract two new food and beverage operators as part of its on-going strategy to increase dwell time at the centre.
GCW has completed its latest purchase support project advising investor Kames Capital on a retail parade in Stevenage.
Fashion retailer H&M has opened in Bishop's Stortford's Jackson Square following extensive remodelling at the shopping centre.
GCW has bolstered its professional staff with two surveyors joining its high street and shopping centre teams.
GCW has agreed the sale of a prime city centre retail block in Swansea on behalf of UBS Asset Management's Triton Fund.
GCW has agreed a retail warehouse investment sale in Plymouth for CBRE GI to Custodian Capital, at £7.487 million showing a net initial yield of 6.73%.
GCW's Alternative Sectors team has acquired its first healthcare site for Hamberley Developments.
Hotel developer, Vastint has agreed the purchase of a site in Birmingham to build its latest Moxy hotel.
GCW has agreed terms with Waitrose to regear its lease at Epsom's Ashley Centre on behalf of owners CBRE GI.
Bargate Quarter, a brand new shopping scheme in Southampton, has won the go-ahead from planners and English Heritage.
Fashion retailer H&M will open a flagship store in King's Lynn's Vancouver Centre following agreement with the Council to regear the head lease on the centre.
GCW has secured the sale of two prime retail-led sites in Ealing town centre for long-standing client Benson Elliot.
Work is progressing well at Hanningtons Estate and we are excited to announce that we are just twelve months off completion. By the end of Summer 2018, Brighton will have a new Lane and new spaces for shops, restaurants and cafes.
For the second time in the past three years GCW emerged triumphant from the annual Elifar Challenge.
A team from GCW are taking on the Three Peaks Challenge for Elifar Foundation Limited, a fantastic charity which helps disabled children.
Alex Ash has become the fourth GCW graduate trainee in under a year to accomplish success in the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).
GCW has secured its role as letting agent on the Stratford Centre as the scheme has been sold by Catalyst Capital to Frogmore.
The long-anticipated extension to Langney shopping centre near Eastbourne has the go-ahead following agreement for a second anchor in the scheme.
Kames Capital has acquired a prime retail parade on Harrogate's Cambridge Street for £4.825 million showing a net initial yield of 5.19%.
GCW has completed its first letting at Grants Entertainment Centre in Croydon as the leisure venue begins work on improving the tenant mix.
Home furnishings retailer Hillarys is set to move from a catalogue, online and home sales business into a high street brand with the launch of a ‘home studio' store format.
Mobile phone retailer 3 becomes the latest retailer to open in Maidstone's Fremlin Walk, relocating from Week Street.
Redevco, the European retail real estate investment manager, has begun work on the redevelopment of the former Hanningtons department store in Brighton.
GCW has reached agreement with King's Lynn Council to regear the head lease on the Vancouver Quarter shopping centre.
GCW has set up a new team to focus on the requirements of specialist operators such as gyms, hotels, children's nurseries and care homes which are now vying for key, edge and out-of-town retail sites throughout the UK.
Furniture retailer Loaf has opened its second London store on Lancaster Road, Notting Hill.
Redevco, the European retail real estate investment manager, has begun work on the redevelopment of the former Hanningtons department store in Brighton.
Discount retailer, TJ Hughes has reopened in its original premises in Preston's Fishergate centre after an absence of five years.
Jackson Square shopping centre in Bishop's Stortford is set for a significant investment by owner Legal & General with a comprehensive refurbishment planned.
GCW has appointed Adam Cohen as a director specialising in lease consultancy with the High Street agency team.
GCW has used its market expertise and local knowledge to achieve a rental increase at rent review on a big store in Brighton.
Congratulations to all three of our graduate trainees who recently took the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and passed with flying colours.
GCW has been appointed to work with developer Sorbon on its vibrant new mixed-use quarter in Maidenhead, Chapel Arches.
GCW is working with leading health and beauty retailer, Superdrug to open new stores in non-traditional retailing locations such as transport hubs, universities and hospitals.
Energie property (UK), advised by GCW, has announced a new leasing structure and secured a site in Southwark for its Fit4less gym chain.
Topland has acquired a prime retail parade on the junction with Northampton's main pedestrian thoroughfare, Abington Street and Fish Street, opposite the Grosvenor Centre, for £7.48 million.
GCW has agreed deals on the latest new stores for home furnishings retailer Biggie Best in Sherborne, Dorset and Monmouth.
Maidenhead's Nicholson's centre plans revamp
Catalyst Capital has rejuvenated plans for a mixed-use development in central Henley-on-Thames, following its acquisition of The Regatta Portfolio.
The Stratford Island project, designed to further regenerate the centre of Stratford in East London, has won the go-ahead from planners.
Kames Capital has secured the investment purchase of two adjacent properties on Southend's prime retailing pitch.
GCW has secured River Island as a key fashion tenant for Fremlin Walk in Maidstone in the first stage of its work on the centre for owner M&G Real Estate.
GCW client The Cornish Bakery continues to deliver strong sales growth after its rebrand and name change from Pasty Presto.
GCW has completed the sale of The Langney Centre, Eastbourne's popular district shopping centre for over £19 million on behalf of Schroders Columbus Fund and London & Associated Properties.
GCW's has published an analysis of 2015's shopping centre openings with a no-holds barred view on their pros and cons.
GCW has successfully completed the latest of its high-profile work on retailer restructurings with wide-ranging consultancy, support and letting advice to the administrator of out-of-town shoe retailer Brantano.
Salisbury's Old George Mall is benefitting from a strong trading performance and the growing popularity of the town with retailers.
GCW's well-established reputation as the leading retail agent in Windsor has enabled it to complete a number of deals in the town.
Bolton's town centre transformation has taken another step forward with the opening of the dining and leisure venue, The Vaults within the Market Place shopping centre.
Three retailers have signed deals to open at Haywards Heath's The Orchards showing ongoing demand for the shopping centre.
Furniture retailer Dreams has retained GCW to secure high street opportunities in the Greater London area.
GCW has agreed four deals at Ipswich's Sailmakers shopping centre following the recent completion of a £4 million rebranding and refurbishment project.
GCW has delivered its second site for Vastint Hospitality, part of the Inter Ikea Group, who intend to develop a Moxy hotel, Marriott International's new lifestyle economy brand.
A focus on developing comprehensive and in-depth sales stories is enabling GCW to attract record levels of interest for its clients. Two recent investment sales in Royal Tunbridge Wells and Cambridge have attracted high levels of offers, creating competitive bidding and outstanding results.
GCW has secured a deal for CBRE Global Investors to buy a property on Guildford's North Street from Blackstone for £14.08 million.
GCW has sold the investment in the retail element of a mixed-use development in London's Queen's Park for Bouygues Development for £4.095 million reflecting a net initial yield of 4.5%.
Lidl has agreed its first formal arrangement with GCW with an instruction to search for sites in the London Borough of Ealing. Lidl's research shows there is potential for up to another eight stores in this one borough.
GCW is achieving significant rental growth at the Ashley Centre in Epsom, taking rents from £75 Zone A to close to its aim of £100 in the past year.
GCW has secured a £51.3 million portfolio of prime high street shops, in dominant retail centres with asset management opportunities for Varde Partners and its joint venture asset management partner APAM.
GCW's investment team has advised CBRE Global Investors on its successful purchase of the Magna portfolio for £37 million.
Palatium Investment Management has secured planning consent for the refurbishment and redevelopment of Lloyds Court in Milton Keynes
Stratford shopping centre smashes annual footfall figure of 25.3m
Iconic Italian shoe brand, Superga has retained GCW to help drive its expansion in the UK.
GCW has agreed deals to bring three leading retailers, Next, New Look and JD Sport, to Market Place shopping centre in Bolton. The deals show renewed confidence in the centre as Market Place is undergoing a £19 million refurbishment by owners Moorgarth.
GCW has agreed the sale of The Spires shopping centre in Barnet, North London for £40 million.
GCW director Simon Morris has contributed to a recent story in The Times on new powers which could allow local councils to relax Sunday trading laws.
Fremlin Walk in Maidstone is a recent addition to GCW's portfolio of shopping centre clients following the centre's purchase by M&G Real Estate from Legal & General Property.
GCW continues to help Fat Face to grow its portfolio with acquisitions in costal locations, market towns, major centres and regional shopping centres. Buoyant sales have also prompted the retailer to increase the size of existing stores.
GCW has helped luxury leather goods retailer, Pickett to make the most of the competitive London property market, surrendering the lease on its existing shop and acquiring a new flagship store.
GCW is supporting Reading Real Estate Foundation's innovative programme to widen access to the real estate profession.
GCW has been appointed by St John's Hospital, the charity owner of Bath's Old Bond Street, to develop an asset management strategy to ensure that this pivotal retail area is the location of choice for aspirational retailers in the city.
GCW has launched a formal mediation service to add to its well-established and successful dispute resolution service.
High-profile internet retailer, Loaf has appointed GCW to help its expansion onto the high street.
GCW's investment team is celebrating a high profile ranking amongst the UK's top investment agents.
GCW has teamed up with fast-food retailer KFC to help find suitable sites to trial a new up-market urban dining concept.
GCW has been appointed by leading UK perfume retailer The Fragrance Shop to help it expand further with a raft of new stores opening this year.
GCW has taken on the role of letting agent on the St Anns Shopping Centre in Harrow as it expands its partnership with Orchard Street Investment Management.
GCW has bought Chippenham Retail Park for a client of Aberdeen Asset Management from private development company Foinavon for £11.234 million.
Stratford shopping centre smashes annual footfall figure of 25.3m Catalyst Capital's Stratford shopping centre in East London on target to hit an annual footfall figure of 25.3 million. Since 2010, the centre has seen continual increases in footfall and the figure has now risen by 19.3 per cent over the last five years. The 330,000-sq ft centre, which is home to 60 stores, is now fully let after welcoming The Fragrance Shop, Warren James, Chopstix, Subway and The Works. International supermarket chain Lidl is due to open in the centre on 3 December and will take up a 9,265-sq ft two-level unit. And Catalyst Capital has plans for a mixed use residential development to be built on part of the site. Centre manager Andrew Norton said: “This is a fantastic end to a very successful year for the centre. We have welcomed some great new lettings in 2015 and we serve as the ideal convenient place for the community to do their shopping. We are really pleased that the footfall is improving each year and our target for 2016 is to even exceed the 2015 figure.â€
GCW has agreed a deal for CBRE Global Investors to purchase the Ashley Centre in Epsom, Surrey for £78 million on behalf of a German pension fund. The centre has been bought from the Carlyle Group at a net initial yield of 6.1%.
Stratford shopping centre smashes annual footfall figure of 25.3m Catalyst Capital's Stratford shopping centre in East London on target to hit an annual footfall figure of 25.3 million. Since 2010, the centre has seen continual increases in footfall and the figure has now risen by 19.3 per cent over the last five years. The 330,000-sq ft centre, which is home to 60 stores, is now fully let after welcoming The Fragrance Shop, Warren James, Chopstix, Subway and The Works. International supermarket chain Lidl is due to open in the centre on 3 December and will take up a 9,265-sq ft two-level unit. And Catalyst Capital has plans for a mixed use residential development to be built on part of the site. Centre manager Andrew Norton said: “This is a fantastic end to a very successful year for the centre. We have welcomed some great new lettings in 2015 and we serve as the ideal convenient place for the community to do their shopping. We are really pleased that the footfall is improving each year and our target for 2016 is to even exceed the 2015 figure.â€
GCW has advised long-standing client CBRE Global Investors on the purchase of two shopping centres, marking the fund manager's entry into the UK shopping centre investment market.
Upmarket bakery Konditor & Cook has secured two new central London cake stores for its growing operation.
GCW has advised George Capital on the acquisition of 6-10 Victoria Street, Nottingham, let to French Connection, for £1,800,000.
Moorgarth Group, the asset manager on behalf of the new owner of Bolton's Market Place, has gained consent from Bolton council for a nine-screen multiplex cinema.
Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre has signed River Island as a new tenant for 2013, and are expected to expand their client list into the new year.
Orchard Street Investment Management has appointed retail agency GCW as joint letting agent on The Cascades shopping centre in Portsmouth.