The acquisition of UK companies by overseas firms has become a common occurrence of late, with the improving economic situation allowing many to expand as a result of profits growth. However, one of the most controversial deals has been Chinese conglomerate Sanpower’s purchase of a majority stake in iconic British department store House of... Read More
Two office blocks within Manchester’s prestige Spinngfields development have been put up for sale after all four of their joint-ownership companies went into administration. Both buildings are fully let to the Royal Bank of Scotland. The sale of the offices — at 1 Hardman Boulevard and 1 Spinningfields Square — is being handled... Read More
Taiwanese investors will be major players Commercial property investment worldwide will increase by at least 15 per cent this year. The annual total is forecast to be well over the US $600 billion mark, according to a report released from Knight Frank. The report also points out that Chinese investment in the international property... Read More
Britain’s first all-digital branchless bank has confirmed it will establish its bricks-and-mortar headquarters in the North-East. The pioneering company will initially recruit around 120 staff, but expects that to treble as the business grows. Atom Bank is the brainchild of Metro Bank-founder Anthony Thomson and chief executive of... Read More
The recovery in the US commercial property market appears set to continue over the next two years. According to the results of a new survey, from the Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young, transactions during 2016 are expected to reach $430bn (£256bn) — well ahead of a pre-recession 2006 record. Thirty-nine analysts and leading... Read More
The IPD Spain Annual Property Index is reporting that the Spanish commercial property market showed a slight recovery of 0.3 per cent in 2013. In 2012, it had a negative return of -2.2 per cent. The recovery was driven by a slowdown in the rate of capital decline. Capital growth was -4.9 per cent in 2013, and -7.4 per cent in... Read More
The Government is being asked to pump almost £150m into a range of Midlands’ development and improvement schemes. Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from Greater Birmingham and Solihull and the Black Country say the money is needed to kick-start or fuel scores of projects across the region. Among the bids are some almost certain... Read More
Construction has started on Swindon’s first speculative commercial property development since the economic downturn. Plans have also been unveiled for a new business park for the Wiltshire town which could create as many as 2,000 new jobs. Aimed at start-up and expanding businesses, Glenmore Business Park on the Westmead Industrial... Read More
Although many High Street retailers have seen impressive sales since the start of the year, Marks and Spencer continues to struggle. While the retailer’s food sales remain strong, as they traditionally have, non-food sales fell steeply in the past quarter. During the three months to the 31st of March like for like non-food sales fell... Read More
Dransfield Properties has secured a loan for almost a quarter of the £42m it needs to redevelop a former South Yorkshire steelworks site. The developer has already been awarded an £8m European grant for the scheme. Ground work started last month on the 28-acre mixed-use development at Fox Valley, north Sheffield, with the... Read More
Activity in Taiwan's commercial property market has fallen by 68 per cent year-on-year, a report claims, and soaring prices are being blamed for the decline. The sales volume represented the lowest level since the financial crisis reached its peak in 2009 and has increased pressure for a price correction. According to Colliers... Read More
The legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games has had a strong effect upon British industry, with businesses from a range of sectors as diverse as tourism and construction benefiting as a result. Last weekend saw the re-opening of one of the most tangible aspects of this legacy, with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park now welcoming visitors from... Read More
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is moving from its current Coventry HQ to a new site after agreeing to lease 36,000sq ft in the city’s Friargate development. The organisation’s pre-let is the second major signing for the 37-acre scheme. The £59m Friargate project, adjacent to Coventry railway station, will... Read More
International investors continue to flock to London with the improving economy and the capital’s “safe haven” status combining to create a lucrative environment. As a result, investment in the central London property market has hit a record high, with overseas parties playing a prominent role in this success. In the first... Read More
The Station Office Network has confirmed it will be opening its first drop-in workplace outside London this summer — and has chosen Leeds because of the city’s “dynamic” business culture. The 19,500sq ft flexible office will be situated at One Aire Street, adjacent to Leeds station, and will offer everything a regular office... Read More
Changes in consumer habits have meant that retailers need to be increasingly adept at picking up on new trends and technological advances in order to keep pace with a fast moving market. Consumers are now more pressed for time than ever before, so offering flexibility and a number of collection options are necessary to meet the needs... Read More
The problems facing the high street have been widely documented and disputed. In the past few days alone we have featured contradictory stories about, on the one hand, the high street’s continued decline, and on the other, the beginnings of its recovery. What emerges from these conflicting opinions is that location is a major factor.... Read More
Discount brands have added an increased element of competition to the supermarket sector, with consumers keen to continue saving on the weekly shop even after the end of the recession. This has seen German import brands Aldi and Lidl grow their market share astronomically of late at the expense of brands which have traditionally been seen as... Read More
Madison International Realty’s Real Estate Liquidity Fund V L.P - which focuses on investment in the US, UK and mainland Western Europe, closed recently with $825 million in equity commitments. Its target was $750 million. The firm believes that its unique investment strategy is responsible for attracting the growing group of... Read More
Profits on South African retail, office and industrial property have reached a six-year high, according to new international research, making the republic one of the world’s most lucrative commercial property investment markets. Of the 16 countries which responded to the Investment Property Databank (IPD) survey, South Africa... Read More
Internet shopping is doubtlessly one of the key drivers of the recent growth in the retail industry, with more consumers than ever before choosing to have everything from groceries to home ware items delivered straight to their doors or reserving items for in-store collection. However, according to new research by Planet Retail, this... Read More
A 4,000-gallon flood ripping through its offices would have seriously hampered most companies, but a Midland’s based property consultancy was up and running within four hours — thanks to its “mobile working” policy. Plumbers working on a floor above Rider Levett Bucknall's Birmingham premises had rigged up temporary piping for... Read More
