Shopping centres have changed dramatically over the past decade or so. Rather than being primarily focused on retail, they have also had to place a large emphasis on their leisure offer to satisfy changing expectations of the shopping experience. However, at the same time, they must maintain a high standard of retail tenancy to provide their... Read More
Embattled Morrisons will lay bare the impact of a tough year this week when its annual report is expected to reveal a plunge in profits. The supermarket group has already confirmed it plans to offload almost £500m of its property assets including shopping centres, warehouses and undeveloped land. The Bradford-based chain warned of a... Read More
At the height of the recession, shop vacancy rates became a real issue for town centres attempting to keep their high streets alive. A combination of low consumer spending, increasingly high business rates and the rising cost of utility bills had a catastrophic effect upon the retail industry. In addition to these factors changing... Read More
A new retail innovation hub has launched in central London aiming to pair exciting start-up firms and entrepreneurs with larger companies looking to shake up their operations in the fields of data analytics, supply chain, advertising technology and retail innovation. Known as TrueStart, the Victoria-based hub aims to provide a base... Read More
With the construction freeze all but over, more companies and local authorities than ever are attending MIPIM, the world’s largest real estate exhibition and conference. The four-day event — which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary — opened today in Cannes on the French Riviera. It hosts more than 20,000 participants from... Read More
As wealth levels rebound after the financial crisis the world's mega-rich are turning their back on luxury mansions and investing in hotels and office blocks, new research claims. The shift into commercial property — and investments that offer higher returns than gold or bonds — is being partly fuelled by the rocketing values of... Read More
As the Scottish independence referendum draws ever closer, arguments between the Yes and No camps have heated up and caused businesses to become involved in the debate over the future of the UK. Although opinions differ regarding the impact a Yes vote would have on the commercial property market, a number of high profile organisations... Read More
One symptom of the recession was the drive by both sides of a commercial property deal to push down the length of a lease. Today tenancy agreements are the shortest they have ever been. But longer leases have hidden benefits for both sides, according to the director of one real estate agency. Before agreeing to any lease — whether... Read More
According to figures released by RICS, the price of Scottish farmland remained steady throughout the second half of 2013. The average price of land averaged £3,750 per acre. Furthermore, more than 80 per cent of surveyors anticipated a rise in prices during the course of this year. Sarah Speirs, the Director of RICS Scotland, said... Read More
The South African Competition Commission has approved the £335m sale of the Tiber Group’s management business and real estate portfolio to Growthpoint Properties. The 27-property portfolio spans more than 320,000sq metres of prime office space, mainly in the Sandton area of Johannesburg. It is home to several multi-national head... Read More
Last year, The Jockey Club made history by launching the first retail bond in British sport and raised almost £25 million to financially aid Cheltenham Racecourse’s grandstand development. Along with £20 million secured through a combination of bank financing, commercial deals, the Group’s trading cash flow and a Levy Board... Read More
Growing business confidence has had a beneficial effect upon the country’s unemployment statistics, which have fallen steeply from the peak figures recorded in the aftermath of the recession. The latest research from Markit showed that this drive for recruitment reached record levels in February, with private sector firms taking on... Read More
Commercial Property owners stand to lose hundreds of millions of pounds because of an imminent change in the tax law. The rules on capital allowances will change in April, and tax specialists say this will lead to a fall in property valuations. Property owners are currently able to claim tax relief on their spending on plant machinery... Read More
Northern Ireland businesses being held back by pre-recession property loans could be helped by a new rescue fund, a senior banker has suggested. Hundreds of small and medium-sized companies across the province took out property loans during the boom only to find the ongoing repayments are still weakening their core business. Now Kevin... Read More
The Co-operative Group food arm has announced that it is planning to increase its property estate from 2,800 to 4,000 shops by adding around 150 convenience stores a year. Steve Murrells, the group's retail chief executive, told Retail Week that the business also plans to remodel around 1,000 shops in 2014. The Group has admitted... Read More
The weather may not be perfect — windy, cold and above average rainfall — but the Dutch city of Eindhoven is fast becoming Europe’s ideal location for high-tech start-ups. Okay, in a recent Financial Times survey of European cities of the future it came third after London and Helsinki, but for its size Eindhoven has more... Read More
The real estate market in the U.S. provides an insight into the health of that country's economy and, according to Lawrence Yun the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, the fundamentals are on an upward curve. Growth is continuing at a moderate pace but from a low starting point. Consequently, despite job growth,... Read More
Investor competition is being blamed for a 50 per cent rise in supermarket property deals last year. Between them the big five food retailers set a new record by clinching £1.8bn in land and building transactions. A report by property consultants and investment databank, Colliers International, shows that the volume of property traded... Read More
Since the advent of online shopping, retail destinations have had to evaluate their place in the retail industry and take steps to make themselves more appealing to consumers. The majority of shoppers now seek a lot more from their local shopping centre, and so leisure aspects have become increasingly important in the shopping... Read More
Newcastle is to get its first start-up hub devoted exclusively to high-tech businesses — and which will rely on worldwide crowdfunding to keep it running. The project is being launched by Ignite, one of Europe’s top accelerator programmes for early-stage start-ups, which is investing £30,000 to renovate and upgrade offices in... Read More
Birmingham City Council has announced that it has put the NEC Group up for sale. The asset has an annual income of £2 billion per year and supports around 29,000 jobs within the city. Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore The sale will help to clear the council’s £1.1 billion deficit in its ongoing equal pay settlements... Read More
The UK’s commercial property market has seen huge improvements recently, with growth in demand for a wide range of properties including office, industrial and retail. However, much of the recovery has been centred around London and the South East, with the Crossrail project and a hugely improved business climate encouraging a high level of... Read More
