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We are delighted to have advised Matalan on the acquisition of their new store in the City Centre of Leeds. Matalan is a British fashion and homeware retailer and has over 215 stores nationwide.

The highly prominent premises are located at The Core Shopping Centre with the main entrance on The Headrow. The unit comprises a total floor area of nearly 20,000 sq ft and it was secured on a ten-year lease. Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail, conducted the negotiations and commented: ‘’We are confident that this will prove to be an excellent site for Matalan and we look forward to seeing it open soon.’’

AS Retail are delighted to have completed a fifth lease renewal for our client, Church Commissioners, in Golders Green.

Lease advisory specialist Ellie Oldershaw commented “We are really pleased to have secured the occupation of another strong tenant for a further ten-year term at a higher rent, despite the difficult market.  Having already completed renewals with other tenants including HSBC, Lloyds and Virgin Money, all at rental increases, this block now represents a secure income stream for our client.”

Please don’t hesitate to contact us, should you be in a similar situation and require advice.

We are delighted to announce that our client Jetts 24 Hour Fitness have now opened their first London studio in Colliers Wood.

The Colliers Wood club sits close to The Tandem Centre, a short walk from Colliers Wood underground station and totals approx. 4,200 sq ft with an extended frontage onto busy Christchurch Road.

Jetts are a Global Gym brand with over 250 clubs, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With the latest addition to their portfolio, Jetts have now seven studios in the UK and we have plans for an extensive roll-out over the next few years.

On behalf of Jetts, AS Retail are actively searching new sites in Greater London, South East and South West England for 2019 – 2020 opening of ideally between 4,500-7,000 sq ft. Please get in contact with Andrew Shepherd or any of the AS Retail team to discuss the requirement.

We are delighted to be able to offer the market exciting new food court opportunities at The Cascades Shopping Centre in Portsmouth.

The Cascades is the predominant shopping centre in Portsmouth City Centre, anchored by Primark, M&S and Next. On average the centre receives 192,000 visitors per week, serviced by in excess of 1,000 adjacent car parking spaces.

We are in the advanced stages of designing a four to five unit Food Court with a terrace overlooking the mall in the heart of the centre close to the car park lifts. Other occupiers close by include Pandora, H&M and TK Maxx.

Units can range from 500 – 2000 sq ft with over 275 communal seats in a fresh and lively environment.

Please contact Andrew or Rob at AS Retail for a full pack of plans and visuals.

Easy Coffee and 9Round are the latest two additions to Patrizia’s Walnuts Shopping Centre in Orpington which continues to go from strength to strength following £8 million of investment over the past three years.

9Round have taken Unit 73 totalling 950 sq ft and Easy Coffee have taken prominent corner Unit 69 totalling 1,150 sq ft within the re-modelled open courtyard Leisure Quarter at the Centre which is also home to a seven screen Odeon cinema, Premier Inn, Nandos, Bella Italia, Pure Gym, Creams and independent steak house Cow & Pig.

The Leisure Quarter opened in late 2016 and has been a huge success with Odeon reporting over 350,000 admissions per annum. The immediate vicinity now experiences all day and evening trade which has been boosted this year by the refurbishment and repositioning of the Market Square. Bucking the national trend, footfall, dwell time and consumer spend have all been increasing year on year.

Both of the main entrances onto High Street plus the 520 space multi-storey car park have benefitted from significant investment over the past 12 months with the aesthetics enhanced. The most recent project, costing over £350,000, has been the creation of new public amenities within the covered section of The Walnuts providing much needed facilities for the local shoppers.

The centre has also welcomed a host of other retail occupiers in the last 12 months including Yours Clothing, Trespass, Cards Direct, Julian Charles and Kitchenhaus with Easy Coffee planning to open a mall coffee operation within the covered section of the centre with a dedicated Kid Zone. These occupiers complement and strengthen the existing tenant mix which includes Wilko, Peacocks, The Entertainer, New Look and Argos, all of whom cater for the needs of the local shopper.

Only a few leasing opportunities remain for retail and catering occupiers to obtain representation within this improving environment.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail one of the letting agents at The Walnuts commented ‘We’re delighted to welcome both Easy Coffee and 9Round to The Walnuts. They add to the vibrant tenant mix that has been created which coupled with the wider placemaking initiatives has consolidated The Walnuts as the prime retail and leisure location in the town. The Centre has become an important part of the community, being a place of which the local population can be proud of and want to spend time within.’

AS Retail and KLM Retail are the leasing agents on behalf Patrizia.

AS Retail are delighted to have been appointed by Muffin Break to advise on their expansion across the UK, focussing south of Nottingham.

Established 1989 in Queensland, Australia, Muffin Break operate from over 300 stores worldwide offering not only a variety of delicious coffee, muffins and cakes, but also freshly made sandwiches, wraps, quiches and much more.

After successfully opening 61 sites within the UK, we are now seeking 1,400-1,800 sq ft in Shopping Centres, food courts or inline units with high footfall and a possibility for outside seating are sought.

Please contact Rob or Claudio at AS Retail for a copy of the requirement brochure or to discuss any sites that might be suitable.

We are delighted to welcome Will Stone to the team at AS Retail, who joins us after completing his Masters degree in Real Estate at Sheffield Hallam University. Working alongside Andrew Shepherd, he will be working on the acquisition programmes of several occupational clients such as CycleBar, Cards Direct, Quiznos and BoConcept as well as assisting on the leasing of various shop units.

AS Retail are delighted to have been appointed by Quiznos UK to advise on their expansion within London & The South East.

Quiznos operate from over 1,000 stores in 30 countries being one of the global leaders in toasted subs plus offering a wider menu including salads, wraps, soups, coffee and cakes.

After successful openings at The Glades in Bromley, The Mall in Luton and The Treaty Centre in Hounslow, we are now seeking 300 – 1,000 sq ft in major Shopping Centres. Food Courts or inline units in busy, but quirky locations are sought and regional Malls nationwide will be considered.

Please contact Andrew Shepherd or Will Stone at AS Retail for a copy of the requirement brochure or to discuss any sites that might be suitable.

Congratulations to our retained clients Cards Direct who have opened their 25^th store at The Lewisham Centre in South London.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail, leased their first unit to them in 2012 at The Spires in Barnet and has advised them on every new store since. Starting cautiously with sites in Harlow, Luton and Chatham in 2013 and 2014, the expansion programme has accelerated with between six and eight selected sites opening each year.

The Lewisham opening comes shortly after the launch of the new store in Southend-on-Sea and will be followed by another three or four locations before Christmas with the roll-out continuing into 2019 and beyond.

Please contact Andrew to discuss the ongoing requirement.

AS Retail are delighted to have been appointed by District Coffee to advise on their expansion within London.

Established in Parsons Green, District Coffee have been building a steadily growing customer base with their coffee, baked goods, and friendly atmosphere. With two shops open and trading, we are looking for more excellent locations in London.

We are seeking 150 – 1,500 sq ft with high footfall in west London and ideally in close proximity to a tube station

Please contact Rob Jones or Claudio Palmiero at AS Retail for a copy of the requirement brochure or to discuss any sites that might be suitable.