Category: News

Many congratulations to our clients Cards Direct on opening two new units this month, including their first unit in North West England.

We have successfully negotiated terms on a prime unit totalling nearly 3,000 sq ft within The Ladysmith Shopping Centre in Ashton Under Lyne and also acquired the former Clintons, sitting opposite Marks & Spencer and close to the car park entrance within The Woolshops in Halifax.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail who conducted the negotiations on behalf of Cards Direct commented “We are pleased to have secured these stores for our clients. The store in Halifax complements the branch network we have built in Yorkshire over the last 12 months and the unit in Ashton Under Lyne is an exciting venture into a new region.”

We have more stores in the pipeline for opening this year but are still searching for opportunities nationwide, if you have anything suitable, please do sent it through to Andrew Shepherd at AS Retail.

Hynes Illingworth acted for the landlord at The Ladysmith Centre, Evolve Estates represented themselves in the Halifax transaction.

We are very happy to announce that our clients Cards Direct has recently opened two new stores as the 2025 roll out gets underway.

The first is the former Shuropody store in the cathedral city of Chichester located on North Street between M&S and The Cross and has a sales area of 1,400 sq ft. The second store opened in Hinckley where they have taken the 1,300 sq ft former Shoe Zone on prime Castle Street.

Cards Direct are a vertically integrated, family-owned retailer specialising in high quality greeting cards, gifts and party items and are proud to have been voted in the Top 100 Most Loved Retailer Brands in the UK.  They currently have over 80 stores in both high streets and shopping centres throughout the UK and are continuing to expand nationwide.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail who advised Cards Direct on these two acquisition commented “ Having opened 21 new stores in 2024 we are pleased to kick off the 2025 programme with these two locations, both satisfying long-term requirements for these markets. Watch this space for more openings in the coming weeks and months”.

We already have a pipeline of new sites progressing for 2025 but are still looking for more.  Please contact Andrew at AS Retail if you have anything that might be suitable.

Smith Price RRG advised the landlord of the Chichester property, the landlord of the Hinckley property represented themselves.

AS Retail are excited to announce that Jetts Fitness have opened their fantastic club at Colton Retail Park in Leeds. This is their second club in Leeds and fourth in Yorkshire.

Colton Retail Park is approximately 4 miles to the East from Leeds City Centre and around 3.5 miles from the Leeds Rothwell club which opened in 2023.  The club totals circa 8,000 sq ft of space plus mezzanine and sits close to Sainsbury alongside a host of retailers. It looks amazing with plentiful car parking on site.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail who represented Jetts in the negotiation of the site commented “We are thrilled to have secured this site for Jetts following a comprehensive search across the region for Business owners Jen and James Watson. This is Jetts’ first retail park located club in the UK and hopefully the first of many.”

We are actively looking for further sites for Jetts in London, the South East of England and all England between 5,000 – 10,000 sq ft so please contact Andrew or Ollie at AS Retail for any opportunities you have that you feel suitable.

Photographs taken from Jetts UK website.

We’re pleased to see two new catering mall kiosks opening in the Central Square at The Square Shopping Centre in Camberley.  Auntie Anne’s, who are well known internationally for their freshly baked pretzels and other products, have opened their 41^st UK outlet and Lucky Bubble, the independent high-end brand bubble tea vendor have opened their third outlet. Esquires Coffee have exchanged on the larger third pitch in Central Square and will be commencing fit out shortly.

Tehran Station, an independent deli/cafe who sell a range of high quality Persian and Mediterranean food products, has now upsized on a permanent lease from Obelisk Way to their new 1,200 sq ft unit sitting opposite TK Maxx and Deichmann on Grace Reynolds Walk.

Kathryn Evans, Senior Surveyor at letting agents AS Retail commented on Tehran Station ‘It’s great to see independent retailers flourishing within the centre and we wish them all the best success in their new unit!”

The Square Shopping Centre is the dominant shopping location in Camberley with over 100 units set within a largely covered environment. Anchor tenants include Primark, Sainsbury, Boots and New Look alongside a host of national and independent retailer and the scheme continues to thrive with further exciting announcements due later this year. We still have availability for both permanent and temporary lettings so please contact either Kathryn Evans or Ollie Haxton at AS Retail for further information.

AS Retail are pleased to announce that our clients BoConcept have opened a new showroom in Exeter, coming quickly after the recent opening in Cheltenham.

Working with the regional franchise partner who we have represented for many years, we are thrilled to have satisfied this long-standing requirement by taking Unit 5 at Dart Business Park, adjacent to various complimentary brands.

The property has a sales areas of circa 3,000 sq ft of plus warehouse space and sits directly opposite Darts Farm Village, just to the South East of Exeter City Centre, where brands such as AGA and Fired Earth are located.

BoConcept are the global leader in furniture and lifestyle design who now trade from over 20 showrooms in the UK and in excess of 300 units in 60 markets worldwide.

Andrew Shepherd, Director of AS Retail who advised BoConcept on the acquisition commented “Over the last few years we have thoroughly searched the Exeter market for the right property for BoConcept and are delighted that we have secured this unit in the face of fierce competition.”

The Landlord was represented by Stratton Creber Commercial.

Following a successful 2024, our clients Jetts are keen to expand further this year and next. The new Leeds Colton club will be opening shortly with fit out works on the Burnt Oak (London) studio commencing next month. We have other deals progressing on regional sites but are keen to further build our Greater London network which already includes Brixton, Clapham, Hammersmith, Wandsworth and Colliers Wood.

Please contact myself, Ollie Haxton or Georgina Massey at AS Retail with anything within the M25 (Zones 2-6 ideal) or indeed in the Home Counties, that you think might work between 4,000 – 12,000 sq ft – we can be quite flexible on the nature of property we look at as each location is designed bespoke. We can consider ground floors, basements (or split level spaces), Retail Parks, showrooms, retail units, new developments, trade counters, warehouse/industrial spaces, redundant offices and even former social centres or churches – all sorts.

Get in touch!

AS Retail have successfully negotiated a variety of retail deals for an Institutional Investor in the Cathedral City of Truro.

Acting on behalf of the landlord over the past few years, AS Retail have advised on the five units at 100 Pydar Street. Totalling c. 25,000 sq ft this block sits in a strong trading location on the principal shopping street; it is now fully let to excellent tenants with a robust lease profile.

Lease re-gears have been concluded with Sharps, the leading Bedroom and furniture brand, and Nationwide Building Society who entered into a reversionary lease. New 5 year leases without break options have been negotiated with HMV and Sports Direct to secure their occupation and finally, after a lengthy marketing campaign where other deals have been agreed but aborted, the former Next at Unit 1, totalling circa 16,000 sq ft over ground and second floors, has been successfully let to Poundstretcher who are currently fitting out.

Andrew Shepherd, Director at AS Retail who advised the landlord on all the transactions commented ‘We were asked to assist by this major landlord in 2021; over the last five years we’ve worked relentlessly, against a challenging backdrop, to optimise the asset for them. Various connotations of deals have been negotiated with the different occupiers and we are thrilled that Poundstretcher have taken the whole of the former Next store, making the block 100% let. This unit is subject to a highly inflated Rateable Value and in order to make the deal work for both the landlord and the tenant we found a very creative deal structure which, credit to Poundstretcher, they were happy to embrace. We thank them for their efforts in getting the deal done and wish them success with their trading.”

We at AS Retail are currently advising on other similar situations nationwide but please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any assistance on your portfolio.

Local agent Miller Commercial acted jointly with us in the marketing of Unit 1. Mason & Partners acted for Poundstretcher, Green & Partners acted for Sports Direct and LSH acted for Nationwide. HMV and Sharps represented themselves.

Our clients Cancer Research UK have opened their 46^th Superstore at The Forge Retail Park in Glasgow recently.

The new unit totals 5,000 sq ft and is situated immediately adjacent to M&S Outlet and Aldi. Other occupiers on the park include Next, Sports Direct, B&M and Home Bargains.

The transformation over the last few weeks is incredible with the store stocked with the usual range of fashion, toys, books, games and a range of brand-new ‘bought in goods’.

This opening follows hot on the heels of the recent opening at Crown Street Retail Park just across town.

Andrew Shepherd, director of AS Retail who conducted negotiations on behalf of CRUK commented “We’re delighted to see the new Superstore at The Forge now open. It’s a superb location and we wish our clients the best of luck in trading here.”

Thank you to Coates & Co who represented the landlords on both Glasgow deals.

Regional Pizzeria Monte Forte have opened their doors at Brightwells Yard, Farnham.

Sitting close to the new six screen Reel cinema they have taken a long-term lease on RU6 totalling c 1,700 sq ft at Ground Floor only and are the first catering occupier to open at the scheme. Nandos are opening adjacent to them shortly and we have two other catering deals progressing through legals.

Monte Forte was launched in 2017 by Paolo and Luca in a food truck working at private events, weddings, birthday parties, markets and food festivals. They have now opened restaurants in Reigate and Horsham and we’re all thrilled that they are bringing their Neapolitan pizza to Farnham.

Kathryn Evans, Senior Surveyor at AS Retail who conducted the negotiations on behalf of the landlord commented “I’m delighted that Monte Forte have chosen Brightwells for their Farnham restaurant and we wish them every success.”

We are excited to announce that our clients Jetts Fitness are to open their 19^th UK club at Colton Retail Park in Leeds in early 2025.

Colton Retail Park is approx. 4 miles to the East from Leeds City Centre and around 3.5 miles from the Leeds Rothwell club which opened in 2023. The Colton Park unit was formerly occupied by Poundstretcher and totals circa 8,000 sq ft sitting adjacent to Pets At Home close to Sainsbury and B&M.

Jetts are one of the global leaders in health & fitness with their affordable boutique fitness model filling a USP in the market. Andrew Shepherd, director of AS Retail who conducted the negotiations and secured the site for Jetts commented  “Jetts Fitness are going from strength to strength and we look forward to seeing this club open early in the New Year which will be followed by further openings in Q1 and Q2 as the expansion continues.”

We are thrilled for business owners Jen and James Watson who have gone from being members of the Skipton gym to owning their own club; we wish them the best of luck and you can read more about their story via this link – https://jetts.co.uk/jetts-uk-is-coming-to-leeds/

We are actively looking for further sites for Jetts across the UK for between 5,000 – 10,000 sq ft so please contact Andrew Shepherd or Ollie Haxton with any opportunities you have that you feel might be suitable.

Photographs taken from the Jetts UK website