Retail Property Pulse: Site Openings, Requirements & Insights

💡 Market News & Insights

  • Olympia London - As part of the venue's £1.3bn transformation, a cluster of new F&B openings are launching this month including Bar Arriba (a Mexican-inspired cocktail hangout), Wolves of Tokyo (a Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar), Lillie's (seasonal British small plates with English sparkling wine) and a new food hall, Arbour, featuring four independent vendors across fried chicken, smash burgers and artisan coffee.

  • Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh - British Land has filed plans for a new retail and leisure extension at the 560,000 sq ft park, sitting alongside existing operators including the Odeon, Wagamama and Nando's. Planning consent is expected in November 2026, with construction starting January 2027 and completion targeted for January 2028. This follows a similar extension announcement at Glasgow Fort, with the two Scottish projects together representing over 100,000 sq ft of new development.

  • Timber Square, Southwark - Landsec's £200m office development near Borough Market is delivering new public realm including a mix of retail, leisure and food and beverage close to Borough Market, with CBRE and JLL as retained leasing agents. Worth a mention even though it's office-led, given the F&B/retail component.

  • Birmingham City FC has unveiled plans for a new 62,000-seat stadium at Bordesley Green, designed by Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture, as the centrepiece of a wider 48-acre Sports Quarter regeneration in east Birmingham. Beyond the stadium itself, the scheme includes four distinct zones, Blues Square, Market Street, The Terraces and The Canal, bringing retail, restaurants, leisure space and waterfront nightlife to the district, alongside new housing and a dedicated women's stadium. The project is projected to generate hundreds of millions of pounds annually for the local economy and thousands of jobs, backed by significant infrastructure investment including a new railway station and tram connection. Planning applications are expected through 2026, with completion targeted for the 2030-31 season, one to watch as east Birmingham's retail and leisure opportunity takes shape.

📣 Site Openings

  • Anthropologie – The US lifestyle retailer has opened its 21st UK store at Coal Drops Yard, King's Cross, in a 2,852 sq ft unit - marking a continued push into London's design-led mixed-use destinations.

  • SKIMS – Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand has signed a 10-year lease on the former Ted Baker flagship at Regent Street, with its first standalone UK store set to open this summer, bringing the $4 billion brand to one of London's most premium shopping destinations.

  • Marella – Max Mara-owned Italian womenswear brand Marella has opened its first London store on Marylebone High Street, eyeing a bigger UK presence as international fashion brands continue to target the capital's prime locations.

  • Footasylum – New stores are opening across Leeds, Glasgow and Merthyr Tydfil as part of an accelerated expansion programme backed by a £60 million revolving credit facility with HSBC UK - creating over 80 new jobs in the process.

  • New Look – Set to open its largest-ever store this summer, an 11,000 sq ft concept store at Gateshead's Metrocentre, marking the start of its omnichannel format rollout.

  • Freight Island – Newcastle - The Manchester-born dining and entertainment destination is opening its biggest venue yet this June, taking over the former Debenhams store at Eldon Square. The 60,000 sq ft rooftop space, described as the UK's largest single-site F&B and entertainment opening of the year, features a communal food hall beneath a retractable roof, four bars, global street food, DJ sets and live performances. The £16m project is expected to create more than 300 jobs and signals the format's ambition to expand nationally, with Brixton and Leeds also in the pipeline.

  • Holy Greens - Swedish fast-casual salad chain is officially opening its first UK location in London. While they haven't announced a fixed grand opening date, the brand is actively building their team for their flagship restaurant at 320 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf Estate, London (E14 4QT)

🔑 Requirements

  • Wahaca – The contemporary Mexican group is targeting new cities including Cambridge, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, as well as expanding its London footprint. Seeking units between 2,500 and 4,500 sq ft. Agent: P-Three. 

  • Toolstation – expanding across Greater London and the South East, 2,000–5,000 sq ft high street/trade park units. Agent: GCW.

  • OKA – UK-wide expansion, 2,500–5,000 sq ft, high street/roadside. Agent: CBRE.

  • Simply Gym – South West and Midlands towns/cities, 15,000–45,000 sq ft. Agent: FHP.

  • The Pet Vet - targets commercial properties measuring 2,500 to 5,000 sq ft. Ideal locations feature strong roadside frontage and serve a catchment area with a minimum population of 140,000 people within a 20-minute drive time. Agent: Wsb
    Property

📌 References: All references available upon request – please email: marketing@groevents.com

📲 CALL FOR FEEDBACK: Have we missed anything? Please let us know at: marketing@groevents.com

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