Landsec announces raft of new big-name store signings

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 28, 2019

The UK’s physical retail stores sector may be in a bad way at present, but the country’s top retail properties are continuing to prosper and attract big names, with plenty of activity across regular malls and outlet destinations.

That was clear on Thursday as major retail landlord Landsec announced a raft of new signings from 17 brands covering 63,000 sq ft across its retail portfolio. Brands who have signed for space include Polo Ralph Lauren, H&M, Diesel, and Armani. 

In North Kent, Polo Ralph Lauren is to open a new store in the giant Bluewater mall’s Lower Guildhall, and beauty specialist Rituals is to double the size of its current store. Meanwhile, as part of the move to attract more footfall by widening the mall’s scope to take in more leisure-focused tenants, Bluewater will also be introducing an “immersive gardening concept this summer,” in partnership with celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin. 

In Lewisham, a once-deprived area of South London that’s been transformed of late and heavily developed with major investment in its shopping offer, Landsec has signed H&M. It will more than treble the size of its current store, opening a flagship branch that will feature both fashion and homewares.

The company has also completed a number of deals across its outlet portfolio. At Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, Armani, 7 for all mankind, American Vintage, Pandora, and Diesel have all taken space and the firm has also signed a number of new dining names to the location.

In Street (Somerset), the company’s Clarks Village has seen new stores for Dune, Jack Wolfskin and Mint Velvet, while at Freeport in Braintree, Trespass will open a store, and further north in Castleford’s Junction 32, clothing brand Kurt Muller is to open.

The company’s head of property Ailish Christian-West said that the “level of leasing activity demonstrates the continued attractiveness of well-managed destinations which place customer and brand experience at the heart of day-to-day operations.”