The retailer’s sales also increased during the period, up 13% year-on-year to £3.3bn. This comes after Mango opened 25 stores in the UK last year, including a second flagship on London’s Oxford Street, and in locations such as  Birmingham, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Belfast, Craigavon (NI), and Cardiff. Speaking to Drapers, Mango’s vice chair and chief expansion and franchise officer Daniel López said: “It is an interesting market for us and we can see a lot of growth. We opened 25 new stores [in 2025] and for the 2026, the forecast is to open 15 more.” He added that the retailer’s bricks and mortar estate was important to bringing it “closer to customers”. “We believe bringing Mango close to customers is what really helps us to be more creative and interact with customers, to guide them and give recommendations,” he added. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Boots is to open its first beauty-only store outside London, choosing Cabot Circus in Bristol as the next location for its specialist retail format. The 11,000 sq ft store will be the second dedicated Boots Beauty concept and forms part of the retailer’s wider strategy to elevate its in-store experience. The new site will feature more than 200 brands across skincare, haircare, fragrance, cosmetics, premium beauty and electrical beauty categories. In addition to product ranges, the store will offer a suite of complimentary services, including skin scans and personalised wellness advice delivered by Boots’ specialist beauty team. The format is designed to provide a more immersive and service-led experience, reflecting changing customer expectations within the beauty and wellbeing sector. Shelley Taylor, senior asset manager at Hammerson, said Cabot Circus had been selected to support Boots’ national growth ambitions, noting strong demand for beauty and wellbeing brands among customers. She added that the new concept would introduce products not previously available in the South West and further strengthen the retail line-up at the scheme. The Bristol launch builds on insights from Boots’ recent store innovations, including its first beauty-only outlet at Battersea Power Station in 2023, the Boots Fragrance Boutique in the City of London and upgraded wellness-focused formats introduced in six stores nationwide. The expansion also aligns with a broader investment programme aimed at modernising the retailer’s estate and enhancing customer engagement. The move follows the recent signing of Sephora at Cabot Circus, with the global beauty retailer set to make its South West debut at the destination. By positioning Bristol as the first regional location for the concept, Boots is signalling confidence in both the format and the city’s retail appeal, as it continues to refine its physical footprint and respond to evolving consumer demand. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

John Lewis Partnership is reportedly exploring plans to buy back a number of Waitrose supermarkets from landlords, as it doubles down on its core retail operations. According to reports in a leading UK broadsheet newspaper, the employee-owned retailer is considering repurchasing certain stores after building up around £1.5bn in cash reserves. While the number of supermarkets under review has not been disclosed, sources close to the business suggest the approach is likely to be selective and opportunistic rather than part of a wholesale acquisition strategy. The potential buyback forms part of a broader repositioning by the group, which has recently stepped away from its previously announced £500m build-to-rent housing programme. That scheme had been designed to diversify income streams, but was abandoned amid shifting economic conditions and a renewed focus on retail fundamentals. Instead, John Lewis Partnership is understood to be concentrating investment on modernising its store estate, strengthening digital platforms and enhancing supply chain efficiency. Reacquiring certain Waitrose sites would give the business greater control over key trading locations and long-term asset strategy, while potentially improving balance sheet resilience. The reported move comes as the retailer signals growing confidence in its turnaround strategy. Recent announcements include a 6.9 per cent pay rise for staff, lifting hourly rates to £13.25 nationwide and £14.80 within the M25. For full-time shop floor colleagues, this could equate to up to £1,600 in additional annual earnings, with the new rates taking effect from 1 April. The renewed emphasis on core retail follows a period of strategic reassessment across the partnership, including the cancellation of large-scale residential development ambitions. By prioritising investment in established brands such as John Lewis and Waitrose, the group appears to be focusing on strengthening its competitive position on the high street and in food retail. While formal details of any property transactions have yet to be confirmed, the reported buyback plans underline a shift towards consolidation and control within the partnership’s retail portfolio as it seeks to build momentum in its recovery strategy. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Hammerson’s new chief executive Rob Wilkinson has signalled an upbeat outlook for the retail-led REIT, saying the business has identified “multiple paths for growth” following a record year for leasing activity. For the year ending 31 December 2025, Hammerson secured £51m of leasing income, representing an 18% uplift on a like-for-like basis. The deals were completed at 46% above previous passing rents, and delivered a 13% like-for-like increase when voids are excluded, underlining the strength of demand for well-located, high-performing space. Total net rental income for the period rose by 23% to £180m, supported by like-for-like growth and contributions from joint venture acquisitions. The company also reported a significant uplift in portfolio value, with assets increasing by 33% over 2025 to £3.5bn, and assets under management reaching £4.4bn. Since November 2024, Hammerson has invested £757m across a number of flagship retail-led destinations including Westquay, Brent Cross, Bullring and Grand Central, and The Oracle. The acquisitions were completed at an average yield of 7.6%, reflecting the group’s continued focus on assets where it sees scope to drive performance through active management. Wilkinson, who took over as chief executive at the start of the year following the departure of Rita-Rose Gagné after five years in the role, said the results demonstrate the resilience of best-in-class retail-led city destinations. He pointed to strong leasing performance, high occupancy and improving footfall and sales as drivers of rental growth. He said Hammerson will continue to focus on active asset management and targeted leasing activity, providing strong visibility over income streams. Wilkinson added that the group has a clear line of sight to further growth in rental income, earnings and dividend in the 2026 financial year and beyond, supported by a range of opportunities to build scale and create additional value. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Morrisons is exploring a potential £1bn property financing deal as it looks to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive grocery market. According to reports in a leading financial news outlet, the Bradford-based supermarket group has appointed property advisory firm CBRE to assess options for raising funds secured against part of its substantial freehold store portfolio. Sources indicate that discussions remain at an early stage and are unlikely to centre on a traditional sale-and-leaseback arrangement of the kind widely used by major grocers in previous decades. Instead, one option under consideration is a medium- to long-term borrowing facility secured against a selection of Morrisons supermarkets. While any transaction could potentially raise up to £1bn, neither the final structure nor the scale of a deal has been confirmed. Morrisons operates around 500 supermarkets across the UK and employs approximately 95,000 people. The business was taken private in 2021 by US buyout firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in a deal valued at close to £10bn including debt. Since then, performance has been mixed. Aldi overtook Morrisons last year to become the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket by sales, intensifying pressure on the chain to regain lost ground to competitors such as Sainsbury’s and Aldi. In 2023, Morrisons appointed Rami Baitieh, formerly of Carrefour, as chief executive in a bid to drive a turnaround strategy. One of Morrisons’ distinguishing features is its extensive property ownership. The company holds the freehold on roughly 80% of its store estate, one of the highest proportions in the sector. Industry sources suggest that releasing £1bn through either a sale-and-leaseback or a leverage-based structure would still leave the business with about 60% of its stores in full ownership. The supermarket has also been steadily reducing the debt taken on during the 2021 acquisition, with roughly £1bn of takeover financing reportedly still outstanding. During the competitive bidding battle for Morrisons, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice committed to limiting major disposals of store freeholds for a defined period. Since then, most real estate activity has focused on non-store assets. In 2024, the company entered into a partnership with investment firm Song Capital, which paid £370m for the right to receive income from 75 Morrisons supermarkets over a 45-year period. Alongside Asda, Morrisons is one of the UK’s major grocers now under private equity ownership. Asda is owned by TDR Capital, with former parent Walmart retaining a minority financial stake. Last month, Morrisons reported what it described as strong Christmas trading results. Rami Baitieh said the 2024/25 financial year marked another period of renewal and modernisation, highlighting twelve consecutive quarters of like-for-like sales growth, stable EBITDA and maintained market share despite challenging economic conditions. Morrisons declined to comment on the prospect of a property financing deal. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Livingston Designer Outlet has secured refit commitments from leading occupiers Castore and NEXT. As Scotland’s largest outlet destination, Livingston Designer Outlet continues to drive investment from both its existing and new brands.  The expanded and refitted Castore unit represents a key building block inthe brands ambitious journey to become the UK’s leading premium sports-wear brand. Through its partnership with Rangers Football Club via its Umbro license, the 3,000sqft Livingston store will offer fans and athletes the opportunity to shop for the latest fan and training collections at significantly discounted prices.   Meanwhile, the relocated and refitted NEXT store is now occupying a prominent location in the North Mall as an anchor tenant. As well as delivering a fresh, new store – this move formed part of a strategic repositioning project at the destination. This initiative focuses on putting the right brands in the right spaces to maximise commercial impact and deliver the best possible customer experience and is a key pillar of the 2026 roadmap.  Already this year,Livingston Designer Outlet has confirmed the forthcoming arrival of immersive leisure experience Flip Out, F&B brands Tikka Nation and Sides and independent deli and butcher’s operator, Hamilton & Brown. Coupled with the Castore and NEXT refits, these combined investments indicate the strong appetite for a presence in one of Scotland’s premier retail and leisure destinations as it enters its next growth phase.  Nicky Lovell, Head of Outlets and Retail Business Development at Global Mutual said: “This significant investment into their stores from two of our key tenants is testament to the success of Livingston Designer Outlet in supporting the commercial ambitions of our retailers. Outlet shopping is proving to be a key business driver for our brand partners and the commitment of Castore and NEXT to creating leading store environments at Livingston is the perfect start to what promises to be a hugely successful 2026 for the destination.”    Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Croydon Council has received a planning application from URW for refurbishment works at the Centrale Shopping Centre, marking a further step in the regeneration of Croydon town centre. The submission by Unibail‑Rodamco‑Westfield (URW) – owner of both Centrale and the Whitgift Centre – seeks permission for a refreshed look to the North End entrances and the building’s façade. Plans outline new glazed frontages, a large digital screen and enhanced lighting intended to improve the streetscape. The existing colonnades along North End would be infilled to remove concealed areas and deliver contemporary, more attractive shopfronts on this busy pedestrian route. Executive Mayor Jason Perry has welcomed the application as aligning with his Growth Plan to create a vibrant, modern town centre for residents, workers and visitors. He said: “Croydon is changing – becoming a brighter, more welcoming town centre that honours its heritage whilst looking confidently to the future. I welcome this planning application for Centrale as part of URW’s wider North End masterplan, supporting growth and encouraging inward investment into our borough.” The proposals form the opening phase of URW’s Masterplan Framework to reimagine the North End Quarter as a mixed hub of retail, culture, public spaces and new homes. They build on recent momentum, including the revival of the former Allders building, where six new shops and food outlets have opened in Allders Parade. The Centrale upgrades would sit alongside several Council‑led public realm schemes nearing completion on Wellesley Road, George Street and Dingwall Road, delivering safer, greener and more welcoming connections across the town centre. This spring, targeted street cleaning and decluttering will take place from West Croydon station to North End to create a more appealing shopping environment. New wayfinding will also be installed to help people explore Croydon’s cultural, heritage and retail destinations. North End has a long and varied history beyond retail. The Whitgift site previously housed Trinity School of John Whitgift (formerly Whitgift Middle School), named after Archbishop John Whitgift, founder of the town’s historic Almshouses and the Hospital of the Holy Trinity. The school relocated in the 1960s and the site was redeveloped as the Whitgift Centre, which opened in 1970. Further up the high street, the ornate façade of Grants reflects its past as a prestigious 19th‑century department store that drew aristocratic visitors, supported by Croydon’s early role as home to the UK’s first international airport. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

EFT Group Ltd has submitted a planning application for a major redevelopment at Southport Business Park, paving the way for a new headquarters and promising fresh employment and apprenticeship opportunities, with support from Sefton Council. Backed by the council’s Business and Regeneration team, the Southport family firm plans to relocate to long-vacant plots F, G and H off Wight Moss Way, after the authority agreed a 999-year lease. The move begins the formal planning phase for the scheme, which had previously attracted positive feedback at pre-application stage. EFT Group specialises in life safety, security and construction services. The business has expanded in recent years while remaining in Southport, where it employs a substantial local workforce and supports school-based apprenticeship schemes. The site earmarked for the company’s new headquarters has sat undeveloped for more than a decade due to difficult ground conditions and the lack of government funding. Cllr Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council, joined company directors Adam Watts and Stewart Meechan at the recent unveiling of the new EFT Global headquarters. Cllr Atkinson said: “This move represents yet another major step forward for Southport’s economic future and I must commend our Business, Regeneration and Planning officers for working alongside EFT Group to help them get to this vitally important stage. “Not only will we retain a thriving local business but we’ll also bring new life to a site that has been underused for far too long. “EFT Group’s investment will create high-quality jobs and opportunities for residents while demonstrating our commitment to supporting homegrown businesses. “By encouraging businesses to invest locally, provide apprenticeships and create meaningful employment, we doing everything we can to secure the long term economic recovery and improvement of Southport and Sefton. “Businesses recognise what an incredible platform this part of the Liverpool City Region can be for their own growth and for us it helps keep amazing talent in our borough, supports our care experienced young people into work and ultimately builds a stronger future for everyone in Sefton.” Jordan Duggan, Co-Director of EFT Group, said: “As a local family company, we are proud of our roots in Southport. “This development reflects our commitment to the area and our belief in its future, with this investment EFT Group is firmly bedding our roots into Southport for the next 50 years, creating a lasting base for our business, our employees and the next generation of workers across Sefton. “We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders, the local authority and the community as this exciting project progresses.” The application will be considered at a forthcoming meeting of Sefton Council’s independent Planning Committee, which will weigh all relevant factors before reaching a decision. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals