Aldi has disclosed its list of priority locations in London where it aims to open new stores, as part of its ambitious expansion plans across the UK. The supermarket chain recently announced its intention to operate 1,500 stores nationwide, with a particular focus on areas within the M25 due to
In late March, the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s opened a new ‘local’ store within Princes Dock, situated on Liverpool Waters, creating 20 job opportunities. This expansion aims to cater to the growing number of businesses and residents within Peel Waters’ lively waterfront district. Occupying a ground floor unit beneath the 760-space
High-End Retail, Supermarkets and Mixed-Use Schemes Among the Modest Activity Retail construction orders fell to an all-time low during the final quarter of 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Construction orders, a proxy for development activity, totalled £1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year
Commercial lighting manufacturer and supplier, Whitecroft Lighting, has completed a major project to install innovative LED lighting systems in almost 80 stores across the UK for electrical retailer Currys, including branches in Manchester, Birmingham and Dundee. But rather than completely replacing the outdated lights, Whitecroft used its pioneering Relight system
Practical Completion has been achieved at Stadium Retail Park, a commercial development in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, that will be home to new locations for Lidl GB and Wickes. The site has been brought forward by Clowes Developments. IMA Architects (IMA) has worked with Clowes Developments to provide all architectural services
Marks & Spencer has announced a £30 million investment in its Scottish physical stores, with plans to introduce five new and expanded locations within the next 18 months. As part of this initiative, a £15 million injection is earmarked for Aberdeen Union Square, where the store’s footprint will nearly double.
Henry Boot Construction has completed work on Cambridge Street Collective this week, handing the building over to the food hall operator for the final fit-out. Cambridge Street Collective is a key development within Heart of the City – the transformative city centre regeneration scheme led by Sheffield City Council and
Knight Property Group appoints Clark Contracts as main contractor on the 25,000 sq ft development Works have started on a brand new £10 million Aberdeen store for national improvements giant Wickes. Knight Property Group has commenced on site with the construction of the store, to be based at Phase 3
Screwfix is targeting 60 new store openings by the end of the financial year in the UK and Ireland, despite its parent company Kingfisher lowering its profit guidance for the 2023/24 financial year. The DIY retailer opened 12 new stores in the first six months of the year in the
Lidl has become the latest retailer to set its sights on vacant Wilko stores, as the grocer looks to open 1,100 shops by the end of 2025. Lidl boss Ryan McDonnell told Retail Week that the retailer’s property team is in very close contact with Wilko’s administrator PwC. He said
Aldi has disclosed its list of priority locations in London where it aims to open new stores, as part of its ambitious expansion plans across the UK. The supermarket chain recently announced its intention to operate 1,500 stores nationwide, with a particular focus on areas within the M25 due to high demand. In a bid to bolster its presence in London, Aldi has committed £500 million to open approximately 100 new stores within the M25 region. The identified priority locations include: To facilitate the search for suitable properties, Aldi is offering a finder’s fee to property agents who recommend previously undiscovered sites. The finder’s fee amounts to 1.5% of the freehold price or 10% of the first year’s rent for leasehold sites. Aldi’s criteria for potential sites include a minimum size of 20,000 sq ft for standard stores, with approximately 100 dedicated parking spaces. Preferably, these sites should be situated on main roads with good accessibility and visibility. Additionally, Aldi is seeking smaller locations to accommodate its Aldi Local format, which typically range around 5,000 sq ft in size. Jonathan Neale, managing director of national real estate at Aldi UK, emphasized the company’s commitment to making high-quality, affordable food accessible to all Londoners. Neale stated, “The locations we’ve identified are areas where there is significant demand for our stores. We are dedicated to investing in these areas to ensure that our quality products and unbeatable prices reach as many people as possible.” Aldi’s expansion plans underscore its determination to provide affordable groceries to consumers across London, addressing the need for accessible and reasonably priced food options in underserved areas of the capital.
In late March, the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s opened a new ‘local’ store within Princes Dock, situated on Liverpool Waters, creating 20 job opportunities. This expansion aims to cater to the growing number of businesses and residents within Peel Waters’ lively waterfront district. Occupying a ground floor unit beneath the 760-space multi-storey car park, the new 5,748 sq ft Sainsbury’s Local store on William Jessop Way offers a picturesque view of Princes Dock and provides various convenient amenities, including a cash machine, in-store bakery, and Argos collection point. With over 2,000 residents now residing at Liverpool Waters, along with numerous workers and a year-round events programme, the new store will serve as another accessible facility for the local community. Liverpool City Council granted planning permission for the new store last year, which was previously occupied by Bean Café and Holyrood Nursery. Both businesses have continued to operate, with Bean Café recently completing a high-spec fit-out of their new coffee house and deli following their relocation to the adjacent unit. The opening of the new store follows a series of exciting developments for Princes Dock, which is poised to host the UK’s first Nordic-style public floating sauna. Additionally, Princes Dock will be the venue for the swim/run knockout event ‘The Eliminator’ scheduled for May 18. Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We’re excited to welcome customers to try out our new store for the first time this week.” Liza Marco, Senior Asset Manager at Liverpool Waters, commented, “Following significant growth at Princes Dock in recent months, and an increasing number of visitors to the neighbourhood, it’s great to see Sainsbury’s joining the large number of businesses now based here.” Liverpool Waters is part of Peel Waters, a UK-wide portfolio of waterfront developments focused on delivering large-scale, sustainable regeneration projects. These initiatives aim to create jobs, spur economic growth, provide new homes, and enhance public spaces across the country. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
High-End Retail, Supermarkets and Mixed-Use Schemes Among the Modest Activity Retail construction orders fell to an all-time low during the final quarter of 2023, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Construction orders, a proxy for development activity, totalled £1.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year on a rolling annual basis. The figure is the lowest since the data series began in 1985 and compares to an average of £3.2 billion since then and a high of £6.8 billion in 2006 – heady days when shopping centres Westfield, London and Liverpool One were being built. The ONS statistics are supported by CoStar’s data on new construction starts, which were also at their lowest on record in 2023 at 3.15 million square feet – a gradual slowdown over the past ten years from 14.4 million in 2014. This comes in the wake of the structural changes in the retail sector and development viability issues that are affecting all sectors – high finance and build costs, rising yields and subdued rental growth. Deliveries are also slowing sharply and with the recent trend of converting shopping centres and department stores to other uses, net deliveries have also reached an all-time low. Within the slowdown there are some modest outperforming segments that continue to see activity across the country. High-end retail schemes are among the most prominent, such as designer outlet villages at Scotch Corner and Tewkesbury, and large auto dealerships, including Porsche in Newport. Mixed-use projects, where retail forms part of large new residential schemes, have increased in prominence in recent years, and there are several underway including Lewisham Gateway and Green Haus in Salford. With retail park availability at an all-time low, a handful of schemes are among the key projects being built as well as several supermarkets – Aldi, Lidl and Tesco being the most active. Despite the slowdown in construction, net deliveries are still expected to outpace net demand this year, putting further pressure on the vacancy rate. But the slowdown in construction orders means fewer completions can be expected after that. Coupled with the trend of owners converting retail to other uses, the vacancy rate should then begin to stabilise. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commercial lighting manufacturer and supplier, Whitecroft Lighting, has completed a major project to install innovative LED lighting systems in almost 80 stores across the UK for electrical retailer Currys, including branches in Manchester, Birmingham and Dundee. But rather than completely replacing the outdated lights, Whitecroft used its pioneering Relight system to reuse as much of each store’s existing lighting infrastructure as possible. This reduces the huge amounts of waste normally generated by major electrical refits, an important requirement for Currys as part of its 2040 Roadmap to Net-Zero strategy, which sets out how the company is reducing the carbon it produces. Whitecroft’s Relight low-energy LED lights have been installed in customer showrooms, office areas and even car parks, enabling Currys to reduce its energy consumption, helping to further cut its carbon emissions and shrink its electricity bills. Tom Gardener, Senior Facilities Manager for Currys, explains the rationale for the project: “Due to the sharp rise in energy costs in recent years, our business cases for lighting energy efficiency were flying through, particularly as the quickening returns on investment were suddenly very attractive. “Change was also driven by forthcoming legislation banning certain fluorescent lighting which sharpened our focus on how we can remove and replace some types of lighting from our estate. “Working with Whitecroft Lighting and learning about its approach to circularity – reusing and recycling materials – has been a very positive experience. We were impressed with the short and longer-term material and labour cost benefits of Relight, but we didn’t fully appreciate the carbon saving value until we worked on the product. “Our new lighting not only improved our energy efficiency but also our approach to circularity and reusing existing infrastructure. This helped to increase energy efficiency and reduce wasted carbon.” In total 77 Currys stores, mostly bigger out-of-town branches, were refitted across the UK by Whitecroft in a project that took just six months to complete. Richard Williams, Commercial Manager at Whitecroft Lighting, says the retailer’s approach to sustainability made Relight the perfect solution for the project. He says: “Currys had a clear approach to embedding circularity in its retail operation and was already a big recycler of consumer electrical goods. However, we saw an opportunity to extend this ethos beyond retail to its lighting by reducing waste in its facilities management. “While the latest LEDs would reduce operational carbon by around 40% through increasing energy efficiency, the circular approach to reusing materials, such as ceiling suspension materials and cabling, would also lower the embodied carbon, which are the emissions generated from the sourcing, manufacturing, installation and eventual disposal of products and materials.” This approach to creating a more sustainable approach by reusing and recycling material, often referred to as the Circular Economy, is being embraced more and more by businesses, builders and suppliers as the UK aims to meet stretching Net-Zero targets. In fact, the success of the Whitecroft Lighting project has helped shape Currys view of circularity. Tom Gardener continues: “Whitecroft’s Relight approach to circularity has certainly influenced facilities management at Currys, and we now expect suppliers to be clearer on type 1 and 2 emissions, and our larger T1 suppliers must report data on their own waste and travel. “Our facilities managers now increasingly factor sustainability into supplier questioning, as well as the overall performance review of all our suppliers for a project: do they fit with our direction of travel as a business, do they buy into it, or are they just paying lip-service to it?” Whitecroft Lighting is part of the Fagerhult Group, has 370 employees and turns over £55m. The company undertakes all R&D, product design and manufacturing in its UK HQ and neighbouring 10,000 sqm manufacturing facility. To find out more about Whitecroft Lighting Ltd visit www.whitecroftlighting.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Practical Completion has been achieved at Stadium Retail Park, a commercial development in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, that will be home to new locations for Lidl GB and Wickes. The site has been brought forward by Clowes Developments. IMA Architects (IMA) has worked with Clowes Developments to provide all architectural services and act as Principal Designer on the scheme. The company has also worked alongside Millward Consulting Engineers and Roe Developments to deliver the site for Lidl and Wickes. The retailers will now bring in their own teams to carry out the bespoke fit out of the two stores. The 1.68-hectare Stadium Retail Park site has been built on a brownfield former industrial site that was derelict since 2014, located just off Nottingham Road. All amenities, landscaping and boundary treatments are now in place including car parking for 170 vehicles, including EV charging, parent and child parking and disabled spaces, and a service yard. It is expected that the new Wickes store will open before the Easter Weekend, and that the Lidl supermarket will open this summer. Marc Freeman, Director at Clowes Developments said: “The site had been derelict for 10 years and in the planning stage since 2018, so it’s positive that the site has now been developed and turned into an asset for the local community, creating jobs and bringing economic benefits to the town. We are sure the new Lidl and Wickes stores will be very popular.’’ Joe Travers, Associate Director at IMA Architects said: “This is our latest project with Clowes Developments, and we are pleased that the site has been delivered on time and will soon be a thriving retail location. Given the close proximity of residents, we were considerate to their needs throughout the construction phase and our designs for the site include additional landscaping, boundary treatments and acoustic mitigation measures to improve aesthetics and to ensure the scheme does not adversely impact people going forward.” Sarah Taitt, Property Director at Wickes said: “We are looking forward to opening our doors in Long Eaton in the coming months. We have been involved in the creation of the site from inception to completion which has meant that we could develop a location that perfectly suited our needs, and we are delighted with our new store at Stadium Retail Park.’’ Lidl GB’s Regional Head of Property, Dominic Bryan, commented: ‘’There’s been much anticipation for this new Lidl store and its great that we are now able to enter the next stages of development. We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received so far and look forward to bringing our high quality and best value produce to the local community.” Clowes Developments is one of the UK’s largest and strongest privately-owned property investment and development organisations. Headquartered in Ednaston, Derbyshire, the company are experts in land acquisition and promotion, property development and asset management, with 18,000 consented residential plots and 3,000 acres of development pipeline across the UK. IMA is an award-winning firm of architects based in Blaby, Leicestershire. The firm has completed more than 200 projects nationally and is actively working on 75 large-scale projects across the UK, Ireland and further afield. IMA works across all sectors and with a range of FTSE 100 companies – such as Marks & Spencer – as well as other global brands. The company is a proud Community Partner of Leicester City Football Club and a sponsorship partner of both Leicester Tigers RFC and Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Marks & Spencer has announced a £30 million investment in its Scottish physical stores, with plans to introduce five new and expanded locations within the next 18 months. As part of this initiative, a £15 million injection is earmarked for Aberdeen Union Square, where the store’s footprint will nearly double. Representing one of the most substantial private sector investments in Aberdeen in recent years, the upgraded store will feature a market-style food hall, along with expanded clothing, home, and beauty departments. Set to open in spring 2025, this establishment will rank as the fourth-largest M&S store in Scotland. Rachel Rankine, M&S’s North East regional manager, expressed confidence in Aberdeen’s retail future, stating, “The scale of our investment is a vote of confidence in the future of retail in Aberdeen city centre, with a flagship store on the same scale as city centre stores in Birmingham and Liverpool.” In addition to the Aberdeen development, M&S will unveil a food hall in Linlithgow later this month and launch a full-line store in Dundee’s Gallagher Retail Park this summer. Furthermore, the retailer will make its debut in Largs with a new food hall scheduled to open in early 2025. This £30 million investment supplements the £32 million already invested in eleven Scottish stores over the past four years, which includes the introduction of new food halls in Paisley, Hamilton, and East Kilbride. The investment aligns with M&S’s goal to become the UK’s leading omnichannel retailer. The company aims to transition 247 existing stores into 180 higher quality, higher productivity full-line stores while also establishing over 100 food sites by the 2027/28 financial year. In addition to this current investment, M&S has inaugurated eleven new and revamped stores in Scotland over the past four years, including new food halls in Straiton (Edinburgh), Hamilton, Falkirk Central, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, and Paisley. This also involves renewals and expansions in Glasgow Silverburn, Edinburgh Gyle, Anniesland, Glasgow West End, and Bishopbriggs. Furthermore, two convenience stores recently opened in Glasgow Battlefield and Glasgow Queen Street. Earlier in the year, fellow retailer Aldi unveiled plans to invest £56 million in its Scottish portfolio, intending to open three new stores in 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Henry Boot Construction has completed work on Cambridge Street Collective this week, handing the building over to the food hall operator for the final fit-out. Cambridge Street Collective is a key development within Heart of the City – the transformative city centre regeneration scheme led by Sheffield City Council and their Strategic Development manager, Queensberry. The new venue is located between Cambridge Street and Wellington Street, sitting behind the distinctive Henry’s Corner and Bethel Sunday School. Once the fit-out work is completed, it will be run by Blend Family – the same company behind Sheffield’s acclaimed Cutlery Works – and feature a contemporary food hall, cookery school and rooftop bar. Construction of this unique development saw several historic building façades sensitively refurbished and seamlessly integrated into a contemporary new structure behind. The new build elements are finished with an eye-catching, orange-coloured weathering steel façade. Alongside the neighbouring Elshaw House development – also being delivered by Henry Boot Construction, the Cambridge Street Collective construction site was designated an ‘Ultra Site’ with the Considerate Constructors Scheme. This means it was recognised within the sector as a beacon of best practice, with everything from supply chain management to sustainability performance measured against the absolute highest standards. The site, which is one of only three Ultra Sites in Yorkshire, has also delivered significant social value impact for the local community in Sheffield. During the lifecycle of the scheme, Henry Boot welcomed seven groups of visitors from local education partners, delivered 17 work experience placements and teams across the site hired six apprentices. Tony Shaw, Managing Director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “Cambridge Street Collective has been an incredible project to be involved with and I’m incredibly proud of the team for delivering such an important and complex development. “The final product is really striking, with an array of materials contrasting and complementing the restored original architecture. Inside is just as impressive and I look forward to seeing it become a thriving space for the city centre’s visitors to enjoy soon. “As always with our projects, we are proud of the social value that the scheme has generated, using the Ultra Site status as a driver throughout the build to achieve incredible things – strengthening our position as market leader in this field.” Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “It’s great to see the Cambridge Street Collective development reach practical completion. Henry Boot Construction has delivered a fantastic job, blending old with new and protecting the important heritage façade along Cambridge Street. “The venue, with the impressive food hall space at its core, will be a hugely exciting addition to the city centre and provide a major footfall boost. We can’t wait to see the internal fit out coming together over the coming months. This is another fantastic example of Sheffield city centre on the up.” Andrew Davison, Project Director at Queensberry, added: “The venue is looking stunning and has delivered a high quality, truly original piece of architecture for Sheffield. Once it opens to the public, we have no doubt it will become the leading social hub in the city centre, driving a critical mass of footfall to this area of town – further supporting surrounding businesses, encouraging new ones to open, and acting as a catalyst for further development.” In addition to Cambridge Street Collective, Henry Boot Construction has also delivered several other Heart of the City developments, including Pound’s Park, Kangaroo Works, Elshaw House and Bethel Chapel. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Knight Property Group appoints Clark Contracts as main contractor on the 25,000 sq ft development Works have started on a brand new £10 million Aberdeen store for national improvements giant Wickes. Knight Property Group has commenced on site with the construction of the store, to be based at Phase 3 of Kingshill Park, at Westhill in Aberdeen. Planning consent was granted on the three-acre site by Aberdeenshire Council in March this year. When complete, the new store will bring around 25 new jobs to the local economy and will see Wickes make a welcome return to the Granite City. Knight has agreed a 20-year lease with Wickes and has appointed Clark Contracts as the main contractor to deliver the 25,000 sq ft bespoke store, which will also include 79 parking spaces and an outdoor projects centre for landscape and garden projects to the rear of the store. The construction process will take around six months, with completion scheduled for Q2 2024. The new building has a steel frame design to a high specification and will be constructed of high-performance composite wall and roof cladding. All internal fit-out will be handled directly by Wickes. Sarah Taitt, Property Director of Wickes said: “We were keen to establish a presence in Aberdeen once more. With work now in progress, we are excited to watch the construction process take shape and look forward to opening next year. This will not only offer a wider range of options for consumers but also generate new employment opportunities for the local community.” Howard Crawshaw, Managing Director of Knight Property Group added: “The new Wickes store will be a welcome addition to the local area. The building has been designed to meet the tenant’s specification and sits well with our other surrounding properties and complements the other amenities available at Westhill. It will be an excellent destination for both staff and customers. “We’re delighted to collaborate once more with Clark Contracts, known for their consistent delivery of high-quality work, and we’re eagerly anticipating the development of this new store taking shape in the upcoming year.” Michael Scanlan, Director of Clark Contracts added: “We are excited to be involved in this project to bring a new Wickes store to Aberdeen. We have a strong relationship with Knight Property Group, having worked on a number of similar developments for them and delivering a high-quality end product, and are looking forward to working with them again.” Wickes welcomed its first customers 50 years ago and is one of the UK’s fastest growing home improvement retailers. Its initial site at Whitefield, Manchester opened in 1972. The business is one of the UK’s leading DIY chains and builders’ merchant and now operates more than 230 stores throughout the UK, with existing Scottish sites in Dumfries, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling. Wickes will join other big names in the business park including Starbucks, McDonalds, Screwfix and Toolstation. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Screwfix is targeting 60 new store openings by the end of the financial year in the UK and Ireland, despite its parent company Kingfisher lowering its profit guidance for the 2023/24 financial year. The DIY retailer opened 12 new stores in the first six months of the year in the UK and Ireland, and is also eyeing further expansion into Europe. Kingfisher had also revealed that B&Q has expanded its trade-focused banner, TradePoint. The retailer opened 18 new counters in the first half of the year, extending its presence within B&Q’s estate to 207, over two-thirds of stores. This comes despite Kingfisher lowering its pre-tax profit guidance for the year from a previous estimation of £634m to £590m. During the first half of 2023, the group’s statutory pre-tax profit fell by 33.1% to £317 million. Despite an increase in like-for-like (LFL) sales in the UK and Ireland of 1.7%, the group saw poorer European performance in France and Poland, where LFL sales fell by 3.8% and 10.9% respectively. The group’s total sales increased by 1.1% to £6.88bn. Thierry Garnier, chief executive officer, said: “Our LFL sales in H1 were slightly ahead of expectations, against a backdrop of unseasonal weather and ongoing macroeconomic challenges in our markets. We saw good growth in our UK banners, with Screwfix gaining significant market share.” “Trading in the UK & Ireland continues to have positive momentum. However, to better reflect our performance in H1 and the trading environment in our markets, we have updated our profit guidance for this year and are proactively managing our operating costs accordingly. We remain very positive on the medium-to-long term outlook for home improvement growth in our markets, and confident in our ability to grow market share and deliver on our medium-term financial objectives”, he added. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Lidl has become the latest retailer to set its sights on vacant Wilko stores, as the grocer looks to open 1,100 shops by the end of 2025. Lidl boss Ryan McDonnell told Retail Week that the retailer’s property team is in very close contact with Wilko’s administrator PwC. He said that while no deals with PwC were finalised, Lidl was “certainly always interested” in properties that meet its requirements. The retailer, which current operates over 960 stores in the UK, opened 50 supermarkets in the year to 28 February 2023, more than any of its rivals. This heavy investment, combined with a commitment to lower prices, meant the retailer posted a £76m loss during the same period. Wilko fell into administration in August after a difficult post-Pandemic period saw lower footfalls and a decline in consumer spending due to the cost-of-living crisis. At the time, it employed over 12,500 members of staff. A deal was agreed recently which sees rival retailer The Range has take control of Wilko’s brand, however its stores are still set to close. This came after Pepco announced an agreement to take on the leases of up to 71 Wilko stores to convert to its Poundland brand. Rival chain B&M had also acquired over 50 stores from Wilko in a £13m deal, although did not specify which ones. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
