Here’s what the Property Consulting Group have been talking about this week…
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Welcome to CACI’s Property Consulting Group’s News Wrap Up Blog.
Keeping up to date with the latest news and emerging trends in the retail and leisure sector is key to supporting the project work we do with our clients. This means our team are constantly searching for relevant news stories, so we thought we’d share some of the best ones we have been talking about recently with you.
1. The five thriving categories of the high street; cake shops, bookshops, health clubs, ice cream parlours and vaping stores.
2. LabTech are to offer short term leases to entrepreneurs, independent retailers and artisans as part of the new leasing scheme in Hawley Wharf, North London
The scheme will offer potential store operators turnover rents to create flexibility and reduce risk for start-ups at the new retail and lifestyle development set to open in the autumn.
Hawley Wharf Camden is a 580,000 sq ft mixed-scheme destination that will deliver a unique Camden-style ecosystem for visitors and workers to enjoy
3. Carrefour and Medi-Market have partnered to bring health and wellness products as well as ‘para-pharmacies’ into several Hypermarkets
The multinational retailer is also using Blockchain technology by IBM to allow consumers to use their smartphone to access information about the production supply chain of a product and the ingredients used.
Read more about Carrefour and Medi-Market’s expansion plans
Read more about Blockchain technology
4. Shared living spaces and microflats are attracting investors across London as attractive income streams due to the efficient use of space
Millennials have been priced out of traditional buying in London, with smaller and shared living spaces fitting into their budgets.
Read more about millennial’s choice to opt out of buying
5. Retailer Lush have decided to say goodbye to their social media presence, after not wanting to ‘pay to appear in newsfeeds’
The firm, who has over 200,000 followers on Twitter and over 550,000 on Instagram, will close their social media accounts this week, whilst their North American channels will stay open.
Read more about the daring decision Lush have taken to remove themselves from social media
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ASOSAsos’ pre-tax profits fell by 87% for the six months to February the 28th, against the same period in 2018The fast fashion retailer made changes to the customer navigation on the website which impacted heavily on SEO rankings and with the launch of 200 versions of the site across the world had a negative effect on the search engine rankings. Read more about ASOS and their change in returns policy here |
6. Arket and Pretty Little Thing join other retailers pledging to reduce the amount of unwanted clothes going to landfill
The recycling app, ‘Regain’ which is already partnered with the likes of New Look, Oliver Bonas and Superdry, allows users to donate unwanted clothes to certain pick-up points.
Read more about the recycling schemes here
7. Shared ownership is becoming increasingly popular for young singles and couples who cannot afford to buy outright
The housing charity Peabody is helping to address the issue by launching new three-bedroom apartments in London’s largest dock, Canada Water.
Read more about the regenerated area of London that has a surprising amount of green space
8. Levi’s will be opening another 100 stores, mainly in China and Europe, and PETA buys shares in the retailer to push the company towards scrapping leather
Levi Strauss also launched into the US stock market last month after sales were up 7% in their first quarter.
Read more about Levi Strauss’ profitable first quarter
9. intu hires Cheryl Millington as an independent non-executive director, who will also be a member of the Remuneration, Audit and Nomination and Review committees
The recently appointed CEO, Matthew Roberts, wants to move away from owning a 100% stake in the shopping centres and instead, will look at owning smaller stakes in the centres already owned by intu.
10. In the unstoppable rise of veganism, Topshop have unveiled a 12-piece vegan shoe range ahead of Summer
The vegan range, which has been made alongside Topshop’s premium shoe line in Spain, has received the approval of PETA.
Read more about the new range here
11. The tech firm ‘Bossa Nova’ plans to bring robotic customer service to UK supermarkets
The robots will use artificial intelligence (AI) and high-tech sensors to drive a huge difference in store operations and customer service.
Read more about the robots that are already transforming the retail environment in the US
The introduction of intelligent technology into UK supermarkets couldn’t have come at a better time for both retailers and shoppers alike, with the industry trading amidst fluctuating financial and political times.
12. JD Sports are expected to report double-digit growth with talks of potential international expansion
It is predicted that the sportswear specialist could report annual revenue up 18%, to more than £4.5 billion and profit before tax of £349.2 million.
13. Following in Lidl’s footsteps, Aldi are trialling the first self-service checkouts in their Tamworth store, Staffordshire
This follows the launch of the first ‘inner city’ store, Aldi Local, which opened in Balham last month.
Read more about Aldi’s new system of automated tills
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Earth DayYou can’t easily escape the headlines on the negative impact that consumerism has on the environment. From plastic usage, to CO2 emissions, to wastage; it seems our addiction to consumption and the state of the environment are inextricably linked. In the run up to Earth Day, Monday 22nd April 2019, we explore how retailers are responding to consumers’ increased awareness of the environmental impact of their consumption habits, their changing expectations relating to this and thus, their demand for retailers to join them in their quest for sustainability. |
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