WH Smith is set to open more stores in airports and train stations, demonstrating confidence in a return to commuting and international travel. The stationery and travel retailer is particularly considering sites left vacant by Dixons Carphone, who recently closed their 35 travel shops. Chief executive Carl Cowling, who was also Dixons Travel’s managing director until 2011, said that the abolition of duty free in the UK had not affected WH Smith as much as it had Dixons. He added that WH Smith’s acquisition of tech retailer InMotion made the company “able to step in to give an alternative” and offer electrical goods to travellers.
London’s luxury retailers are looking to entice customers back to stores after lockdown with enhanced customer experiences. Cadogan Estates, the landlord to several of Chelsea’s luxury stores, is working with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to add 900 alfresco dining seats. Retailers including Gucci are offering perks such as champagne on arrival, one-to-one appointment slots and virtual and in-person styling, and French restaurant Colbert has set up an area for customers to play pétanque. Chief executive of Cadogan, Hugh Seaborn, said in a statement: “Average transaction values are higher than normal for the domestic market and we are seeing less ‘mission shopping’ – as seen after the first lockdown. By contrast, people are taking the time to enjoy the experience of shopping again and are rewarding themselves after an extraordinary year.”
Asda will begin selling secondhand clothes in 50 of its UK stores. Following a successful trial in Leeds, the retailer has partnered with wholesaler Preloved Vintage Kilo as part of its ‘George for Good’ campaign, which looks to reduce textile waste. Mel Wilson, senior director of sustainable sourcing and quality at George, said: “This is an exciting partnership for George, it’s unique in that not only can our customers pick out some vintage and often designer garments at an affordable price, but they’re also helping to reduce waste by giving these items a second lease of life, which is something we are proud to be a part of.”
Waitrose has partnered with Hotel Chocolat in a first for the supermarket. Dedicated Hotel Chocolat bays and gondolas will be set up in 27 Waitrose stores, with plans to roll out to more locations: the first time Waitrose has made a deal of this nature with a third-party business. A selection of 20 of the chocolatier’s best-sellers will appear online and in-store. The deal comes as an extension of Hotel Chocolat’s 12-year relationship with the John Lewis Partnership, who have previously stocked Hotel Chocolat products in the department store’s gifting section.
Harrods has opened a second location for its standalone beauty concept at Milton Keynes’ Centre:MK shopping centre. The new 29,000sq ft H Beauty store is larger than the first site that opened at Intu Lakeside last September, stocking beauty brands such as Anastasia Beverly Hills, La Mer and Dolce and Gabbana Beauty. Annalise Fard, beauty director at Harrods, said: “The latest H Beauty opening in Milton Keynes marks another significant addition to the UK’s beauty retail landscape and I am absolutely delighted to be creating an exciting new destination for our beauty community.”
As non-essential retail reopens in Northern Ireland, local councils have extended Sunday opening hours for small retailers. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council have allowed smaller retailers to trade from 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays, giving them three extra trading hours. They have rejected requests for extended trading hours from larger retailers. Chief executive of Retail NI, Glyn Roberts, said: "People have turned out and more importantly they have turned out to support independent retailers in a big, big way. I think the messaging we have put across to get them out and supporting their local traders has been heard loud and clear."
Managed pub groups had a solid start to trading as lockdown measures began to lift. Figures from the Coffer CGA Business Tracker showed that like-for-like sales in the first week of reopening were down 24% on the same period in 2019, but this was despite pubs being limited to outdoor trading. Karl Chessell, business unit director- hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA, said that while sales were down on what would be expected in a normal April, “total sales will be far off pre-pandemic levels for some time to come, and businesses will need support from local and central government as they embark on the long road to recovery.”
Prospect Pubs & Bars has announced four new sites and further plans for expansion. New locations include The Blue Ball in Walton-on-the-Hill, which is currently undergoing a £250,000 makeover including heated thatched huts and a Covid-safe restaurant and bar. Prospect Pubs & Bars owners Dan Shotton and Mark Draper said in a statement: “We’re also delighted to say that we’re back on track in terms of Prospect’s expansion plans, with three other sites already acquired for opening this year and future plans to acquire five to seven sites per year from 2022 onwards.”
Byron owner Famously Proper has acquired Mother Clucker. The fried chicken brand’s recipe and identity will remain the same as locations expand beyond the existing locations in Clerkenwell, Stansted Airport and various street food pitches in London. Mother Clucker co-founder, Ross Curnow, said: “The most important thing to us was that the community we created, both of regular fans and internal team, was valued and FPL is committed to doing just that. It’s a perfect partnership in our eyes and we’re excited for the next chapter.”
Jollibee has announced plans to open six new UK sites this year. The Filipino fast food chain, which has a strong presence in Asia and the US, already has three UK sites, in London, Liverpool and Leicester. The next opening, a flagship in Leicester Square set to open this month, forms the start of Jollibee’s plan to establish a site in every major UK city. New sites have been confirmed for Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham, Cardiff and Reading. Last year, Jollibee announced plans to open 50 restaurants across the UK in the next three to five years.
A beer hall is coming to Camden Town Brewery after a refurbishment of its original bar. Camden Beer Hall will have double the seating capacity of the former site and plenty of space outdoors. Chef Theo Randall, who runs restaurants in Mayfair and abroad, will create a menu of Italian- and Bavarian-inspired dishes and platters to be served alongside the brewery’s selection of beers. Camden Town Brewery founder Jasper Cuppaidge said: “It will be the best beer experience in the city and we can’t wait for beer lovers to see what we’ve been up to when we fling open the doors.”
Topshop’s Oxford Street flagship is on sale. The retailer’s 214 Oxford Street store, situated in a Grade II- listed building it shared with Nike’s London flagship, is on sale for £420m. A portion of the funds from the sale has been allocated to parent company Arcadia’s pension scheme, after it went into administration last November.
A former Debenhams site in Ipswich has been sold to The Unex Group, who are “exploring possibilities” for its use. Chief executive of the Ipswich Central BID, Paul Clement, said: "It's good news that it's been bought by a private investment company, they haven't borrowed loads of money against this, they've got some form in Ipswich and they've got their own plans for the building.” The Unex Group previously bought a former department store in the area, which they converted into offices.
International real estate firm Hines has secured planning consent from Westminster City Council for a mixed-use retail and office scheme in London’s West End. Hines plans to reconfigure the currently residential building situated astride New Bond Street and Oxford Street, with retail space on the lower floors and office space above. Hines UK director, Jake Walsh, said: “With the eagerly anticipated adjacent Hanover Square Development completing later this year and the delivery of Crossrail on the way, this location is positioned to capitalize well on localized trends, and will be a unique shop window for any global brand in an unparalleled location.”
Chef Lloyd Morse has teamed up with general manager James Snowdon to open the Palmerston restaurant in Edinburgh; James Sommerin has announced the opening of his new restaurant, Home, in Penarth; Chef Chet Sharma is to open his first site in Mayfair, a contemporary Indian restaurant called BiBi: Lebanese flatbread concept Manakish & Naanza is to open its first site on Neal Street in Covent Garden; Carlo Scotto is to open new restaurant Amethyst in Mayfair; Chef Imad Alarnab will open his first permanent restaurant, Syrian Kitchen, in Soho this month; Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh will open their second branch of Burmese restaurant Lahpet in Covent Garden.