Travelodge, the budget hotel chain, has revealed plans to open 20 new hotels in London over the next five years following the latest openings in Beckton and Dagenham. The 113-room and 78-room hotels opened at a cost of £22m. Funded by third party investors, the new sites represent an investment of £350m and create around 500 jobs. The latest openings take the Travelodge portfolio to 589 including 77 in London.
Broadgate’s 100 Liverpool Street has signed six new retailers and a gym leaving only two retail units left to lease in their 520,000 sq ft scheme. Retailers Tommy Hilfiger, Monica Vinader, L’Occitane, Dune London, Space NK and Reiss will join German gym operator JOHN REED who will open a two-floor 22,000 sq ft gym.
Asda is to become the first supermarket to open Greggs concessions having agreed a partnership that will initially see five stores in Boldon, Corby, Huyton, Wigan and Eastlands with the new food-on-the-go offering. Asda, who already work with Sushi Daily and Just East, believe it will give their customers something new that ‘we know they’ll love”.
Liverpool ONE has signed two new beauty brands: Penhaligon’s has opened a 500 sq ft store, the first in the region offering the perfume house’s range of scents, bath, body and candle collection; American skin care specialist Kiehl’s will also relaunch in a 500 sq ft store, both on Peter’s Lane.
Sainsbury’s has struck two new deals with Rockstar Spirits and Totally Wicked: Manchester-based Rockstar Spirits, who have a focus on premium spiced rum, will see their Captain Webb’s Two Swallows Citrus and Salted Caramel Spice Rum available across around 300 stores from next month; Blackburn-based Totally Wicked, the vaping specialist, has seen their e-liquids made available across more than 340 stores.
KPMG, administrators for Beales department stores has announced the remaining 11 stores are set to close after no 'deliverable' rescue offers were received. The stores are expected to stay open for around eight weeks while closing down sales take place.
Plant-based restaurant brand, Neat Burger, is planning to open five UK sites this year as well as expanding overseas. The brand that is backed by Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton, is said to have 'aggressive' growth plans for 2020 with a site already lined up in one of London’s Westfield shopping centres as well as working with Deliveroo to set up delivery-only dark kitchens, the first of which will launch in Battersea next month.
Legwear retailer SOCKSHOP continue to champion socks and have unveiled their first vending machine located at Stratford, London, making socks accessible whenever needed. Aldi increases their commitment to plastic bag reduction by increasing the cost of their ‘bags for life’ up from 9p to 15p to encourage reuse as well as replacing single-use produce bags to home-compostable alternatives. Co-op have confirmed they will roll out the successfully trialled same-day delivery service across 650 UK stores. Street food trader The Patate, famous for its beef bourguignon burger, is to open its first permanent restaurant in London this week. Primark has opened its first pop-up store in BoxPark Shoreditch to mark the launch of its new Wellness collection.