Intu Properties Plc (LON:INTU), today released leasing update.
Mazda, Shortlist Media, Monki, Oliver Bonas and Typo are among some of the latest brands to sign new leases with intu which owns and manages some of the best shopping centres in the strongest locations in the UK and Spain.
Highlights from intu’s latest leasing snapshot, covering the period from August 2018, include new openings for Debenhams, anchoring the £180 million intu Watford extension and featuring the department store’s first Beauty Hall of the Future concept, with 24 new brands and two great dining options.
Selected leasing highlights from the period:
· High quality retailers choose intu centres to open new stores
o Swedish fashion retailer Monki, part of the H&M Group, will launch its latest store at intu Eldon Square in November taking 3,700 sq ft of space
o Oliver Bonas signed up for a 2,000 sq ft store at intu Chapelfield in September
o Debenhams launched its new concept store at intu Watford in September, the first to open as part of intu Watford’s £180 million development
o Australian stationery and gifting retailer Typo is opening at three intu centres including 1,250 sq ft at intu Watford’s new extension, which opened in September
o Abercrombie & Fitch opened its eagerly awaited brand new 5,554 sq ft store at intu Trafford Centre in September, the first of the brand’s eight new prototype stores to be launched in Europe
· The trend of successful retailers upsizing to create flagship stores continues
o Next opened one of its biggest stores in the UK at intu Merry Hill, in August. At 55,000 sq ft it is nearly double the size of its previous store at the centre
o Primark will also open an extended new store at intu Merry Hill this year by expanding into a former BHS to create 70 per cent more space
· intu further increases the leisure and experiential offering at its centres
o Partnership with Mazda to bring virtual driving experiences to five intu centres
o Stylist Live, hosted by a number of lifestyle, fashion and beauty brands, with talks from a number of influencers, experts and celebrities, came to intu Trafford Centre this month, attracting tens of thousands of visitors
o meetspace VR is launching Zero Latency, the global leader in free-roam, multiplayer virtual reality (VR) gaming, with the first site in the UK at intu Victoria Centre in Nottingham in October
o InmotionVR, another VR Offering, is set to roll out its content creation, motion platforms and proprietary content management at four intu centres
o Rock Up, the popular climbing and adventure centre, opened at intu Watford in September with 8,450 sq ft of double height space
David Fischel, intu chief executive, commented: “Despite wider industry challenges, exciting, innovative brands are choosing our prime locations which offer a compelling mix of retail, leisure and experience, and deliver reliably high footfall. This demand shows just how important winning destinations like ours are to customers and brands alike; where customers come for not only the very best choice of shops and brands under one roof, but also that all-important shopping day-out experience.
“The highly successful opening of Debenhams at our brand new intu Watford extension is a great example of how landlords can collaborate closely with retailers to help them deliver the very best destination stores that create value for their both their business and customers.”
