Alan Pearson, Associate Partner at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, is delighted to announce three further lettings within the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre, which follows hot on the heels of the recent openings of Yours, Dazzle Perfume & Cosmetics and Poundworld.

The hat trick of deals include a letting to Henleys, the popular streetwear retailer which currently trade from 15 stores across the UK, with further stores planned as part of their onward expansion.  Henleys have taken SU243, located on the first floor fashion mall.  This builds further on the growing streetwear fashion mall which includes brands such as Duck & Cover, Ark, Superdry, Republic, Bank and JD.  The unit comprises of approximately 1,769ft² and has been let on a new 10 year lease.

Expanding ladies jewellery and accessories, Love Forever, have taken Unit SU136a on the ground floor of the centre, taking their fifth unit.  Love Forever are an established north east retailer with stores in Newcastle, York, Middlesborough and Darlington.  Love Forever specialise in crystal jewellery, handbags, purses and accessories.  The unit comprises approximately 1,394ft² and has been let on a new 10 year lease.

Fashion retailer, FM Boutique, have continued their expansion with the acquisition of the former Adams unit, SU140 located on the ground floor opposite W H Smith.  The unit comprises of 2,922ft² and has been let on a new lease.  This is FM Boutique’s 7^th store, the first in the Midlands, and follows recent openings in Manchester Arndale Centre, Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock and Bluewater.

Alan Pearson of FHP commented:-

“We are delighted to secure this hat trick of new lettings on the run up to the busy Christmas trading period.  We anticipate we will be able to announce further lettings shortly which will mean the Centre will be 99% let for Christmas, which is extremely positive given the impact the recession had on the retail sector.  The three new additions provide an improved mix for shoppers in Westfield Derby.”

For further information on retail opportunities in Westfield Derby, please contact Alan Pearson on 07876 396005 or email alan@fhp.co.uk

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor and Central Retail are the joint letting agents for Westfield Derby.

Alan Pearson, Associate Partner of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, is delighted to announce the letting of 8-9 Sadler Gate to Scraggy & Finch.  Scraggy & Finch is an exciting new accessories retailer which has been set up by James Lilliman, a local entrepreneur and this is his first venture following more than a decade in food retail with Safeway, Morrisons and Tesco.

The premises have been let on an initial 6 months licence with an option to extend to a full lease upon expiry.  The premises comprise of 512ft² on the ground floor with the option to expand into the first floor in the future.  The premises have been let on an equivalent annual rent equating to £18,000 per annum exclusive.

James Lilliman of Scraggy & Finch commented:-

“I had looked at a number of opportunities in Nottingham and Derby and came to Sadler Gate about 9 months ago and thought there were too many empty properties.  Since this visit, I returned a couple of months ago and there had been a big change with more retailers moving in and the vacancy rate dropping.  The shop front of the premises are very important to me as I wanted it to have a traditional feel and I am very pleased with the unit.  The reaction to the shop from customers has been really positive so far and what we do makes for great gifts and stocking fillers.  The strong performance to date has been very good and we hope it continues through the Christmas period.”

Alan Pearson of FHP commented:-

“We are delighted to add another retailer to the eclectic mix on Sadler Gate and the addition of Scraggy & Finch certainly provides a quality alternative to those retailers located in the vicinity.  Our client has been very pro-active in their approach to accept an initial 6 month term and they have confidence that they will be able to convert this into a permanent letting, given the reports of positive trade results to date.”

For further information on recent opportunities in Derby, please contact Alan Pearson on 07876 396005 or email alan@fhp.co.uk 

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor are pleased to announce the letting of Unit 1 The Hollies, Eastwood on behalf of clients Ellison & Co to retailer Nothing Like Home. 

The unit which extends to 684ft² ground floor sales together with 89ft² ancillary accommodation has been let for a term of 3 years.  The shop occupies a prominent position fronting the open market square on Nottingham Road, retail court of Eastwood. 

John Brown, director of Nothing Like Home commented:-

“I am delighted to have opened a further shop in Eastwood and I look forward to giving customers in the area better value and variety with the products we sell.”

George Dunnicliff of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor who agreed the letting added:-

“It was particularly pleasing to secure a letting within a short marketing period.  Nothing Like Home have secured an excellent position located within the shopping core of Eastwood Town Centre and their service will complement surrounding business within the area. “

Pictured from left to right, George Dunnicliff of FHP and Mrs Brown of Nothing Like Home

For further details on this letting or to discuss your retail requirement further please contact George Dunnicliff at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor on 01332 343222.

Joint agents, Rumsey & Partners and Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, have completed a letting of a 10,000 sq ft retail unit at Queens Road, Beeston to T & J Morris t/a Home Bargains.

The unit, which benefits from some 49 car parking spaces, is adjacent to the Mecca Bingo Club which opened some 12 months ago.

Will Staniland of Rumsey & Partners said: “This is the final piece of the jigsaw for our clients who have refurbished the former Tradex and B & Q unit and secured 2 long term lettings to quality covenants.

David Hargreaves at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor added: “Home Bargains now trade from 220+ units around the country and will offer great value for money to the residents of Beeston and the western side of the City.”

The headline rent breaks back to £8.32/sq ft on a lease for 15 years.

The Project Managers, on behalf of the Fund that own the property, were Cranmer Investments of London.

Rumsey & Partners and Fisher Hargreaves Proctor acted throughout on behalf of Cranmer Investments.

Home Bargains were represented by their retained agent, Nigel Bennett of bennett real estate consultants of Liverpool

FHP have let 15 St Peters Gate to the upmarket home accessories retailer “The White Company”.

Ben Tebbutt, Partner at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“The White Company are another fantastic addition to Nottingham’s retail core and will be located on St Peters Gate close to Hugo Boss, Molton Brown and Fat Face.

The property was previously occupied by Freespirit and provides a ground floor sales area of 1,987ft² together with first floor sales of 1,930ft².”

Founded in 1994, The White Company specialises in supplying a wide range of stylist home accessories and clothing, principally in white.  The White Company now trade from in excess of 30 stores and have a turnover in excess of £80m.

Ben Tebbutt added:-

“The White Company have secured the premises on a new 10 year lease paying a rent of £140,000 per annum.”

Peter Leverett of Twenty Retail represented The White Company.

Cardzone Ltd t/a Paper Kisses celebrated the opening of their 30^th branch following the recent acquisition of 50 Castle Street, Hinckley.

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor represented Cardzone who secured a new 10 year lease at a rental of £23,500 per annum with a rent free incentive.

The premises occupy a prime location within pedestrianised Castle Street and contain ground floor sales of 1,173ft² together with first floor stock of 570ft².

Mark Bradley, who handled the negotiations, commented:-

“It is very pleasing to have been involved with Cardzone in reaching this milestone of 30 branches with the acquisition of Hinckley which followed quickly on the heels of the relocation in Mansfield to 42 Westgate.

On the back of this steady growth in numbers of branches, Cardzone have recently announced record turnover and profits for the last financial years accounts.  These provide a solid base from which to continue to grow the business and demonstrate to prospective landlords the covenant strength of the company.  The expansion programme continues as there are a further 6 units in solicitors hands scheduled to open for trade prior to Christmas.”

Derby agents Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have been successful in securing another letting in Sadler Gate to Lancaster & Thorpe Opticians who have taken a new 10 year lease of 14 Sadler Gate.

The premises comprise a ground floor only retail unit containing 1,112ft² sales area at a stepped rental averaging £20,000 per annum.

Mark Bradley of FHP who acted for the private landlord client commented:-

“It is most encouraging that Sadler Gate is now showing signs of improvement in terms of the number of lettings during the last few months which include Lou Lou’s Café, Circus Clothing, Scraggy & Finch, Café B at Sadler Gate Bar, UK SL Computers and BPM Records.

As more units become let and occupied with new shop fits and fascias, it encourages other retailers to consider Sadler Gate as a location with the support from the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District.

The general feel from walking along Sadler Gate now is that it is much busier than it was at the beginning of the year and the new entrants into the street have certainly helped to create a more vibrant environment, particularly with the external seating areas of the cafes and bars.”

Alan Pearson, Associate Partner of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor is delighted to announce a number of new lettings at the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre, which follows the recent store openings of Duck and Cover, Pandora, Select, Ditsch and MButterfly.

Recent deals include the letting to Dazzle Perfume and Cosmetics who have opened their second UK store, taking a new ten year lease, subject to five yearly rent reviews of SU134, located opposite Boots on the ground floor. The unit comprises of 1,184 ft² and occupies a prime position within the scheme. Dazzle have traded from the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster for a number of years and saw a gap in the Derby market for their unique product mix.
 

Yours, the plus size ladies wear retailer have taken their fourth unit in the East Midlands, acquiring the former Quiz clothing unit on 31 Albion Walk. The store comprises of 1,761 ft² sales plus ancillary storage and follows their opening in Nottingham two years ago. Yours currently trade from 38 stores, mainly located within East Anglia and are currently the largest independent plus size fashion retailer in the UK.

Poundworld have taken a prime unit on the north mall within the scheme, comprising of 6,258 ft² which is their second store in the city. The addition of Poundworld to the North mall will act as a footfall driver given the demand for their product, particularly in the current economic climate. Poundworld have taken a new ten year lease, subject to five yearly rent reviews.

Alan Pearson of FHP commented‘There has been significant interest shown in Westfield Derby since the turn of the year as consumer confidence increased and the country came out of recession. This has led to eight lettings being concluded to date with a number of major national retailers. A good level of interest has been shown in the remaining units, which we are delighted to have placed most under offer, with further openings scheduled for Christmas 2010 trade.’

For further information on retail opportunities in Westfield Derby please contact Alan Pearson 07876 396 005, alan@fhp.co.uk.

Award winning property agents, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor acting on behalf of Clowes Developments, are delighted to confirm the letting of 5-6 Strand Arcade, Derby to Lou Lou’s.

The retail café extends to 1,274ft² has been let by way of a new 5 year lease. The shop unit occupies a prominent position on the corner of Strand Arcade and Sadler Gate.

Lou Lou’s owners Louise and Simon Misiewicz have masterminded the locations metamorphosis into a chic environment for those wishing to partake in the café culture, enjoy a great coffee, delicious food or simply indulge in a continental pastry or slice of sumptuous cake.  All this and a beauty spa to boot!

Louise Misiewicz of Lou Lou’s commented:-

“We had been searching for a location to be the home of our flagship café in the East Midlands and it was essential to pick carefully in order to create the right canvas for our brand and Derby Cathedral Quarter was it.

Location really is everything and the Cathedral Quarter provides us with superb access to the people we are sure will benefit from our great products and fantastic service. For us we realise this includes business people looking for a place to stop and unwind or grab and go as well as those shopping and seeking a sophisticated place to relax or meet up with friends and family.”

“The opportunity to link our offer with that of a superb spa, Heavenly B, residing on our upper floor was a great attraction for us to this property too”, highlights Simon.

“We are delighted to be here and look forward to developing our reputation as a great destination in the Cathedral Quarter”

George Dunnicliff of FHP, who agreed the letting and who are the Cathedral Quarter’s preferred agents, added:-

“It was particularly pleasing to secure a letting within such a short marketing period and the lease being completed within days of the old tenants moving out. Lou Lou’s have secured an excellent position located within the shopping core of the Cathedral Quarter and their service will compliment surrounding businesses within the area with further units currently under offer in the Cathedral Quarter we hope to report news of further lettings shortly.”

The Coffee Bar and Lounge was formally opened at the launch event by well known Local Historian and TV Personality Richard Felix.

Pictured from left to right, George Dunnicliff of FHP, Louise Misiewicz of Lou Lou’s and Richard Felix.

For further details on this letting or to discuss your retail requirement please contact George Dunnicliff at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor on 01332 343 222.

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have successfully let 44 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham to upmarket travel agents Kuoni.

The unit provides a ground floor sales area of 1,075ft² and has been let on a new 10 year lease at a rent of £100,000 per annum

Ben Tebbutt, Partner at FHP commented:-

“Kuoni specialise in upmarket travel and are a welcome addition to the high fashion Bridlesmith Gate district. Strong demand still exists for Bridlesmith Gate and the surrounding area however retailers are able to negotiate more attractive packages than they would have been able to do so 18 months ago.”

Kuoni employs over 7,500 staff in 300 offices around the world.  Kuoni UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuoni Travel Ltd in Switzerland.  They currently have 11 UK high street stores with a flagship unit located in Kensington, London.  The Nottingham store opens in July 2010 and will be a boutique style travel agent offering exclusive worldwide travel.

Ben Tebbutt added:-

“The property was let on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council Pension Fund with the Managing Fund being Aberdeen Asset Management based in Glasgow.  FHP manage the building which includes both Diesel and Flannels.”

Kuoni were advised by Cushman & Wakefield, Birmingham.

David Hargreaves of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, acting on behalf of ASDA, have completed the acquisition of approximately 7 acres from Heanor Haulage in Langley Mill.

The site was acquired off market on a subject to planning basis, now has consent for a store of 56,000 sq ft gross with 350 car parking spaces and a petrol filling station.  ASDA are hoping to start work on this store in the spring, with the store to open for trade prior to Christmas 2010.  The cost is likely to be in the region of £25 million and should employ 370 people. 

David Hargreaves, who introduced the site to ASDA, confirmed that in addition to the main store there will be 4 shops of 1,300 sq ft each developed as part of the main building, one of which will be occupied by a Post Office.  Architects for the project are WCEC of Chesterfield.

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor’s Derby and Nottingham Offices have been instructed by ASDA to commence marketing these units for retail or fast food purposes.   Again these retail units should be available for occupation for Christmas this year.

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have completed the letting of 21 Bridge Place, Worksop to Men’s Designer Clothing t/a Pride. 

The property has a ground floor accommodation of 510 ft² with 550 ft² of ancillary storage to the upper floors.

The letting consisted of a five year lease to Richard McHugh t/a Pride at a rent of £16,000 per annum.  The deal showed some secondary stock is movable in certain locations.  It equated to a headline Zone A rental of £39.62 which is very good for this particular location.

Chris Lunn of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“This is a very good letting for Bridge Place and I am sure they will trade well from the property.  I am delighted that we have achieved a good operator in quick time since being appointed joint agents in October”.

Richard McHugh, former Partner of one of Retford’s main designer clothing stores, Emporium, commented:-

“I thought it was time to move on and go into business solo after selling my half of Emporium.  I am very happy with the store and we are already looking to expand into ladies wear using the upper floor space”.

For further information regarding this deal or any other properties, please contact Chris Lunn of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor on 0115 841 1163.

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have agreed the letting of three retail units on Alfreton Road.  The properties are managed and let by Fisher Hargreaves Proctor on behalf Castle Cavendish.

The lettings included:- 

86 Alfreton Road

Let to Go Digit All, a charity that specialises in giving young black people skills in computers. The deal agreed was a five year lease and the tenant will pay a rent of £14.07 per ft² in year one, increasing to £20.93 in year three.  The rent is stepped from £6,000 in year one to £8,400 in year three.   

161 Alfreton Road

Let to Andy David who has opened a shop selling Caribbean clothing and memorabilia.  The deal agreed is for a five year lease at a rate of £13.64 per ft² and £2,400 for the three bed flat above. The total rent payable is £8,100 per annum exclusive. 

175 Alfreton Road

Let to HT Estate Agents on a five year lease at a Zone A rent of £19.82 before incentives. The tenant is paying a rent of £7,100.

Chris Lunn of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“I am very pleased with these three lettings as all were completed quickly and I think all the tenants will add to the mixture of tenants already on Alfreton Road.  These were the first deals I have completed at Fisher Hargreaves Proctor and I am sure they will not be the last.”

For further information regarding the remaining units available, please contact:-

Chris Lunn/0115 841 1163/chris@fhp.co.uk

Acting on behalf of Oakgate (Newark) Limited, Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has completed the letting of Unit 23 St Marks Place to Jonathan James on the basis of a new twelve month short form lease at a commencing rent of £25,000 per annum exclusive.  The former Shoes Express unit had been vacant for over twelve months and has cost the landlords a considerable sum in vacant rates liability.

The lease is subject to a rolling monthly landlord break clause which ensures that they retain sufficient flexibility to let the premises on better commercial terms should long term interest emerge during the period within which Jonathan James are in occupation.

In the meantime, it is also envisaged that if Jonathan James trade well they will make an offer to remain in the unit on a long term basis.

Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“Jonathan James are a popular and proven retailer within the East Midlands and they have tailored their offer within the Centre to provide a greater provision of clothing and footwear.  It has proved incredibly popular with the shoppers of St Marks and the store is extremely well presented.  All in all, we are delighted to have this key unit within the scheme occupied and contributing to the vitality of the centre.”

Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has acquired a unit at Trentham Gardens on behalf of Penmark Cards.

Penmark currently trade from fourteen sites across the Eastern-West Midlands and is regarded as one of the premier Hallmark and Thorntons franchisees within the UK.  The latest acquisition is a unit of approximately 1,120 ft² within Trentham Shopping Village which lies in the heart of the Trentham Estate.

The premises were already occupied by a Hallmark and Thornton franchisee who were experiencing trading difficulties across their portfolio.  Penmark had previously considered purchasing this business as a going concern some two years ago and were therefore well aware of the potential profitability.  However, despite their desire to secure the unit, the process was always going to be challenging as the incumbent tenants occupied under a five year lease outside The Act with approximately six months remaining.  Furthermore, their interest was not permitted to be assigned or sublet. 

In order to secure the site, FHP entered into bi lateral negotiations with both the landlord and the existing lessee and devised a structure for the deal which was acceptable to all parties.

Penmark have taken a new five year lease at a commencing rent of £22,380 or 12% of turnover and benefitted from a rent free period of two months.

A premium of £15,000 plus VAT was paid to the outgoing tenant as consideration for all their fixtures and fittings.

Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“When taking into account that Penmark previously considered purchasing the business from the outgoing tenant two years ago at a price of £100,000 I was delighted that we were able to secure the premises at such a competitive level.  The early indications from the first two weeks trading are that they are on track to grow the turnover of the unit by circa 30% which will make the store one of the most profitable in their portfolio.”

The completion of recent acquisitions in Leicester, Edinburgh, Hornsea and Matlock take the total number of acquisitions on behalf of Putting on the Glitz to fifteen over the last sixteen months.

The latest deals once again show the diversity of stores which FHP have acquired for Putting on the Glitz over the past sixteen months.  Indeed these four acquisitions include two prime shopping centres, one outlet centre and one tourist town.  The acquisition of the in line store at the St James Centre, Edinburgh will take Glitz to three outlets within the scheme of which these will be the largest and flagship.

Conversely, the acquisition at the Haymarket Centre, Leicester will be their first store within the city.  Leicester has been a location which we have monitored closely over the past year, awaiting the right opportunity.  I believe that the subject premises offer the perfect solution and will grow to be one of the strongest outlets in the group.  In both instances, they have committed to five year leases subject to tenant breaks after two years.

The proposition at Hornsea is slightly different with Glitz taking occupation initially under a six month licence agreement on a rates and service charge basis in order to trail a location and ascertain whether it warrants a permanent store.

FHP currently have two further units under offer on behalf of Putting on the Glitz and it is anticipated that we will complete on circa six more prior to November 2010.  Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“Putting on the Glitz are an entrepreneurial business which does not have a prescriptive requirements criteria.  They have assessed each opportunity and if they believe in the location, they will seek to secure the premises.  It is likely that the remaining acquisition slots for 2010 would primarily be focused on prime shopping centre locations such as Meadow Hall and the Arndale Centre as well as outlet villages across the UK.”

In an important letting for Middlegate, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have successfully completed the letting of the ex Officer’s Club unit at 38/40 Middlegate to Fat Face Limited.  The letting strengthens this part of Middlegate where there are now minimal voids and where Country Casuals have relocated to a new unit. 

The letting to Fat Face Limited was for a term of ten years on full repairing and insuring terms at a rental of £45,000 per annum exclusive subject to a five yearly rent review.  Steve Gillott of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor acted on behalf of the landlords, Retail Ventures Limited and Gareth Storer of MSBL Property acted for Fat Face Limited.

Acting on behalf of Betfred, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has negotiated a new lease of 22a East Street, Derby for a term of 10 years at a commencing rent of £50,000 per annum subject to incentives.

The ground floor only unit containing 1,310ft² occupies a prime location opposite the Crown Walk entrance to the Westfield Centre.

Mark Bradley, who acted for Betfred, commented:-

“This is the second unit which Betfred have opened in the city centre, with their other branch being at 15 Market Place which I also acquired for my clients in 2005.  The new unit on East Street occupies a busy location within the shopping core of the city and compliments the Market Place branch in terms of coverage of the city centre.”

Betfred boss Fred Done added:-

“I am delighted to be opening another shop in Derby and I look forward to giving punters in the area better value and a bit of fun as well.”

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have let 3 units within The Riverlights development in Derby to GT News Limited trading as SPAR Europa.

David Hargreaves commented: “We are delighted to have secured this letting to GT News who will trade as SPAR Europa.   This letting of 3 units totalling 5,060 sq ft at a rent of £105,000 per annum will provide the 12 million potential bus users with just about everything they need including newspapers, sandwiches, ready-made meals and hot and cold drinks ."

Fisher Hargreaves Proctor acted for the landlord, Derby Riverlights Limited, with Newbould Commercial Limited of Sheffield acting for GT News Limited.

A letting to Valley CIDS has been completed at Unit 1, 6-10 Albert Street, Derby, which is within the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District of the city centre, by Fisher Hargreaves Proctor acting on behalf of Aureus Property Ltd.

The unit which contains 962ft² ground floor sales together with 658ft² first floor ancillary accommodation was let for a term of 10 years at a commencing rent of £28,000 per annum subject to initial incentives and a tenant break option at the end of the fifth year.

Mark Bradley, who acted for the landlord, jointly with Savills of Leeds, commented:-

“It was particularly pleasing to secure a letting to Valley CIDS within a relatively short time of FHP being appointed as joint agents.  Our client’s block of retail units fronting Albert Street and Osnabruck Square is now fully let and other tenants include Brighthouse and Laura Ashley.  The unit will trade under the Lighthouse fascia retailing furniture and clothing for the charity organisation.”

Acting on behalf of Cardzone Ltd, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has negotiated a new lease of Unit 10 Sinfin Centre, Derby for a term of 10 years at a commencing rent of £17,500 per annum subject to rent free incentives. 

The unit which comprises 795ft² is located at the Asda supermarket site at Sinfin and trades as Paper Kisses.

Mark Bradley, who acted for Cardzone, commented:-

“The Sinfin Centre was identified as an ideal target location for my client’s business due to the high volume of footfall to the supermarket and the large catchment population of the adjoining residential area.  Further acquisitions adjacent to supermarket sites are under consideration as part of the ongoing expansion programme for Cardzone.”

Acting on behalf of a private landlord client, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has negotiated a new lease of 33 Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch to a Costa Coffee franchisee for a term of 15 years at a commencing rent of £35,000 per annum, subject to 5 yearly break options.

The property, which contains a ground floor sales area of 2,000ft² occupies a prime location within the town centre and was a former Woolworths outlet.

Mark Bradley of FHP, who acted for the private landlord client jointly with Adrian Argyle Chartered Surveyors of Burton upon Trent, commented:-

“This was a challenging disposal mainly due to the condition of the property and the requirement for A1/A3 planning consent, but after a lengthy period of detailed negotiations between both parties, I am delighted that the letting was successfully completed and Costa Coffee were able to secure a presence in Ashby.”

A new Orange mobile phone store will shortly open at 36-37 Pride Hill, Shrewsbury following negotiations by Fisher Hargreaves Proctor on behalf of a private investor landlord client to secure a new 10 year full repairing and insuring lease at a rental of £90,000 per annum. 

The unit which comprises ground floor sales of 1,882ft² occupies a prominent corner location at the junction of Pride Hill and Butchers Row and was previously occupied by Thomas Cook who relocated upon expiry of their lease.

Mark Bradley, who acted for the private landlord, commented:-

“I was originally involved in the lease renewal negotiations with Thomas Cook but they eventually decided to relocate to smaller premises on Pride Hill.  It was particularly pleasing to achieve the new letting to Orange within a relatively short timescale given the current market conditions and the number of other vacant units in the town centre.”

Award winning property agents, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, joint agents for the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre are delighted to announce two new openings.  Lettings have been concluded with Pandora who have taken corner unit SU190a Crown Walk which provides approximately 1,400 ft² and occupies a prime corner position on the ground floor of the scheme.  Pandora will provide a welcome addition to the scheme, further enhancing the existing jewellery offer which has traded well during the past twelve months despite the recession. 

Duck & Cover have signed for their second UK store following the opening of their flagship store at the Bullring Shopping Centre in October 2009.  The store is situated in the branded fashion south mall on the first floor and is due to open in July 2010.  The unit comprises of approximately 1,350 ft².  Duck & Cover build on the existing branded offer within the south mall following the deals concluded with Ark, Superdry and Bank in 2009, the latter two both being new entrants to Derby.

Alan Pearson, Associate Partner of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“There has been a flurry of activity in the retail market during the first half of 2010 with retailers buoyed by increased consumer confidence and improving sales, which has put retailers back on the acquisition trail after the mixed two years due to the downturn in the economy.  We are in negotiations with a number of retailers which are new entrants into the city which will further boost the retail offer and the attraction of Derby as a retail destination, which has significantly improved since the opening of Westfield Derby in October 2007.  This has seen Derby rise in the CACI retail rankings from 63 to 33.”

Should you wish to discuss your requirement and the availability within Westfield Derby, then please do not hesitate to contact Alan Pearson on 07876 396 005 or alan@fhp.co.uk.

Acting on behalf of private clients, Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have secured the letting of the premises at 70 Long Row (formerly occupied Gloria Jeans Coffee), to Surabi Limited on the basis of a new fifteen year lease.  The commencing rent agreed was £25,000 rising to £30,000 over the first five years of the term and the tenant was granted a rent free period of four months.

Steve Young of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor commented:-

“We were aware of Surabi’s requirement for a number of months and they had considered numerous opportunities within the City before setting their sights on premises at 70 Long Row.  I believe that this is an excellent location for their proposed use and they will add a further diversity to the impressive restaurant line up of Chapel Bar.”

He went on to say:-

“I believe that the property offers an ideal opportunity for a new restaurant venture due to its size, condition and occupational costs.  I am delighted that Surabi have been able to secure the premises and I wish them every success with their venture”.

Mr Sonaimuthu of Surabi commented:-

“The restaurant will trade as The Chennai South Indian Restaurant.

 The cuisine of South India is known for its light, low calorie appetizing dishes. The cuisine is famous for both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian dishes, and especially the mixing of rice and lentils to prepare wonderful, unique dosas, vadas, idlis and uttapams.

Our South Indian dishes are not just delicious, but also very easily digestible. Traditional Tamil cuisine recommends that you include all of these six tastes (sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent and astringent) in each main meal you eat. Each taste has a balancing ability and including some of each, provides nutrition, minimizes cravings, and balances the appetite and digestion. Even the visual appeal of the South Indian dishes is quite alluring. 

Our award winning Chefs have over twenty years experience and we want to celebrate South Indian Cookery in order to familiarize food lovers with long forgotten regional cuisines of India. These recipes will open the doors to the unexplored range of recipes that had been relegated to the archives. A lot of painstaking research has gone into collecting these recipes. We hope you can experience something new or relish a past memory of the most stimulating and tasty cuisine that we can devise.”

As part of the continuing expansion programme, Cardzone Ltd trading as Paper Kisses, have acquired a unit at 3 Paxtons Court Shopping Centre, Newark on a new 10 year effectively full repairing and insuring lease at a rental of £17,000 per annum, subject to an initial rent free period.

The premises occupy a prominent corner location directly opposite the entrance to Morrisons Supermarket and comprise a ground floor only lock up shop containing 668ft².

Mark Bradley of Fisher Hargreaves Proctor, who acted on behalf of Cardzone commented:-

“This unit was previously occupied as a card shop which recently closed and Cardzone seized the opportunity to acquire the unit from the landlord who was delighted to retain the same type of retail use to complement the existing tenant mix in the shopping centre.  The property has been completely refurbished including the installation of a new shop front which has considerably improved the external appearance of the unit and the mall generally.”

Cardzone now trade from 27 branches with a further 3 units in solicitors hands and are seeking to continue their expansion programme into 2010.