44 . Glasgow Business August 2016
up with demand, even as new space is created. While many retail brands are very selective, they will still pay top dollar for a prime destination.” Ross believes Glasgow's
strength lies in its people's brand knowledge and the fact that it has always been a fashion conscious city. Equally, he detects that people are prepared to allocate a much greater proportion of their disposable income to fashion and lifestyle purchases. “With the wider Strathclyde conurbation having a population around the two million mark, Glasgow has always been a top regional destination in a Scotish context. In a UK context it remains stronger than places like Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, at least for the time being.” Retaining that strength, he
said, revolves around the city continuing to atract major international brands. He cited H&M's recent acquisition of a 65,000 sq ſt former Forever 21 store in the Buchanan quarter as one positive statement of intent, and the opening of Massimo Duti's first store
Glasgow city centre attracts a high volume of retail stores
outside of London as another encouraging development. Te city's enduring appeal to some of the world's largest brands has also seen make-up specialists Kiko open on Buchanan Street. Also important, he stressed, is
a city centre that provides a good, balanced offer. “Tere's a direct co-relation between retail performance and the leisure offer, which can help boost consumer spend, footfall and dwell time. “Glasgow's strong in that
regard – it has really seen a lot of restaurant openings in the last 12-18 months. Overall, there is a lot of activity and we are seeing some rental growth as a result.” City Property (Glasgow) LLP
operates one of the most significant commercial portfolios in the city. Andy Brooks, Head of Property, at the company noted the continued competition from international retailers to secure the best prime locations in Glasgow. He added: “Te main
challenge is to match this success in the more secondary and historic areas outwith prime High Street locations and provide visitors with a retail experience full of variety and diversity. “City Property has retail units
in some of the most culturally valuable parts of Glasgow, such as High Street, Merchant City and Saltmarket; each providing excellent locations for niche traders and artisan suppliers. It would be a welcome addition to
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