Sector Focus
Retail
Why the retail sector faces a very different Christmas
Mailbox: new lettings and partial conversion to office space
Mailbox secures two new lettings
The Mailbox has secured a number of new lettings, and has also agreed to turn over its first level from retail to office space. The six new lettings total 16,913
sq ft, and include four units on level two and two on Canalside. Midlands-based bakery and café
Medicine is opening a new restaurant at Mailbox, in addition to running the central deli within the centre’s Urban Room. Premium kitchen designers
Kitchen Gallery and Harvey Jones are moving from their existing locations to level two, to accommodate the office conversion on level one. Joining the Mailbox’s popular
food and beverage offer on level three is high-end Italian restaurant and bar, Lucarelli’s, who have signed a 15-year lease. Zizzi’s has also signed a new 10-
year lease for its existing restaurant, which includes an extensive outdoor seating area. The first level conversion to
office space is being achieved in partnership with IWG, formerly known as Regus, the serviced office operator. IWG has agreed a 10-year management contract under its Spaces office brand. The agreement will see Spaces
manage the entire 50,000 sq ft of level one of the Mailbox, which will be converted to office space, following receipt of planning permission in May 2020. Richard Croft, executive chairman of M7 Real Estate, owner of the Mailbox, said: “This collection of lettings reflects the ongoing momentum behind the implementation of our asset management strategy for the Mailbox, despite the challenging backdrop. “Once the market normalises
following the pandemic, they will provide amenities for our office tenants and, having secured the important agreement with Spaces, we are well on our way to realising the full potential of the Mailbox as a pre-eminent ‘Live Work Play’ destination building in Birmingham.”
As I write this, we are still in the throes of Lockdown 2.0. A lockdown that has felt very different to the first one. We’ve learnt more about the virus since the first lockdown and learnt how to keep business moving more effectively and start to live with it. As I drive into work in the morning, it is hard to acknowledge that we are even in a lockdown. The roads are gridlocked and most people are still going to work. A stark difference from April when I was just as likely to see a tumbleweed on my way into Solihull as I was another car.
‘A study into the so- called the halo effect has demonstrated that online retail with a physical store in the vicinity delivers more online sales than those without a physical store’
In the first lockdown, we had
just three essential stores trading from Touchwood and two restaurants offering delivery and takeaway with between 50-75 visitors per day. Now we have five essential stores trading, 14 stores offering click and collect services, 12 hospitality venues offering delivery and takeaway plus five stores staffed to fulfil online orders generating in excess of
Closer to home in Touchwood Retail Therapy
By Tony Elvin General Manager at Touchwood
5,000 visitors to the centre each day. It is clear that however hard
these businesses are finding it, they are constantly exploring ways to innovate and trade but in many cases it has been the smaller, leaner independent businesses that have been the first to adapt. Two local examples and two favourites of mine, Loki Wines and Hampton Manor, have dramatically transformed their businesses to adapt. Loki Wines recently hosted an
online wine tasting for 180 people, taking their wine to their guests who can’t attend their tasting rooms. They’ve even got the wheels turning on a new store during the pandemic. During both lockdowns
Hampton Manor transformed their business into a ‘dine at home’ meal preparation business, serving 300 Michelin star quality meal kits per week for guests to recreate at home.
we have found further evidence that it’s not simply a case of online retail OR physical stores. To the contrary, the most successful businesses have been able to do both seamlessly. A study into the so-called ‘the halo effect’ has demonstrated that online retail with a physical store in the vicinity delivers more online sales than those without a physical store. There are two key reasons for this, one being brand recognition and familiarity but secondly borne out of practicality; it is easier to return goods to a physical store than trying to post something back. No surprise then that we now have 14 different retailers remaining open within Touchwood to offer click and collect services during lockdown. Christmas will of course be
different this year, at Touchwood and perhaps unfortunately at home. We put our decorations up around the centre in mid- November, not knowing if anyone would ever see them. The grotto is in place but poor old Santa will likely be sitting behind a screen and guests can take a socially distanced selfie. We were adamant though that Christmas wouldn’t be cancelled like so many other things already this year. Whatever has been taken from
us, Christmas is still ours and we intend to claim 2021 too, even if we have to change and adapt to truly harness it.
For more information visit
www.touchwoodsolihull.co.uk
Crime fighters recover stolen goods
A new organisation set up to tackle business crime and create a more welcoming environment in Birmingham city centre has passed a significant milestone after recovering more than £250,000 in stolen from stores. Launched by Retail BID (business improvement
district) in February 2019, the CitySafe digital network now has more than 200 radios in operation and being used by BID members. They are connected by three BID- funded antennas and linked to West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council’s CCTV control rooms. Since February 2019, 2,211 incidents have been
resolved. This means that any detained person has either been store banned, or had some form of police involvement. In the week ending 16 October, 2020, £1,917 of goods were recovered, with 22 incidents recorded. The BID now has more than 1,000 live profiles on the system of people who have been apprehended and dealt with.
66 CHAMBERLINK December 2020/January 2021 Jonathan Cheetham, CitySafe lead for Retail BID,
said: “The great work continues, returning products to businesses at the rate of an average of
over £2,000 per week and deterring many times this amount week in and week out just highlights how important the work is for the city’s economy. “The businesses would have had to make an extra
£11,000 per week in sales to replace this stolen products’ profit and in these current times, this would be extremely difficult.” Steve Hewlett, Retail BID Manager, said: “The results
are testament to the tireless work of the Retail BID Patrol Officers and the excellent work of the store detectives and loss prevention officers throughout the retail area in the city centre. “There is a real togetherness now among the stores
and it is proving a great success in detecting and deterring shop crime at such a challenging time for the businesses.”
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