Results

Making sense of the latest trends in property and economics from around the globe

Barking & Dagenham is the only borough in the capital to claim access to a freeport zone – a specially designated economic area where normal tax and customs rules do not apply.

Dashed hopes? Who would have thought it? The dawn of a new decade, the collective hope and optimism of humanity all promised to usher in a prosperous period - the 2020s, a golden age for our collective civilisation. 

As we approach the end of a tumultuous year, news of the vaccine roll-out is boosting market sentiment, but in parallel, the world continues to grapple with rising COVID-19 infections and fatalities.

Preliminary figures show take up of industrial and logistics units (over 50,000 sq ft ) totalled a record 30.8 million sq ft in H1 2021, double that recorded in H1 2020. Retailers and distribution firms (including 3PLs) have dominated take up so far this year, collectively accounting for 76%of space taken (in units over 50,000 sq ft).

“Retail repurposing” is currently a buzz topic across the real estate market. But question marks remain as to whether the volume of narrative is commensurate with the level of actual activity. Stephen Springham, Knight Frank’s Head of Retail Research, discusses the potential of retail floorspace being converted to office use, particularly within the M25 and wider south east region.

This week’s Retail Note references Knight Frank’s Quarterly Retail Monitor, which looks back on a tumultuous Q3 economically, socially and politically, but during which many of the retail metrics remained surprisingly resilient.

Markets dip as cases rise, the resilience of UK jobs and new UK climate targets pin hopes on green homes