retail
The Retail Trust and law firm Foot Anstey LLP have partnered to launch a new certification to protect retail workers at risk of abuse and harassment. The Retailers Against Harassment Certification requires employers to work with both companies to review the measures they have in place to protect workers and address cases of harassment. Foot Anstey head of retail and consumer Nathan Peacey said: “Responsible retailers are already aware of the problem and are working hard to address it, and this certification is an opportunity to gauge the efficacy of their actions and show their teams they are taking this issue seriously.”
Leisure
SushiDog has planned further expansion in London, hoping to extend its estate beyond the capital and overseas. The quick-service brand, which offers large sushi rolls, will open two new London locations, one in Soho in April and another in Bishopsgate in June. The group is set to confirm two further London locations in 2022 and three in 2023, eventually expanding outside of London and then the UK.
Japanese udon noodle group Marugame Udon plan to expand across the UK. Marugame, which operates 850 restaurants in Japan, is set to expand out of London, where it currently has sites on Liverpool Street, St. Christopher’s Place, in Canary Wharf and at The O2. The group’s UK managing director, Keith Bird, said: “We are absolutely not London-centric. We are on for Barnsley and beyond.”
PROPERTY
The lease forfeiture moratorium for commercial businesses has now expired and will be replaced by The Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022. The new law received Royal Assent last week and means that a legally binding arbitration process will be available for commercial landlords and tenants who have not yet come to an agreement. The law applies to commercial rent debt for businesses mandated to close, either fully or in part, from March 2020 until restrictions were lifted on their sector.
Grosvenor has created a new lease type allowing occupiers to access new premises within days. The property developer and manager’s Simplified Lease “removes the need for legal negotiation on both sides reducing the time and costs involved in traditionally agreeing a lease.” Compared to the average three to six months it usually takes, the Simplified Lease only requires around 72 hours from lining up to signing. Joanna Lea, retail director at Grosvenor, said: “We knew the hoops they [occupiers] had to jump through to get up and running was a real concern. By taking a pragmatic and service-oriented approach, the Simplified Lease enables brands to set up shop quickly and more cost-effectively.”
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