Landsec has secured three online brands for physical spaces at its Trinity Leeds shopping centre under its flexible leasing models.
Two pureplay brands have taken up a 2,200 sq ft Platform+ space – short-term “plug-and-play” locations with terms ranging from two days to three months.
They are slow-fashion brand Kiht Collective, which was launched online during the pandemic in 2020 with a collection of ethically-sourced, sustainable gym wear, and online shopping platform Nenya, which launched at the centre in November selling womenswear from Ukrainian designers.
Yana Smaglo, who left Kyiv for West Yorkshire when the fighting began, set up the online shopping platform with the aim of helping the Ukrainian economy and refugees.
Elsewhere, sneaker reseller Kick Game has opened its fourth UK store at the centre’s 2,000 sq ft Platform space, which provides locations requiring a quick fit-out, on three- to 18-month lease terms. The deal represents the retailer’s first location in the North of England. The footwear retailer was founded as an ecommerce company in 2013 before it expanded with its first store in Kensington High Street, W8, in 2019.
Landsec launched its Platform and Platform+ spaces earlier this year as part of a package of new leasing options for retail and hospitality brands. The spaces were created to cater to “rising demand” from digital natives of all sizes, as well as the evolving needs of traditional retailers.
Landsec head of brand account management Nik Porter said: “A growing number of digital natives, brands who used to operate solely online, are starting to make the move into physical retail. These types of brands add to the diverse mix of experiences on offer for guests and are key to driving innovation in the sector. They’ve often also built up a dedicated customer base and can draw people in from a wider catchment.
“Our Platform and Platform+ spaces give online only brands access to prime retail destinations, which would have been closed off to most smaller retailers in the past due to capex investment or the burden of a long-term lease.”
Findings published by Landsec in October showed that easy fit-outs, prime locations and flexibility were the top priorities for retail decisionmakers when choosing a physical space.
Around 70% said that market conditions demanded greater flexibility from landlords. The majority also agreed that shorter lease options and support with space fit-outs were key to building up a physical footprint.
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