Two landmark court cases threaten to wipe out Company Voluntary Agreements for good. Mia Hunt outlines the significance of the Mourant vs Sixty SPA ruling

Hammerson chief executive David Atkins is leading a radical restructuring of the company, with a pledge to put occupiers’ interests at the heart of the business

Coverpoint’s managing director Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits a new start-up, Lunya at Liverpool One.

The Experian UK FootFall National Index for July 2010 saw a 4.2 per cent month-on-month uplift. Although such an increase had been anticipated due to the annual school summer breaks and summer sales, it was less marked than the month-on-month increase for the same time last year.

Clas Ohlson is to open stores in Chapelfield Norwich and St David's in Cardiff

The Overgate shopping centre in Dundee has announced sales growth for the 15^th consecutive month

Gavin McKechnie has been appointed by Network Rail as head of retail in the property division and will focus on the enhancement and expansion of the retail estate at some of Britain’s busiest stations, including King’s Cross, Waterloo and Birmingham New Street.

Bluewater has reported its sixth consecutive month of sales growth, following an increase of 4.2 per cent in July compared to the same time last year, out-performing BRC-KPMG figures which recorded a 2.6 per cent national increase.

Retail sales growth slowed dramatically in July according to the BRC/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor

Outdoor clothing specialist Trespass is planning a nationwide expansion which could see it open 100 new stores in the next two years.

Red Hot World Buffet, the East Midlands-based fast-casual dining concept, is to make its Yorkshire debut this summer at The Light, Leeds,

Luxury goods retailers have been found to be the most expansive in the whole retail sector, making up 23 per cent of new store openings during the past year, according to CB Richard Ellis.

Greggs the Bakers has secured a dozen properties across the North West as part of a major acquisition programme that will see it open 90 shops nationwide in 2010.

January rise in VAT will hit consumer confidence, warns JLL

The BRC/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor showed an improving picture in June 2010.

Coverpoint's Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits Taco Bell at Lakeside, Thurrock.

Life & Style, the new fashion and homewares brand that has risen from the ashes of Ethel Austin and Internacionale, has unveiled plans to double its portfolio up to 200 plus stores over the next few years.

The nature of shopping centre foodservice is changing, and thecentre:mk is the latest centre to upgrade its catering offer with Destination Dining, a new £10m restaurant quarter completing the centre’s refurbishment

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits The Real Greek at Westfield London

Building product and tool retailer Toolstation is growing fast with 24 deals in the pipeline.

Multi Development and Aviva Investors have signed four new restaurant brands at SouthGate Bath. Jimmy Spices, PizzaExpress, Caffe Nero, and Cake Café are all due to open over the coming months.

UK retail sales values rose 0.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis from May 2009, when sales had fallen 0.8 per cent. On a total basis, sales were up 3.0 per cent against a 0.8 per cent increase in May 2009.

Retail sales could suffer as a result of the football World Cup according to new research from King Sturge.

Charles Tyrwhitt, Britain’s biggest mail order shirt company, has unveiled plans to heighten its presence on the high street by opening as many as 50 stores across the country.

As the Apple iPad arrives in the UK, new figures from The Local Data Company show UK mobile phone shops are among the most acquisitive retail sectors. The number of stores grew 12.5 per cent over the past year.

Footfall rose 1.6 per cent in April compared with the same time last year, while May Bank Holiday saw a year-on-year rise of nearly 5 per cent.

The Tie Rack Retail Group has launched a new retail format in the UK with Kathy Van Zeeland bags making its UK debut at the he Whitgift shopping centre in Croydon.

The UK has maintained its position as the world’s most international retail market, according to CBRE. Attracting 58 per cent of all international retail brands surveyed, the UK is now closely followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where 54 per cent of international retailers are present.

Many of central London’s top retailers are mounting a campaign to relax Sunday trading laws to allow the Christmas Sales to start on Boxing Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.

Despite an increasingly competitive market, retailers are lagging far behind other sectors in offering enhancements or add-ons such as insurance or complimentary items.

Metro Bank, Britain’s first high street bank to be granted a full-service banking license in more than 150 years, has started putting together its branch network with four acquisitions in London.

Two months ago, Shopping Centre started a debate on relaxing the Sunday trading laws. Now many of central London’s top retailers are mounting a campaign to relax Sunday trading laws to allow the Christmas Sales to start on Boxing Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits Ed’s Easy Diner at London’s Euston Station

UK retail sales values rose 4.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis from March 2009, when sales had dropped 1.2 per cent. Good Friday and Easter Saturday fell in the March trading period this year but in last year fell in April, which boosted the year-on-year comparison. On a total basis, sales rose 6.6 per cent against only 0.6 per cent growth in March 2009.

Retail administrations are down 65 per cent year on year according to research by Deloitte.

The Experian FootFall UK National Index for March 2010 up until the end of Easter weekend revealed a year-on-year positive performance of 1.0 per cent and a modest month-on-month uplift of 0.1 per cent.

Central London retailers are mounting a campaign to relax Sunday trading laws to allow the Christmas Sales to start on Boxing Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.

2010 could be the best year of the cycle for current vendors of leisure assets to sell as a result of a wider than usual spectrum of buyers entering the market, according to the latest commercial leisure bulletin from Savills.

The 2010 Rating List came into effect at the beginning of April with new valuations for all business and non-domestic property in England, Scotland and Wales as determined by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and Assessor in Scotland.

As a string of property tax increases come into affect this month, experts in the retail industry warn that millions of UK jobs could be at risk.

Land Securities’ independent subsidiary Brand Empire has signed its fourth international brand for expansion into the UK market. Leading Israeli cosmetic company Laline will open its first full range store this summer.

Waitrose is to trial its new convenience store format in Cambridge, taking 3,000 sq ft at 6-8 Fitzroy Street, on a 15-year lease from Invista Real Estate Investment Management.

Next is on the acquisition trail again with a requirement for a dozen new Home stores in the current financial year.

Next unveiled an improved set of results with pre-tax profit up 18 per cent to £505m on turnover of £3.406bn in the 12 months to January 2010. And after a long period of decline like-for-like sales turned positive again with 0.5 per cent growth over the year.

Small shops will benefit from the Chancellor’s “welcome” reduction in business rates, but worries have surfaced over the lack of support for established retailers.

Sainsbury's is stepping up its growth plans and plans to increase its estate by 15 per cent over the next two years.

Last month, Trafford Centre operations director Gordon McKinnon stoked the fires of controversy over Sunday trading once again. Where does the debate stand now?

Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits Piazza by Anthony in the Corn Exchange, Leeds.

On the back of sharply increased turnover in the UK, Deichmann Shoes has announced plans to open ten UK stores in 2010, twice the number it opened in 2009.

Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at Manchester's Trafford Centre, questions the relevance of Sunday Trading laws when retailers need all the sales they can get.

Retailers are losing out on customer loyalty by using complicated and unclear returns policies for goods bought online.

Despite the spate of retailer administrations, the number of shop branches run by multiples in the UK continues to grow, according to new research from CBRE.

Coverpoint's Jonathan Doughty serves up his monthly shopping centre catering review. This month he visits Napoli in the new Eat Central at Westfield Merry Hill.

thecentre:mk’s new restaurant quarter, Destination Dining, is now fully let as Carluccio’s and Yo Sushi take the remaining 9,000 sq ft.

On the back of sharply increased turnover in the UK, Deichmann Shoes has announced plans to open 10 UK stores in 2010, twice the number it opened in 2009.

The number of pound shops on the UK’s high streets has almost doubled in the last 10 years, reflecting the broadening appeal of budget shopping, according to new research from Experian.

The global recession has barely dented the pace of growth at the sandwich franchise business Subway, according to head of real estate John Devine.

Land Securities, through its subsidiary Brand Empire, has struck a deal with the Spanish fashion giant Grupo Cortefiel to bring three of its core brands to the UK.

Domino's Pizza has increased its store openings target for 2010 to 55 per year after unveiling sharply increased profits.

The £995m purchase of Pets at Home by private equity investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is expected to lead to a new wave of store openings by the pet retailer.

An impending ‘oil crunch’ threatens the retail sector with rising costs of production and higher prices for consumers, according to an industry taskforce.

Discount clothing chain Ethel Austin and its sister firm Au Naturale went into administration today, putting over 3,700 jobs at risk.

Multi-brand fashion retailer Republic has announced plans to open a further 12 stores in 2010, including a strategic move into the Irish market, as part of a strategy to double turnover in the next three years.

Jonathan Doughty serves up his monthly shopping centre catering review. This month he visits Aiso at MyZeil in Frankfurt.

QS was once a Marks & Spencer manufacturer that sold surplus stock and seconds under the Quality Seconds fascia. But by the 1990s retailing had become its main activity with a nationwide portfolio trading from mainly secondary locations.

Blacks Leisure, the specialist retailer in outdoor clothing and equipment, has announced plans to expand despite recently shedding a number of loss-making stores.

Westfield’s £24m foodcourt development opened on 22 October at Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands. Eat Central boasts a range of national and international retailers including Nandos, Pizza Express and Napoli, and has created 200 permanent jobs in the area.

The Oracle in Reading celebrated its 10^th anniversary at the end of September 2009. In those 10 years, it has established itself and Reading as the regional shopping and leisure destination in the Thames Valley. Its design and configuration has enabled it to become the heart of Reading City Centre, with its linkage to Broad Street, and the clustering of substantial food and leisure on both sides of the River Kennet.

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre catering review. This month he visits Memsaab at Highcross Leicester

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre catering review. This month he visits Chaophraya at Liverpool One.

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre catering review. This month he visits Patisserie Valerie at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

Manchester’s Lowry outlet mall has reported an 8 per cent rise in footfall and a 7 per cent rise in like-for-like sales in the year to May 2009. Centre manager Robert Hallworth said: “The Lowry Outlet Mall has performed way above expectations for May. The success has been down to strong, targeted marketing to really drive footfall as well as adding another great brand – Bella Italia – to our offering.”

This month, Coverpoint's Jonathan Doughty visits the new St Pancras Grand brasserie at London’s St Pancras International station.

Coverpoint’s Jonathan Doughty serves up his regular shopping centre foodservice review. This month he visits the Meat & Wine Co at Westfield London.

For years Bristol city centre has languished behind other cities in the UK, but with the opening of Cabot Circus, The Bristol Alliance has, at a stroke, created a vibrant and compelling retail and foodservice heart to the city.

As ever we aim to bring you up to the minute news, and this month Food Feedback comes from Leicester. On 4 September 2008, Highcross opened and the Showcase Cinema De Lux also previewed its new offer to the city.

Whiteleys has seen numerous changes over the last 20 years, since the building opened as a shopping centre in 1989, not least the foodservice offer. The last year has seen the opening of Rowley Leigh's acclaimed Le Café Anglais at Level 2 of the centre, in addition to the existing offers including Yo! Sushi, Café Rouge, ASK and Bella Italia, all supporting, and supported by, the Odeon cinema.

Located in the heart of Essen, Germany, the first phase of the Limbecker Platz shopping centre opened its doors in March, providing over 100 retail and foodservice units in a three-storey covered mall. Phase 2 of the development, due for completion in autumn 2009, will see the number of stores doubled, and will take the GLA to over 70,000 sq m once fully open.

With success in Asia and the United States under its belt, Japanese-owned specialist bakery franchise Beard Papa is set to take the UK by storm.

With its stylish and sophisticated boulevard, acres of glazing, exposed brickwork and quality mix of retail and foodservice offers, thoughts of the Victoria Quarter, Leeds or Hays Galleria come to mind. It's only the departure signs for Paris Nord and Brussels that confirm that this is St Pancras International, the new multi-million pound home to Eurostar. And what a home it is!

Having started life on the high street, Giraffe decided a couple of years ago to bring its family-friendly restaurant concept to the shopping centre environment. But instead of replicating its high-street menu, the restaurant chain has enjoyed huge success with a menu designed specifically for fast-paced shopping centre clientele.

So it's fare thee well to all my loyal readers, Sid & Doris Bonkers.

For all the talk of hoody bans, young teenagers are an important demographic for shopping centres, not only because this is the age when they first shop on their own, and form preferences that can last a lifetime, but because they can influence where a family chooses to shop.

Spring signals the start of a pipeline of new shopping centres due to open in 2008. One of these, Eden in High Wycombe, is an 850,000-sq ft development encompassing the existing Octagon shopping centre, and is anchored by Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser. The Multiplex development, officially opened in March 2008, is not yet fully open, with some tenants still fitting out.

A decade ago the idea of going out to dinner at your local shopping centre would have been both unappetising and an impossibility, considering most centres offered a food court set-up which closed by 6pm.

Terminal 5 has only been open for two weeks and has received more publicity than either British Airways or BAA could have possibly imagined, sadly, none of it positive.

On a recent trip into Leeds, in between meetings, I was in need of something quick, healthy and most of all different, so I stopped by Bagel Nash in The Light. The Light is a leisure and fashion destination in Leeds city centre, and its foodservice combines national brands such as Browns, Nandos and Starbucks with local brands such as Brio, Maxi's and Bagel Nash. It is typical of modern developer thinking to incorporate a local flavour into the foodservice mix as a way of avoiding fascia fatigue.

Westfield has unveiled the first signings in what will ultimately be a collection of over 50 food operators within the £1.6bn Westfield London development which opens later this year.

Crest Nicholson Regeneration and Standard Life Investments have let two more units at The Atrium, their £130m mixed-use development in Camberley, Surrey.