U K
B U S I N E S S
P A R K
home page


Retailing 2007
2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
Click here for further details

John Lewis is considering plans to expand its department store at Bluewater in Kent in 2008, with the creation of more than 100 new jobs. 31-Dec-2007 Home Delivery Network has announced plans to set up a permanent distribution centre at the former Peugeot site in Coventry, with the creation of a further 450 jobs. 28-Dec-2007 Phones 4u is to create up to 60 jobs at its Staffordshire-based head office over the next six months, as part of a strategy to expand its chain of 440 mobile phone stores. 28-Dec-2007 Floors 2 Go is planning to expand its chain of 137 flooring stores with 30 new outlets next year. 24-Dec-2007 Stead & Simpson, the footwear retailer with 350 stores, has put itself up for sale. 24-Dec-2007 Joules Clothing is to create 25 new jobs at the new headquarters for its outdoor clothing business in Market Harborough, and a further 25 jobs will be created next year with the expansion of its chain of 11 stores. 20-Dec-2007 Arrogant Cat is to invest £5m in the expansion of its chain of six fashion stores to 20 over the next two years. 18-Dec-2007 Culverwell has been appointed by Acorn Pet Centres to find suitable sites in Scotland for the expansion of its chain of 35 pet stores. 18-Dec-2007 Elvi, the chain of 28 fashion stores, has appointed BDO Stoy Hayward to advise on strategic options, which could lead to a sale or a search for new investors. 18-Dec-2007 Somerfield is planning to expand its chain of 900 supermarkets with 250 new stores over the next three years. 17-Dec-2007 Vistula of Poland is planning to open its first UK menswear store with a 1,000 sq ft outlet at Savile Row in London. 17-Dec-2007 Myla has appointed Cavendish to consider the strategic options for its lingerie business, which could lead to a £25m sale. 17-Dec-2007 TJ Morris is to invest £35m at its headquarters and distribution centre at the Axis Business Park in Liverpool, with the creation of up to 700 jobs, and its Home Bargains chain will grow from 150 to 350 stores over the next ten years. 13-Dec-2007 Anglesey County Council is to consider plans from Ynys Mon Estates for the development of a shopping and leisure complex at Ty Mawr, including a multiplex cinema, bowling and the creation of up to 1,300 jobs. 12-Dec-2007 Hotter Shoes has secured a £21m investment from Gresham Private Equity to fund the expansion of its Skelmersdale-based shoes business, including new plant and IT systems and the development of retail outlets and export markets. 12-Dec-2007 Co-operative Group has acquired seven Spar forecourt stores in Cleveland and North Yorkshire from QMP, taking its total forecourt chain to 85. 12-Dec-2007 Next is to create 40 jobs at a new homewares store at Middlebrook in Bolton early next year, as part of an ongoing expansion programme for the Next Home chain. 11-Dec-2007 Kirklees Council is to consider plans from National Grid Property for the development of a retail complex at a former gasworks site on Leeds Road, which could create about 250 jobs. 10-Dec-2007 Marks & Spencer is to provide an anchor store for the £200m 450,000 sq ft Friar's Walk shopping centre development in Newport, South Wales, by 2010. 10-Dec-2007 Fabric Warehouse is to close home furnishings stores in Wolverhampton and Brierley Hill, and a further seven of its 30 stores will close in other regions. 06-Dec-2007 Carluccio's is planning to expand its London-based chain of 32 restaurants and delicatessens with up to five new outlets over the next year. 05-Dec-2007 Jemella Group is to set up a new headquarters for its Ghd hair products business at Bridgewater Place in Leeds, with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 04-Dec-2007 Asda has submitted plans to Vale of the White Horse District Council to build a 450,000 sq ft distribution centre in Didcot, which could create up to 400 jobs. 03-Dec-2007 Iittala of Finland is considering plans to launch a chain of homewares stores in the UK, depending on the success of a new outlet on London's Regent Street. 03-Dec-2007 Build-a-Bear is planning to expand its chain of 48 toy shops with up to ten new outlets a year, and is seeking units of up to 2,500 sq ft in shopping centres and leisure sites. 03-Dec-2007 Marks & Spencer is said to be seeking a suitable site in Manchester for a new-build 120,000 sq ft office. 03-Dec-2007 Harper Dennis Hobbs has been appointed by Fast Retailing to find up to five suitable sites in London for Princesse Tam Tam lingerie stores. 28-Nov-2007 Abercrombie & Fitch is looking to open up to ten Hollister fashion stores in the UK over the next year, starting with a flagship in London. 28-Nov-2007 Bata of the Czech Republic is considering plans to re-enter the UK market with a chain of shoe shops. 28-Nov-2007 East has secured £4m to fund the expansion of its chain of 60 fashion stores and concessions. 28-Nov-2007 Pets at Home is planning to expand its chain of 209 pet stores with 20 new outlets a year, and 40 in-store vet centres will open next year. 28-Nov-2007 TK Maxx is planning to open five HomeSense home furnishings stores of up to 15,000 sq ft in the South East next year. 28-Nov-2007 Bestway is seeking a suitable site in the South East for a new £10m Batleys cash and carry outlet, and Brighton is thought to be a likely target. 28-Nov-2007 Starbucks is planning to expand its chain of coffee shops with at least 100 new outlets in the UK and Ireland next year, taking the total to 725. 21-Nov-2007 Center Parcs has awarded a contract to Nuance Group to manage the retail units at its four holiday villages, and new shops will be opened to sell clothing and accessories. 20-Nov-2007 Peacocks is planning to expand its chain of 500 discount clothing stores with 40 new outlets next year, and believes there is potential to reach 1,000. 19-Nov-2007 LittleMissMatched is planning to open a chain of up to 50 children's clothing stores in regional shopping centres across the country, following a successful trial in Bluewater. 19-Nov-2007 Skillsmart Retail is planning to expand the headcount at its London-based retail skills development business from 28 to 40. 19-Nov-2007 Deichmann Shoes of Germany is planning to expand its UK chain of shoe shops from 25 to 200 over the next five years. 19-Nov-2007 Lombok is looking to expand its chain of 17 furniture stores, and is seeking suitable sites in Manchester, Chester, Harrogate and Wilmslow. 19-Nov-2007 Morrisons is planning to set up a major fruit and vegetable packing and distribution centre at the former Gerber Foods site in Bridgwater, with the creation of up to 500 jobs. 16-Nov-2007 Morrisons is to set up an 80,000 sq ft store at the new £40m Openshaw shopping centre due to open in Manchester next summer. 14-Nov-2007 Heart of England Co-op has started a refurbishment programme for its 33 stores across Warwickshire and Leicestershire, having just invested £1m at a store in Coventry. 14-Nov-2007 Merepark and Capital & Counties are planning to invest £30m in the refurbishment of the Lewis's department store building in Liverpool, so that all nine floors will be used for retail and leisure. 12-Nov-2007 Rituals of the Netherlands is planning to open at least 15 cosmetics stores in the UK next year, as part of a strategy to develop a chain of up to 250 sites over the next ten years. 12-Nov-2007 Bonita of Germany is planning to develop a chain of up to 400 fashion stores in the UK, and is seeking 1,000 sq ft sites in high streets and market towns for an initial trial of ten outlets. 12-Nov-2007 Glasgow City Council has approved plans from Land Securities and Henderson Global Investors for the £100m expansion of the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre by 2011. 08-Nov-2007 The Festival Park shopping village in Ebbw Vale has been acquired by Chester Properties for £19m, and expansion plans will be unveiled over the next few weeks. 07-Nov-2007 Marks & Spencer is to invest up to £1.1bn in an expansion programme during each of the next two years, and is particularly interested in Ireland, China, India and continental Europe. 07-Nov-2007 Adili is planning to raise £1.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its Dorset-based online fashion retailing business. 05-Nov-2007 Radley has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to seek buyers for its handbags business, which could fetch up to £150m. 05-Nov-2007 Dreams is planning to double its chain of bed stores to more than 300 over the next five years, with 12 new outlets due to open over the next eight weeks. 05-Nov-2007 Austin Reed is planning to expand its chains of 92 Austin Reed and 217 CC fashion stores with a further 60 outlets over the next two years. 05-Nov-2007 Ed Hardy, the US denim brand, is seeking a suitable site to open its first store in London next spring, as part of a planned European expansion programme. 05-Nov-2007 Premier Kitchens & Bedrooms is planning to open a further five kitchen showroom outlets in the east of England, and the first will be in Wisbech. 01-Nov-2007 House of Fraser is to recruit 500 staff for a new department store due to open in Belfast next March. 31-Oct-2007 Baxters has won approval to set up a £1m food store at the former Selkirk Glass building in Selkirk, with the creation of 20 jobs, and a further four new stores are planned over the next two years. 30-Oct-2007 Co-operative Group is seeking a suitable site for a new 200,000 sq ft headquarters in Manchester, in order to relocate 3,000 staff from existing offices on Corporation Street. 30-Oct-2007 Morrisons is recruiting 200 staff for a new supermarket due to open at Giffnock in East Renfrewshire early next year. 29-Oct-2007 Eatonfield Group is planning a £100m development on an 87-acre site in Workington, including a retail outlet village and 300 homes. 29-Oct-2007 LK Bennett is seeking a buyer for its chain of 74 fashion stores, having appointed Rothschild to conduct a strategic review. 29-Oct-2007 Poundland is planning to expand its chain of 157 discount stores to at least 232 by 2010. 29-Oct-2007 Comptoir des Cotonniers of France is planning to open a further 30 fashion stores across the UK by 2010, to add to its existing nine outlets in London. 29-Oct-2007 Natuzzi is planning to open a further ten luxury furniture stores in the London area over the next five years, and is also looking to open more concessions in department stores. 29-Oct-2007 B&Q is looking to recruit 80 staff for a new 45,000 sq ft DIY store due to open in King's Lynn in March. 26-Oct-2007 Coffee Republic has appointed retail agent Leslie Furness to find suitable sites to open 50 new coffee outlets a year. 25-Oct-2007 Wilkinson is to create 100 jobs at a new 29,000 sq ft store due to replace the Somerfield supermarket in Torquay's Union Square next May. 23-Oct-2007 Welcome Break, the operator of 23 motorway service stations, has been put up for sale by Investcorp with a price tag of about £500m. 22-Oct-2007 Louis Vuitton is to open a flagship Maison luxury goods store on London's New Bond Street next year, at a cost of about £10m. 22-Oct-2007 Carphone Warehouse is planning to set up a nationwide chain of Geek Squad home support outlets, following a successful trial in London. 22-Oct-2007 Blue Inc is to open six menswear stores over the next six weeks, taking the total chain to 51. 22-Oct-2007 Asda is to submit plans to build a £20m 60,000 sq ft store on the Queensway in East Kilbride, with the creation of 350 jobs. 19-Oct-2007 Greenwoods is planning to expand its chain of menswear stores from 92 to 102 over the next year, having secured a credit facility from Royal Bank of Scotland. 19-Oct-2007 Caffe Nero is planning to expand its chain of 327 coffee shops with 45 new outlets during this financial year. 18-Oct-2007 Whitbread is planning to expand its chain of Costa Coffee outlets from 825 to 1,000 in the current financial year, including 700 in the UK. 17-Oct-2007 Suttons Seeds, the Paignton-based seed supplier with 170 staff, has been put up for sale by French parent company Vilmorin. 16-Oct-2007 Ethel Austin has secured a £5m cash injection that will be used to fund a marketing campaign, refurbish its 307 value clothing stores and open three new outlets next year. 16-Oct-2007 Reiss is planning to set up a nationwide chain of about 60 accessories stores, having just opened the first in Hampstead. 16-Oct-2007 B&M Retail is planning to expand its chain of 48 B&M Bargains discount stores to 100 over the next five years, including 12 new outlets next year. 16-Oct-2007 Co-operative Group is planning to invest £200m in the modernisation of its stores next year, and 200 more convenience stores will open by the end of 2009. 15-Oct-2007 Pets at Home, the pet retailer with 3,500 staff, is expected to undergo a £600m sale or flotation by private equity parent firm Bridgepoint. 15-Oct-2007 Moyses Stevens is planning to open seven florist shops in London, and will then look at large cities across the country. 15-Oct-2007 Travis Perkins is to acquire seven DIY stores from Focus and Payless for £4m, in order to expand its chain of Wickes stores to 190. 12-Oct-2007 Fabric Warehouse, the chain of 40 textile stores, is planning to open 30 concessions in Homebase and other sites over the next two years. 11-Oct-2007 Rosebys has bought four Zoom The Loom soft furnishings stores out of administration. 11-Oct-2007 John Lewis is to increase capital expenditure from £80m to £180m this financial year, including store openings and the refurbishment of some of its 26 department stores. 11-Oct-2007 Whole Foods Market is considering plans to open 40,000 sq ft supermarkets in Bristol, Manchester and London's Canary Wharf. 11-Oct-2007 Speciality Retail Group is planning to open 20 Suits You menswear stores over the next three years, and will also open more Racing Green outlets. 11-Oct-2007 Nevisport of Fort William has gone into liquidation through KPMG, having closed five of its 12 outdoor clothing and equipment stores. 10-Oct-2007 BeCogent is to expand its call centre in Airdrie and create up to 30 new jobs, having won a £2m contract to provide customer services for House of Fraser. 10-Oct-2007 Greggs is planning to expand its chain of 1,353 bakery outlets by opening 30 new sites a year. 10-Oct-2007 Avoca of Ireland is to create 60 jobs at a new 14,000 sq ft clothes and giftware store due to open in Belfast at the end of the month. 09-Oct-2007 Littlewoods Shop Direct has announced plans to shed a further 280 jobs from its online shopping business, including 100 in Liverpool, 150 in Sunderland and the rest at contact centres in Crosby, Burnley and Preston. 09-Oct-2007 Derby City Council is to consider proposals from Derby Cityscape for the development of a £8m boulevard to link the railway station with the city centre, including new shops and gardens. 08-Oct-2007 Harry Ramsden, the chain of 32 fish and chip shops, is expected to be put up for sale by Select Services Partner for £25m. 08-Oct-2007 Jamie's Italian is to raise £7.5m to fund the development of a chain of up to 20 restaurants over the next five years, with the first opening in Bath early next year. 08-Oct-2007 Sainsbury's is to relocate its London headquarters and about 2,000 staff from Holborn to a new 250,000 sq ft site at King's Cross in 2011. 08-Oct-2007 Gaucho is planning to raise £50m in a flotation next month to fund the opening of three new restaurants a year for the next few years. 04-Oct-2007 La Senza is looking to set up a 100,000 sq ft lingerie distribution centre in West London, having shortlisted two potential sites at Heathrow and Hatton Cross. 04-Oct-2007 The Post Office has announced plans to close 180 branches in Kent, East Yorkshire and the East Midlands, as part of a strategy to close 2,500 by the end of next year. 03-Oct-2007 Wagamama, the noodle restaurant chain with 50 outlets in the UK and 26 overseas, is considering plans for a £200m flotation. 01-Oct-2007 House of Fraser is considering plans to launch a chain of smaller fashion stores of about 50,000 sq ft under the HOF brand. 01-Oct-2007 All Saints is planning to open four new fashion stores of about 3,000 sq ft next year, and is also looking at a further eight locations. 01-Oct-2007 Premaman of Belgium is planning to open up to 60 maternity and childrenswear stores in the UK over the next three years, with the first opening in Brighton in February. 01-Oct-2007 Chancerealm is to convert its Partners and Stationery Box stores to the Ryman brand by May 2008, creating a nationwide network of 325 stationery stores. 01-Oct-2007 Living Ventures is to invest up to £10m refurbishing its chain of ten Est Est Est restaurants into the Gusto Bar format. 28-Sep-2007 Bedford Borough Council has approved plans from St Modwen Properties for the £150m redevelopment of the town centre, including a new department store, bus station, homes, cinema and leisure complex. 28-Sep-2007 Ideal Shopping Direct is to invest £8m in the expansion of its TV shopping headquarters in Peterborough, including an extension to the warehouse and the creation of up to 100 jobs. 28-Sep-2007 Individual Restaurant Company is planning to expand its chain of 26 restaurants with seven new outlets in 2008, and is also looking to expand into Ireland. 27-Sep-2007 Tesco has announced plans to build a £20m store in Brixham, with the creation of 200 jobs, as part of a regeneration project that will include ten smaller retail units, offices and a new bus interchange. 27-Sep-2007 Radley has announced plans to open a further ten handbag stores in the UK over the next three years. 27-Sep-2007 Sainsbury's is to acquire 15 former Kiwk Save stores in town centre locations in the Midlands, Wales and the north of England. 27-Sep-2007 ScS Upholstery is planning to expand its chain of 95 sofa stores with at least five new outlets this year. 26-Sep-2007 Automatic Retailing is to relocate its vending machines business from Gateshead to Cramlington this month, and will "significantly" expand the 100-strong workforce. 25-Sep-2007 Monceau Fleurs of France is planning to set up a chain of 50 florist shops in the UK, with the first opening in South Kensington this month. 25-Sep-2007 Clapham House is planning to expand its chain of 32 Gourmet Burger restaurants in the UK to 100 by 2011, and has also announced a franchise deal to open outlets in Turkey. 24-Sep-2007 Gourmet Holdings is to raise £2m in a share placing to fund the development of a chain of patisseries in London. 24-Sep-2007 Waitrose is said to be considering plans to invest £800m opening up to 50 new supermarkets over the next five years. 24-Sep-2007 New West End Company has announced plans to invest £34m in the West End of London over the next five years, in order to improve signage and transport. 24-Sep-2007 Caerphilly County Borough Council is seeking a private sector partner to build a £25m retail and leisure complex in Bargoed. 21-Sep-2007 Sainsbury's is planning to build a £15m store in Biddulph, North Staffordshire, by mid-2009, with the creation of 200 jobs. 21-Sep-2007 Debenhams is planning to open ten new department stores next year, as part of a long-term strategy to expand from 133 to 240 outlets. 19-Sep-2007 Wyevale Garden Centres is to relocate a further 70 head office jobs from Hereford to Slough. 18-Sep-2007 Qube is to convert about eight of its 26 footwear stores to the Office format by next January. 17-Sep-2007 Marks & Spencer is planning to set up a 1m sq ft distribution centre at ProLogis Park in Bradford, although the site does not yet have planning consent. 17-Sep-2007 Glasgow City Council is considering plans for the £25m expansion of the Glasgow Fort shopping centre, including a new Marks & Spencer store and the creation of up to 500 jobs. 14-Sep-2007 Co-operative Group is considering plans to set up a new distribution centre on the M62 corridor between Warrington and Brighouse, casting doubt over the future of 370 jobs at existing depots in Talke and Eccleshall. 13-Sep-2007 Woolworths is to relocate its THE book distribution business from Chesterton to its recently-acquired Bertram business in Norfolk in December, with the loss of 150 warehouse jobs. 13-Sep-2007 Whiteley Village Outlet Shopping Centre has unveiled proposals to invest up to £100m in new facilities over the next ten years, including more shops, homes, a 60-room hotel and a library. 13-Sep-2007 Restaurant Group is planning to expand its chain of 150 Frankie & Benny's outlets with 100 new sites over the next five years. 13-Sep-2007 Tesco has unveiled plans for a new store at Cannon Park in Coventry, which will create 200 jobs. 12-Sep-2007 Primark has agreed to anchor the Ealing Broadway shopping centre in London with the opening of a 70,000 sq ft fashion department store early next year. 12-Sep-2007 Manna is planning to open a chain of 35 food halls by 2012, with the first opening at sites in Batley and Romford over the next few months. 10-Sep-2007 Inglot of Poland is planning to open a chain of company-owned and franchised cosmetics stores in the UK, having opened the first at Bluewater in July. 10-Sep-2007 Dunelm Mill is to create 100 jobs at a new soft furnishings superstore due to open in Dumfries by the end of the year. 06-Sep-2007 Littlewoods is to shed up to 200 of the 2,000 jobs at its headquarters in Speke, following a review of its home shopping business. 06-Sep-2007 Papa John's is planning to expand its chain of 87 pizza restaurants to 300 by 2016, and is seeking sites of up to 1,000 sq ft. 05-Sep-2007 Primark, the discount clothing retailer, is to set up a third 422,000 sq ft warehouse at Magna Park in Lutterworth. 05-Sep-2007 Tesco has confirmed plans to create about 1,000 jobs at a new distribution centre being proposed by Goodman at Andover Airfield. 03-Sep-2007 CB Richard Ellis has been appointed by The Lab to find suitable sites for a new chain of ten upmarket sportswear stores by the end of the year. 03-Sep-2007 Somerfield has acquired the leases of five former Fopp music stores in Reading, Eastbourne, Brighton, Lincoln and Camden. 03-Sep-2007 Tesco is looking to expand its chain of seven Homeplus non-food stores to 17, having already identified six new sites. 03-Sep-2007 Custo Barcelona of Spain is planning to open a chain of fashion stores in the UK, having appointed Harper Dennis Hobbs to find suitable sites of up to 2,500 sq ft. 03-Sep-2007 Tragus Group, the operator of about 240 restaurants, is considering plans for a £500m flotation early next year. 29-Aug-2007 USC is to invest £4m in the refurbishment of its chain of 57 fashion stores, in order to expand the menswear offering. 22-Aug-2007 Tesco is planning to set up 800,000 sq ft distribution centres at two Goodman development projects at Northfleet in Kent and Andover in Hampshire. 22-Aug-2007 Sainsbury is to acquire the 400,000 sq ft Morrisons distribution centre in Tamworth for £20m. 22-Aug-2007 Utopian Leisure is planning to open a chain of ten Little Fat Buddha takeaway outlets in County Durham over the next three years. 21-Aug-2007 Shaftesbury has won planning permission to develop a £40m shopping village at the two-acre Longmartin site in London by 2009. 21-Aug-2007 Holland & Barrett is planning to expand its chain of 500 health food stores to 600 over the next three years, and is seeking sites with trading space of up to 1,200 sq ft. 20-Aug-2007 The Bluewater shopping centre in Kent is to host the first UK lingerie store to be opened by Wild Orchid of Russia, and three additional outlets will open in London later this year. 20-Aug-2007 Peacocks has appointed Goldman Sachs to consider the strategic options for its discount fashion business, which could lead to a sale or refinancing. 20-Aug-2007 Abel & Cole has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to consider the options to expand its London-based organic vegetable box delivery business. 20-Aug-2007 Sainsbury is planning to relocate its general merchandising operation to Coventry, and is also looking to recruit 125 additional staff from other retailers. 20-Aug-2007 Medway Council has unveiled proposals for the £50m regeneration of Gillingham town centre over the next ten years, including new shops, offices, homes and leisure facilities. 15-Aug-2007 Makro is to complete the refurbishment of its chain of 33 wholesale outlets over the next five years. 15-Aug-2007 Co-operative Group is to sell off eight food stores in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Northumberland, in order to win regulatory approval for its merger with United Co-operatives. 15-Aug-2007 Intermix of the US is planning to open fashion boutiques in London and other major UK cities, having appointed CWM to find suitable sites. 13-Aug-2007 Nike is planning to open a further eight factory outlet stores in the UK by summer 2008, to add to the existing 16 sites. 13-Aug-2007 Asda is to expand its chain of nine Living non-food stores to 13 this autumn, and believes there is potential for up to 300. 13-Aug-2007 Gap is said to be looking to dispose of up to 15 fashion stores in the Midlands and North, having appointed Churston Heard to review its marginal sites. 13-Aug-2007 Hamleys is said to be considering plans to open standalone toy shops of about 20,000 sq ft in Scotland and the North West, having identified possible sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester. 13-Aug-2007 ScS Upholstery is to close its furniture distribution centre in Stoke-on-Trent in September with the loss of 22 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Coventry. 09-Aug-2007 Neal's Yard Remedies is to invest £5m in the expansion of its chain of 28 natural products stores to 50 sites by 2010. 06-Aug-2007 Bayagent of Durham is planning to open nine surplus stock warehouses across the country next year, each employing about ten staff. 03-Aug-2007 BoConcept of Denmark is planning to open about 30 furniture stores in the UK, including new outlets in Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. 03-Aug-2007 Urban Outfitters of the US is to expand its chain of seven fashion stores in the UK with the introduction of the new Anthropologie format, and will start looking for suitable sites later this year. 03-Aug-2007 Land of Leather is looking to expand its chain of 100 furniture stores with 160 new outlets in the UK and Ireland by 2013. 03-Aug-2007 Marks & Spencer is to create over 130 new jobs at a new store due to open at the White Rose shopping centre in Leeds this autumn, but the outlet in nearby Dewsbury will close. 02-Aug-2007 Kingfisher has raised £73m from the sale and leaseback of its B&Q distribution centres in Nottinghamshire, and the proceeds will be invested in its store opening programme. 02-Aug-2007 Eco-St is planning to open ten ecological stores and 100 concessions over the next three years. 27-Jul-2007 Fruits & Passion of Canada is planning to open 25 health and beauty store in the UK over the next five years, with the first opening in Manchester this summer. 27-Jul-2007 Domino's Pizza is to invest £25m in a new distribution and training centre in Milton Keynes, in order to assist its planned expansion from 470 to 1,000 outlets. 24-Jul-2007 Starbucks is looking to expand its chain of 550 coffee shops by opening outlets in hospitals, universities, theme parks and hotels. 23-Jul-2007 Wynnstay Group is planning to open up to 30 Just For Pets stores over the next three years, and would consider making an acquisition. 23-Jul-2007 Joules is to open fashion stores in Bath, Marlborough and Chichester this summer, taking the total chain to 11. 23-Jul-2007 Phase Eight is looking to expand its chain of 61 fashion stores with up to 20 new outlets a year. 23-Jul-2007 Glasses Direct has raised £2.9m of venture capital to fund the expansion of its online spectacles retailing business. 23-Jul-2007 CJ Lang & Son is investing £5m in a new distribution depot in Dundee, in order to merge two existing wholesale operations and up to 500 staff onto one site by January 2008. 20-Jul-2007 Abercrombie & Fitch of the US has appointed NB Real Estate to find suitable sites to expand its chain of casual wear stores into the UK. 19-Jul-2007 B&Q is to create 250 jobs at a new DIY superstore due to open at Maskew Avenue in Peterborough in October, while 64 staff will transfer from its existing store. 18-Jul-2007 Hope & Greenwood is planning to set up a nationwide chain of 50 British Tea Rooms over the next few years, in partnership with Ponti's, and the first will open on London's Marylebone High Street in September. 16-Jul-2007 Wilkinson is planning to expand its chain of 280 hardware stores to 500 by 2012, including its first stores in Scotland. 16-Jul-2007 Hennes & Mauritz is planning to roll out its new Cos fashion brand following a successful trial on London's Regent Street, and suitable sites are being sought in city centres. 16-Jul-2007 Hawkin's Bazaar is planning to expand its chain of 31 toy shops with up to 15 new outlets this year. 16-Jul-2007 B&M Bargains is planning to expand its chain of 42 discount variety stores with 12 new outlets a year for the next three years. 16-Jul-2007 Mamas & Papas is planning to expand its chain of 32 maternity stores with a number of smaller boutique outlets, and is also in discussions with potential franchise partners in China, India, Russia and Turkey. 16-Jul-2007 Tesco and Wincanton are planning to close their dry groceries distribution centre in Middleton in November with the loss of about 400 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Livingston and Lichfield. 13-Jul-2007 Asda is in discussions with St Modwen Properties and Birmingham City Council about plans to build a £25m 100,000 sq ft store at the Longbridge site, with the creation of up to 400 jobs. 13-Jul-2007 Tesco is to submit plans to build a superstore in Fareham town centre, which could create 363 jobs by the end of 2008. 11-Jul-2007 Ikea is considering plans to shed up to 300 management jobs from the 9,000-strong workforce in its UK home furnishings retailing business. 11-Jul-2007 Bijou Brigitte of Germany is planning to develop a nationwide chain of jewellery and accessories stores in the UK, starting with two outlets in Croydon and Uxbridge. 09-Jul-2007 Home Bargains is planning to open 25 stores in South Wales over the next three years, as part of a strategy to expand its nationwide chain of 120 outlets to 500 over the next ten years. 09-Jul-2007 Tesco is planning to open a further 85 Express convenience stores by February 2008, to add to the existing 756. 09-Jul-2007 Floors 2 Go is looking to expand its chain of 140 flooring stores to 300 over the long term. 09-Jul-2007 Aldi is planning to expand its chain of 401 discount grocery stores with up to 250 new outlets in the UK and Ireland over the next five years. 09-Jul-2007 Tesco is to recruit 170 staff for a new supermarket due to open in North Berwick in August. 03-Jul-2007 TM Lewin is planning to expand its chain of 48 clothing stores to 100 over the next five years. 03-Jul-2007 Graham & Green is planning to expand its London-based chain of four home and giftware stores with six new outlets by the end of 2010. 03-Jul-2007 Tiso Group is in negotiations to acquire George Fisher, the Keswick-based outdoor equipment retailer with 46 staff, for an estimated £3m. 02-Jul-2007 B&Q is to recruit up to 300 staff for a new DIY store due to open at Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh in October. 29-Jun-2007 Redcats is considering plans to shed up to 100 jobs at its Empire Stores home shopping business in Bradford. 29-Jun-2007 Tesco is to close the automated picking operation at its Fenny Lock distribution centre in Milton Keynes, with the loss of 400 of the 1,500 jobs. 28-Jun-2007 Heathcotes is to invest £3m in the expansion of its chain of 12 restaurants, with new outlets opening in Manchester city centre, Cheadle Hulme and Clitheroe by the end of 2008. 28-Jun-2007 Focus is planning to close up to 50 DIY stores, having appointed Hilco to review its underperforming sites. 28-Jun-2007 Thomas Cook is planning to close 150 travel shops and six offices throughout the country with the loss of up to 2,800 jobs, affecting sites in Rochdale, Manchester, Rawtenstall and Denton. 27-Jun-2007 Home Retail Group has announced plans to develop a 750,000 sq ft home delivery distribution centre at Gwent Europark in South Wales, which should create hundreds of jobs. 26-Jun-2007 Optimum Contact Solutions is to shed up to 36 jobs at its home shopping call centre in Burnley. 25-Jun-2007 Clarks is planning to open 450 footwear stores overseas in the next ten years, starting with continental Europe and the US. 25-Jun-2007 Jessops is to close 81 of its 315 photographic stores over the next few months, with the loss of 550 jobs. 22-Jun-2007 Welcome Break is to create 50 new jobs at the Keele service station on the M6 this summer, following a revamp of facilities. 18-Jun-2007 Sunglass Hut is looking to expand its UK chain of eyewear stores from 60 to 100, including up to ten new outlets this year. 18-Jun-2007 Lloydspharmacy is looking to expand its chain of 80 pharmacy outlets in Greater London with up to 60 new sites, and a new format has been launched at its branch in Vauxhall. 18-Jun-2007 Wagamama is planning to expand its chain of 43 noodle restaurants with ten new outlets this year and ten next year, having appointed Montagu Evans to find suitable sites of up to 5,000 sq ft. 18-Jun-2007 John Lewis Direct is to relocate its London headquarters from Chelsea to a 30,000 sq ft office at 111 Buckingham Palace Road. 18-Jun-2007 Carpetright, the chain of 510 carpet stores valued at £910m, has received a takeover approach from its founder. 18-Jun-2007 Iforce is seeking a suitable site for a 250,000 sq ft distribution centre in Birmingham, in order to provide warehousing for online retailers. 14-Jun-2007 Tesco is to refurbish 200 of its 507 One Stop convenience stores this year, and 18 new outlets will open. 14-Jun-2007 Felix Group is to raise £4.2m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its kiosks business. 13-Jun-2007 BeCogent is to create 250 jobs at its call centre in Erskine, having won a contract to handle customer enquiries for John Lewis Direct. 12-Jun-2007 Fuzzy's Grub is planning to expand its London-based chain of five sandwich outlets to ten by the end of the year, having secured funding of £1m. 12-Jun-2007 Halfords is planning to expand its Bike Hut chain of bicycle stores to up to 50 outlets following a successful trial, and is seeking sites of up to 4,000 sq ft in the South East. 12-Jun-2007 Lancaster City Council is to consider plans from Centros Miller for the regeneration of the city centre, including 300,000 sq ft of new retail space. 12-Jun-2007 Superdrug is to invest £46m in the reconfiguration of 440 health and beauty stores, in order to give greater prominence to cosmetics. 11-Jun-2007 Kandahar Real Estate has announced plans for the £4m revamp of the Salters shopping centre in Droitwich Spa, including new stores and improved facilities. 08-Jun-2007 Asda has won permission to build a £20m superstore in Whitehaven, with the creation of 340 jobs. 08-Jun-2007 MFI has confirmed plans to set up a 750,000 sq ft furniture distribution and call centre at the Nimbus Park development near Doncaster, with the creation of 250 jobs. 05-Jun-2007 Morrisons is to recruit 150 staff for a new supermarket due to open in Erskine in September. 04-Jun-2007 Aldi is planning to expand its chain of 29 discount stores in Scotland by opening ten new stores a year over the next decade. 04-Jun-2007 House of Fraser is to relocate its London headquarters from Howick Place to a 50,000 sq ft office on Baker Street next March. 04-Jun-2007 Borders is to close three of its largest book stores in Birmingham, London and Thurrock, due to poor trading, and a buyer is being sought for the remainder of the 70-strong chain. 04-Jun-2007 JoJo Maman Bebe, the maternity and nursery retailer, is planning to create 30 new jobs at its headquarters in Newport, South Wales, and is also looking to open franchised outlets in Italy and other European countries. 31-May-2007 Kwik Save has closed 79 of its 226 supermarkets with the loss of about 700 jobs, and KPMG has been appointed to help consider the options. 31-May-2007 Arcadia is to invest £250m in the expansion of its retail stores over the next three years, and is particularly interested in the international development of the Topshop chain. 30-May-2007 Newcastle Borough Council is considering plans for the £15m expansion of the Freeport Talke Outlet Shopping Centre in Staffordshire, with the creation of up to 100 jobs and 60 small units. 29-May-2007 LittleMissMatched of the US is planning to open a number of childrenswear stores in the UK, with the first opening at Bluewater in Kent this month. 28-May-2007 American Apparel is planning to expand its chain of three clothing stores to 20 by 2010. 28-May-2007 Eat is planning to expand its chain of sandwich shops from 65 to 100 by June 2008, and is seeking sites of up to 2,500 sq ft. 28-May-2007 Butlers of Germany has appointed Harper Dennis Hobbs to sell its six homeware stores, having decided to pull out of the UK. 28-May-2007 Marks & Spencer is planning to create 10,000 new jobs over the next three years, as part of an expansion programme that includes the opening of 100 Simply Food stores this year. 24-May-2007 Debenhams is to open a 93,000 sq ft department store at the 394,000 sq ft Oval retail development in Darlington in 2010. 23-May-2007 Nuts About Life is planning to expand its chain of two dried fruit and nut shops to about 20 by 2009, having already identified four new sites in London. 22-May-2007 SumoSalad of Australia is planning to open six salad stores in the UK this year, including sites in Woking, Derby, Basildon, Southampton and Tunbridge Wells. 22-May-2007 Thomas Sabo of Germany is planning to open jewellery stores in London and other major UK cities by the end of the year, with the first outlet opening in King's Road in July. 22-May-2007 Poundland is planning to expand its chain of 150 discount stores with 45 new sites over the next two years. 22-May-2007 Apple is planning to expand its chain of electronics stores to 16 by the end of the year, including new outlets in Glasgow, Brighton, Milton Keynes and Solihull. 22-May-2007 Hotel Chocolat is planning to expand its chain of 22 chocolate stores to 30 by the end of the year, and is also looking to move into the US. 22-May-2007 Netto is to close its discount stores in Barry and Caerphilly, having dropped plans for a £200m expansion programme that would have opened 70 stores in South Wales. 21-May-2007 The Department of Trade & Industry has confirmed plans to close 2,500 post office branches, in order to secure the future for the remaining network of about 12,000. 18-May-2007 H&T Group is to raise £7m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its chain of 78 second-hand shops. 17-May-2007 Musgrave is planning to sell its remaining 74 company-owned Budgens convenience stores to independent retailers by 2008. 17-May-2007 Fine Burger is planning to expand its chain of seven restaurants with three new outlets by the end of the year, including sites in Milton Keynes and Birmingham. 16-May-2007 National Geographic is planning to launch a global chain of up to ten retail outlets, including a 20,000 sq ft store due to open on London's Regent Street in autumn. 16-May-2007 Co-operative Pharmacy has acquired seven pharmacies in South Yorkshire from GH Rock and two in South Wales from Mayberry & Morris, taking its total chain to more than 480. 16-May-2007 Clarks is to convert most of its 50 Ravel footwear stores to the Clarks brand, and some sites will be sold off. 16-May-2007 Comet, the electricals retailer, is considering plans to set up a 385,000 sq ft distribution centre in Harlow. 16-May-2007 Promotion Space has secured £4m of funding from private equity firm Octopus to expand its Wilmslow-based shopping mall promotions business. 15-May-2007 Viyella, the fashion retailer with annual sales of about £20m, is expected to be put up for sale by private equity firm Harris Watson. 14-May-2007 Adnams is looking to expand its chain of Cellar & Kitchen specialist wine and kitchenware stores with several new sites in East Anglia. 10-May-2007 Maplin, the electronics retailer, is to employ about 250 staff at its new head office and 176,000 sq ft distribution centre at Brookfields Park in Rotherham. 09-May-2007 Rosebys, the Rotherham-based chain of home furnishings stores, is to shed an unspecified number of head office jobs, in order to transfer some of its buying, IT and accounts work to parent company GHCL in India. 08-May-2007 Tesco is considering plans to open three local sourcing offices at stores in Horsham, York and Stafford this summer, in order to increase its range of regional products. 08-May-2007 Clas Ohlson of Sweden is moving into the UK with plans to open six 16,000 sq ft DIY stores in city centres in the South East by 2009. 08-May-2007 New Look is to set up a new 300,000 sq ft fashion distribution centre next to its existing site on Lymedale Business Park in North Staffordshire by September, with the creation of 350 jobs. 07-May-2007 The Original Factory Shop is creating up to 40 jobs at a new £2m headquarters and warehouse at the Orient Business Park in Burnley this month. 07-May-2007 Home Retail Group is planning to expand its chain of 680 Argos stores with 30 new outlets a year, while its chain of 310 Homebase stores will grow by 15 a year. 07-May-2007 Games Workshop is planning to close 35 stores and reorganise its back-office and warehouse operations, with the loss of 280 jobs over the next six months. 07-May-2007 Capital Shopping Centres has submitted plans to invest £46m at the MetroCentre in Gateshead, including a new cinema, bowling alley and restaurants. 03-May-2007 Welcome Break is planning to open WH Smith stores at all 33 of its motorway service station sites. 03-May-2007 Sainsbury's is to rebrand its 50 Bells convenience stores in the North East to the Sainsbury's Local format, prompting speculation about the future of 24 jobs at the Bells headquarters at Skelton on Teesside. 01-May-2007 Wincanton has won a distribution contract from electrical retailer Comet, with the transfer of 150 staff at depots in Skelmersdale, Corby, Harlow, Westbury and Bellshill. 01-May-2007 CSL Sofas has appointed Savills to help it expand its chain of ten North West furniture stores to 18 by 2008. 01-May-2007 Somerfield is planning to rebuild 60 of its 140 forecourt stores by April 2008, in order to convert them into small convenience stores. 01-May-2007 Feather & Black is planning to expand its chain of 31 furniture stores to 60 over the next three years. 01-May-2007 The Original Factory Shop is planning to expand its chain of 73 general merchandise stores to 100 over the next three years, at a cost of £10m. 01-May-2007 Waitrose is looking to increase sales at its 183 supermarkets from £3.7bn to £8bn by 2017, prompting speculation that it could launch a new chain of convenience stores. 30-Apr-2007 Stylo, the owner of the Shellys, Barratts, Shutopia and PriceLess brands, is closing up to 45 loss-making stores following a fall in sales. 30-Apr-2007 The Pen Shop is planning to expand its chain of 26 luxury pen stores by opening concessions in House of Fraser stores this summer, and further store openings will follow in 2008. 27-Apr-2007 Asda is to invest £6m in the expansion of its Runcorn store by the end of the year, with the creation of 80 new jobs. 26-Apr-2007 Tesco is to acquire St Mirren's Love Street football stadium in Paisley for £15m, in order to transform the site into a supermarket. 26-Apr-2007 Home Delivery Network is considering plans to relocate its distribution centre and up to 400 jobs from Droitwich to the former Peugeot site in Coventry. 25-Apr-2007 Ma Cuisine is to expand its chain of four London-based Ma Cuisine and El Vino restaurants with two new sites in Barnes and Kew. 25-Apr-2007 Pret a Manger is considering plans for a flotation over the next 18 months, in order to raise funds to expand its chain of 160 sandwich shops. 25-Apr-2007 Primark is planning to expand its chain of 166 discount fashion stores with up to 50 new outlets over the next four years. 25-Apr-2007 Berghaus is planning to double the turnover of its Sunderland-based outdoor clothing business to £100m over the next five years, and its first UK store will open at the MetroCentre in September. 24-Apr-2007 Wilkinson is to create about 80 jobs at a new household goods store due to open in Morriston near Swansea in August. 23-Apr-2007 Tesco is to submit plans for the development of a new store at Wicker Arches in Sheffield, which would create 395 jobs. 23-Apr-2007 Sainsbury is said to be planning to invest up to £750m in the expansion and refurbishment of its supermarkets, including 4m sq ft of new selling space and 15,000 new jobs. 23-Apr-2007 Beringea is to provide private equity backing to the Coal chain of high-street restaurants to invest £6m opening up to 14 new sites over the next three years. 23-Apr-2007 Radley is planning to open a number of handbag shops and concessions in the UK, and this will be followed by an international expansion programme. 23-Apr-2007 Coventry City Council is talking to developers about proposals to transform the city centre shopping precinct and Smithford Way into a modern retail complex. 20-Apr-2007 Pets at Home is planning to expand its chain of 193 pet superstores with up to 25 new sites this year, with the creation of more than 400 jobs. 19-Apr-2007 ClientLogic is to shed up to 140 jobs at its call centre in Exeter, having lost a contract to provide customer services for John Lewis Direct. 19-Apr-2007 WH Smith has agreed a franchise deal to take over the running of about 75 Crown post offices by the end of next year, which will affect up to 1,000 staff. 19-Apr-2007 Martin McColl has acquired six Somerfield Essentials convenience stores in Scotland, and will rebrand them as McColl's. 19-Apr-2007 DHL is to close its Argos Direct distribution centre in Peterborough in July with the loss of 40 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Kettering. 17-Apr-2007 JJB Sports is planning to open ten sports superstores and nine health clubs this year, and a further 17 sites have been found for 2008. 16-Apr-2007 TK Maxx is looking to increase the average size of its 200 fashion stores to 40,000 sq ft, by relocating to larger sites and expanding existing sites. 16-Apr-2007 Oakley is planning to introduce its Oliver Peoples luxury optician format to central London, and also plans to open two Oakley stores a year for the next four years. 16-Apr-2007 Montezuma is planning to expand its chain of seven luxury chocolate shops to 12 by the end of the year. 16-Apr-2007 Marks & Spencer is to create more than 100 jobs at a new store due to open in Hayle, Cornwall, during the summer. 13-Apr-2007 Morrisons is to close its DHL-operated distribution centre in Tamworth in August, with the loss of up to 582 jobs, while 67 jobs will be lost in Stockton. 12-Apr-2007 Moss Bros is planning to open a further 80 menswear stores across the country, and is seeking sites of between 2,000 and 4,000 sq ft. 12-Apr-2007 Only2, the chain of six discount stores, has gone into liquidation through Solomon Hare. 09-Apr-2007 Kesa Electricals is planning to expand the workforce at its Comet on Call computer support service from 100 to 500 over the next three years. 09-Apr-2007 Debenhams is to invest up to £60m revamping its department stores, introducing design elements from its Desire small-store format to between 10 and 20 stores a year. 09-Apr-2007 Arcadia is to open a 60,000 sq ft Topshop fashion store in Liverpool city centre in 2008, as part of the Liverpool One retail development. 06-Apr-2007 Kiddicare is planning to relocate its nursery products business and up to 120 staff from Werrington to a new £12m warehouse and retail outlet in Peterborough later this year. 05-Apr-2007 ChoicesUK is reducing its chain of DVD and video stores from 230 to 120 over the next two years. 04-Apr-2007 Dobbies Garden Centres has submitted plans to build a £8m garden centre in Fulford, York, with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 03-Apr-2007 Alexon is planning to expand its chain of Bay Trading fashion stores from 158 to 250 over the next five years. 03-Apr-2007 Expansys is planning to raise £10m in a flotation on Aim this month, in order to fund the expansion of its online mobile phone retailing business. 02-Apr-2007 Jane Norman is planning to expand its chain of 140 fashion stores with 16 new outlets and 15 concessions over the next year. 02-Apr-2007 MFI is considering plans to set up a 750,000 sq ft furniture distribution centre at Nimbus Park in Doncaster. 02-Apr-2007 Amazon, the online retailer, is to build an 800,000 sq ft distribution centre at Jersey Marine in Swansea, with the creation of up to 1,200 new jobs over the next five years. 30-Mar-2007 Say Pasta is planning to open 50 new restaurants nationwide over the next five years, and has just announced plans for new sites in Bristol, Bath and London. 30-Mar-2007 Alliance Boots is to invest £65m rebranding its 900 community pharmacies as "your local Boots pharmacy" over the next two years, and up to 100 stores will be closed or moved. 29-Mar-2007 Papa John's of the US is planning to double its UK chain of pizza outlets to at least 170 over the next three years. 28-Mar-2007 DSG Retail is to restructure its Dixons distribution network by replacing 600,000 sq ft of warehouse space in Glasgow, Erith, Yate, Coventry, Warrington and Belfast with a network of 10,000 sq ft hubs. 28-Mar-2007 Individual Restaurant Company is planning to expand its chain of 24 Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill restaurants to more than 100 sites in city centre and suburban locations nationwide. 28-Mar-2007 KFC is planning to open 50 fast food restaurants in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the North East over the next ten years, and the Leeds office of King Sturge is helping the brand's owner Yum Restaurants find suitable sites. 27-Mar-2007 Asda is seeking planning permission for a £25m 52,000 sq ft store at Langley Park in North Wiltshire, which would create up to 500 jobs. 26-Mar-2007 New Look, the fashion retailer, has appointed Merrill Lynch to conduct a strategic review which could lead to a £2bn sale of the business. 26-Mar-2007 Next is to refurbish a further 20% of its 480 fashion stores by January 2008, including a new logo, stone flooring and chrome fittings. 26-Mar-2007 Au Naturale and Internacionale are to invest £5m revamping their 150 stores over the next three years, and up to 50 new sites will open over the next 18 months. 26-Mar-2007 Netto is planning to open a further 20 discount stores this year and 20 next year. 26-Mar-2007 Brantano is to expand its chain of 146 footwear stores with 20 new sites over the next three years. 26-Mar-2007 Hastens of Sweden is planning to open up to ten upmarket bed stores in the UK by the end of 2008. 26-Mar-2007 Mosaic Fashions is seeking 25 new sites across the country for each of its Principles and Warehouse fashion chains. 26-Mar-2007 Out of Town Group is considering plans to sell its 14 shopping centre food courts for about £10m, in order to focus on restaurants and bars. 26-Mar-2007 Tesco is to restructure its property department with new regional offices in Livingstone and Chippenham, with the relocation of some staff from the Welwyn Garden City headquarters. 26-Mar-2007 Kesa Electricals is to install mezzanine floors into 40 of its 250 Comet electrical stores, with the first ten opening this year. 23-Mar-2007 Borders is considering plans to sell off its chain of 71 book stores in the UK, as part of a strategic review. 23-Mar-2007 Coffee Republic has raised £0.9m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its chain of coffee bars through franchising. 21-Mar-2007 B&Q Installations is to shed 81 jobs at its DIY call centre in Fareham, in order to abolish the evening shift. 20-Mar-2007 Wincanton is to create 200 new jobs at its 500,000 sq ft Argos distribution centre in Corby by the end of summer, due to the relocation of the Wolverhampton operation. 19-Mar-2007 Morrisons is to invest £450m in a modernisation programme over the next three years, in order to improve its stores, distribution and IT infrastructure. 19-Mar-2007 HMV is looking to sell or close up to 36 of its 229 book and music shops, having appointed CB Richard Ellis to find a buyer. 19-Mar-2007 Martin McColl has appointed Christie & Co to find a buyer for 54 of its 1,274 convenience stores. 19-Mar-2007 British Land is to invest £13m in the refurbishment of the Eastgate shopping centre in Basildon by the end of the year. 19-Mar-2007 Crawley Borough Council is to consider plans from Centros Miller and Development Securities for a 200,000 sq ft retail and residential scheme at the Southern Gateway site. 19-Mar-2007 Hamleys is planning to open toy shops within House of Fraser department stores in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and Belfast by April 2008. 16-Mar-2007 Penta Capital is said to be looking to sell Madisons, the chain of 19 coffee shops. 14-Mar-2007 Dover District Council has approved plans for the £15m redevelopment of the St James area, including an Asda supermarket, 53 homes and a 100-bedroom Travelodge hotel. 12-Mar-2007 Cherwell District Council is to consider plans from Stockdale Land for the £70m redevelopment of Bicester town centre, including a six-screen cinema, a 40,000 sq ft Sainsbury's store and up to 25 new shops. 12-Mar-2007 Neath Port Talbot Council is to consider plans from Arlington Development Management to build a distribution centre for an unnamed retailer at the former Delta Compton site at Jersey Marine, which could create up to 1,000 jobs. 12-Mar-2007 Lovefilm has appointed Goldman Sachs to conduct a strategic review of its online DVD rental business, which could lead to a £100m flotation or sale. 12-Mar-2007 Frozen Value is planning to expand its chain of 72 discount frozen food stores in northern England with ten new sites this year. 12-Mar-2007 Swansea Council is seeking interest from property developers in the £1bn transformation of three city centre sites over the next 20 years, in order to provide new shops, homes and public spaces. 06-Mar-2007 Primark is starting to recruit 247 staff for a new discount clothing store due to open at the Merry Hill Centre in Brierley Hill by summer. 06-Mar-2007 Marks & Spencer is planning to trial larger Simply Food stores of up to 30,000 sq ft, and is currently seeking suitable sites. 05-Mar-2007 River Island is looking to expand its chain of fashion stores by seeking larger sites of up to 15,000 sq ft in shopping centres and high streets. 05-Mar-2007 Smallbone is planning to expand its chain of 23 kitchen, bathroom and bedroom showrooms by adding a further nine sites by 2009. 05-Mar-2007 Blacks Leisure is to close 45 outdoor clothing and equipment stores, with the loss of an unspecified number of jobs. 02-Mar-2007 Peacocks is planning to expand its chain of 430 discount fashion stores with 30 new outlets, as part of a £21m investment that will create more than 500 jobs. 28-Feb-2007 Worcester City Council has approved plans from Asda for a new £75m shopping centre development at Lowesmoor, including 13 new shops, apartments and offices. 27-Feb-2007 Primark is planning to expand its chain of 161 discount clothing stores with eight new sites by the end of the financial year. 27-Feb-2007 Debenhams is to set up a 110,000 sq ft anchor store at the extended Wood Green shopping mall in London. 26-Feb-2007 Body Shop is planning to expand its chain of 312 stores with up to 15 new outlets this year and 50 over the next three to five years. 26-Feb-2007 Smyths Toys of Ireland is looking to open six stores of up to 25,000 sq ft in the UK, and is particularly interested in the South East. 26-Feb-2007 Domino's Pizza is planning to expand its chain of 451 pizza outlets with 50 new sites this year. 26-Feb-2007 Tesco is to close its distribution centre at Crick in Northamptonshire in September with the loss of up to 600 jobs, in order to transfer the work to a new £63m site in Lichfield. 23-Feb-2007 Matalan has confirmed plans to shed scores of jobs at its Skelmersdale head office and Knowsley distribution centre, with unions estimating that 80 staff will be affected. 23-Feb-2007 Woolworths is to close its entertainment distribution warehouse in Newcastle-under-Lyme with the loss of more than 100 jobs, in order to transfer the work to sites in Norwich and Hayes. 22-Feb-2007 Asda is planning to open 18 new stores and revamp 15 existing stores over the next 12 months, with the creation of 8,000 jobs. 22-Feb-2007 Supermac's of Ireland is planning to open fast food restaurants in Northern Ireland, in a £10m investment that will create 200 jobs. 20-Feb-2007 Au Naturale, the chain of 82 homeware stores, is to set up a new headquarters and 160,000 sq ft distribution centre at the Eurocentral site in Lanarkshire in September 2007. 20-Feb-2007 John Lewis, the chain of 26 department stores and 184 Waitrose stores, is looking to double its turnover over the next ten years, with the creation of 35,000 jobs. 19-Feb-2007 Bank Fashion is planning to open two out-of-town clothing stores over the next few months, as part of a 50-store expansion programme. 19-Feb-2007 Auctioning4u is planning to expand its chain of ten online auction stores across the country, opening an outlet in a new region every month. 19-Feb-2007 La Senza is planning to open 12 more lingerie stores in the UK this year. 19-Feb-2007 Maplin is planning to expand its chain of 117 electronics stores with 20 new sites this year. 19-Feb-2007 Newark & Sherwood District Council is considering plans from Simons Developments for a £50m development at Potterdyke in Newark, including a 60,000 sq ft Asda supermarket. 16-Feb-2007 Wincanton Logistics is considering plans to close its Morrisons distribution centre in Bathgate, West Lothian, with the loss of up to 319 jobs. 14-Feb-2007 Carpisa of Italy is to open its first UK fashion accessories store on London's Oxford Street this spring. 12-Feb-2007 National Schoolwear Centres is planning to expand its chain of 59 stores by opening up to 160 new sites over the next five years. 12-Feb-2007 DSG International is planning to expand its chain of five Tech Guys technical support outlets to 13 by the end of April. 12-Feb-2007 Jessops is considering plans to open up to 25 larger-format World Camera Centres, depending on the success of trials in Cardiff and Edinburgh. 12-Feb-2007 Kwik Save, the chain of 251 supermarkets, is expected to secure its future with the sale of a majority stake to Howard Holdings of Ireland. 12-Feb-2007 ProLogis has confirmed plans to set up a 530,000 sq ft distribution centre for Sainsbury's at Pineham in Northamptonshire, claiming it will be the world's "greenest warehouse". 12-Feb-2007 Modus has unveiled plans for the £20m redevelopment of the Crown shopping centre in Stourbridge, including a new anchor food store, eight shop units and a car park. 09-Feb-2007 Regatta, the supplier of outdoor clothing, is seeking a suitable site in Greater Manchester for a new warehouse, which will create 100 jobs. 08-Feb-2007 Kleeneze, the direct sales company, is planning to close its Warmley headquarters in Bristol and relocate 200 of the 300 jobs to Accrington this summer. 08-Feb-2007 Debenhams is to open stores in Wigan, Warrington, Glasgow, Derby, Exeter, Walton-on-Thames and Altrincham this year, and has also announced plans for a new 30,000 sq ft fashion format. 05-Feb-2007 Lombok is planning to open six new furniture stores a year for the next three years, and is currently considering sites in Tunbridge Wells, Bristol and Manchester. 05-Feb-2007 Evans Cycles, the chain of 25 cycle stores in London and the South East, has put itself up for sale. 05-Feb-2007 Wincanton is to close distribution depots operated on behalf of Somerfield in Ross-on-Wye and Tewkesbury, with the possible loss of up to 510 jobs. 01-Feb-2007 Chelmsford Borough Council has unveiled proposals for the £1.5bn redevelopment of the town centre by 2015, including a new £400m shopping mall, station, arts complex and leisure centre. 31-Jan-2007 Carpetright is planning to expand its chain of 600 carpet stores with a further 20 sites by the end of 2007. 31-Jan-2007 Rippleglen is looking to expand its chain of 165 convenience stores by opening about three new outlets a year in bus and train stations. 31-Jan-2007 Sports World is considering plans for a £2bn flotation to fund the expansion of its chain of 370 sports stores. 30-Jan-2007 Wynnstay Group is planning to open Just for Pets pet supplies stores at major sites across the country, with the first opening in Telford in March. 29-Jan-2007 Marks & Spencer is to create more than 100 new jobs at a store due to open at the Westfield shopping centre in Derby in the autumn. 29-Jan-2007 Strada Restaurants is planning to open up to 30 new restaurants across England in 2007, with the creation of 900 jobs. 29-Jan-2007 Gap is planning to introduce its Banana Republic fashion chain to the UK by opening a store on London's Regent Street next year. 29-Jan-2007 Bhs is looking to double the size of its chain of 15 homewares-only stores, having appointed Harvey Spack Field to search for sites of about 30,000 sq ft. 29-Jan-2007 John Lewis has agreed to set up a 230,000 sq ft department store at the £500m Tithebarn scheme in Preston city centre. 29-Jan-2007 White Company is planning to expand its chain of 14 home accessories and clothing stores with three new sites this year. 29-Jan-2007 Hoss Intropia of Spain is planning to open up to six fashion stores in the UK, with the first opening on London's Regent Street in February. 29-Jan-2007 Murray Brothers is to close with the loss of 25 jobs at its Hawick-based giftware warehouse and shops. 26-Jan-2007 House of Fraser is to shed 180 support and back office jobs across the country, including ten at the Beatties department store in Wolverhampton. 26-Jan-2007 Matalan is to conduct a review of the distribution network for its clothing and homewares business, which could lead to the loss of up to 40 jobs in Knowsley and Skelmersdale. 24-Jan-2007 Barefruit Juice is planning to expand its chain of six juice bars to 60 over the next three years, having secured £1m in funding. 24-Jan-2007 Advantage West Midlands is to provide £9m of funding for the £60m redevelopment of Chelmsley Wood town centre near Solihull, including the refurbishment of the existing shopping centre. 23-Jan-2007 United Co-operatives is planning to expand its chain of 529 stores with 150 new outlets over the next three years, with £60m being spent on acquisitions and new stores and £80m on the refurbishment of existing sites. 22-Jan-2007 Debenhams is considering plans to open a department store in Harlow, as part of a 500,000 sq ft retail and leisure development being proposed by Harlow Council and English Partnerships. 22-Jan-2007 Specsavers is planning to open 30 new optical stores and 100 hearing centres across the country this year, with the creation of 400 jobs. 22-Jan-2007 Jane Norman is looking to expand its chain of 130 fashion stores with up to 100 new sites. 22-Jan-2007 Woolworths is said to be considering plans to close up to 200 of its 825 stores. 18-Jan-2007 Burberry, the fashion company, is planning to relocate its London headquarters from Haymarket to Horseferry Road next year. 17-Jan-2007 Starbucks is planning to expand its chain of 530 coffee shops by opening 50 new branches a year, including at least 20 in the South East. 16-Jan-2007 Gordons Chemists has acquired two new pharmacies in Northern Ireland and five in Scotland, taking its total chain to 52. 15-Jan-2007 Tesco is planning to shed up to 190 jobs at its finance centre in Cardiff, in order to transfer some administrative work to India. 15-Jan-2007 Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved plans for the development of a new £5m market hall in Blackburn town centre by 2009. 15-Jan-2007 AS Watson is to close its Savers distribution centre in Darlington this summer with the loss of 160 jobs, but staff will be given the chance to transfer to sites in Dunstable and Pontefract. 15-Jan-2007 Marks & Spencer is planning to spend up to £200m improving its environmental performance over the next five years, including a reduction in store and transport energy use. 15-Jan-2007 T-Mobile is planning to expand its chain of 250 mobile phone stores with up to 50 new sites this year. 15-Jan-2007 Mountain Warehouse is planning to expand its chain of 33 outdoor equipment stores to 80 by 2010. 15-Jan-2007 Daisy & Tom is to close its children's department stores in Manchester and Bluewater by the end of February. 15-Jan-2007 Sainsbury's is planning to spend up to £12m revamping its distribution centres over the next two years. 15-Jan-2007 Focus has appointed NM Rothschild to conduct a strategic review of its DIY retailing business, which could lead to a £250m sale. 15-Jan-2007 Kirklees Council is to consider plans from National Grid Property to build a retail park at the 3.2-hectare former gasworks site on St Andrew's Road in Huddersfield. 11-Jan-2007 Original Shoe Company is planning to close its Cumnock headquarters in Ayrshire with the loss of 98 jobs. 11-Jan-2007 Topps Tiles is planning to expand its chain of 278 tile stores with 23 new outlets by September, and hopes to reach 400 in the long-term. 11-Jan-2007 Dunelm is planning to expand its chain of 83 home furnishings stores with six new outlets this year. 10-Jan-2007 Majestic Wine is planning to expand its chain of 133 stores with ten new sites in 2007. 10-Jan-2007 Restaurant Group is planning to expand its chain of 270 restaurants with 35 new outlets in 2007, and has won a contract to operate four restaurants at Heathrow's new Terminal 5. 09-Jan-2007 Neath Port Talbot Council is inviting developers to submit proposals for the £40m transformation of a former civic centre in Neath into a 40m retail and leisure centre. 08-Jan-2007 Ikea is said to planning to set up a furniture superstore at the former Pirelli cable site in Southampton. 08-Jan-2007 Firkin Bakeries is to invest £2.5m in the refurbishment of its 53 bakery stores in the West Midlands. 08-Jan-2007 Cash Converters is planning to open a further 45 company-owned second-hand stores over the next five years. 08-Jan-2007 Hull City Council has awarded outline planning permission to Henderson Global Investors for the £300m Quay West retail development, including 60 shops, two department stores and a hotel, and construction is due to start in 2008. 08-Jan-2007 MediCare Pharmacy Group is to invest up to £20m in the expansion of its chain of 31 pharmacies in Northern Ireland by 2008, and has just acquired three Campbells Chemists outlets. 05-Jan-2007 Peakstore, the chain of outdoor clothing stores in Derby, Bakewell and Nottingham, is to close with the loss of 30 jobs. 04-Jan-2007 B&Q is to create 75 new jobs at its DIY store in North Tyneside in February, following a £3m extension project. 04-Jan-2007 Littlewoods Shop Direct is to close its Kays Catalogue warehouse at Lorne Street in Bolton in August, with the loss of 50 jobs. 02-Jan-2007 Adams Childrenswear is to be put up for sale by Bridgepoint Capital with an estimated price tag of £50m. 02-Jan-2007 Murphy & Nye is seeking suitable UK sites to open casual clothing stores, as part of an 80-store global expansion programme. 02-Jan-2007 She Runs He Runs is looking to open sports clothing stores in 10 shopping centres, having just opened its first in Bluewater. 02-Jan-2007 Subway is planning to expand its chain of 837 sandwich outlets to more than 2,000 in the UK and Ireland by 2010, and Colliers CRE is seeking suitable sites. 02-Jan-2007 American Apparel is planning to open at least three more clothing stores in the UK in 2007, and is particularly interested in Liverpool, Brighton and Glasgow. 02-Jan-2007 Aldi is planning to open 40 discount stores in 2007, to add to the existing 358 in the UK and Ireland. 02-Jan-2007 The information below comes from the UK Activity Report. Click here for further details Copyright UK Business Park 1995-2008