Solid leasing momentum continues at Intu

Intu Properties added Hotel Chocolat, Mitsubishi, The Florist and House to its list of new lessees on Thursday, as it told the market of ongoing momentum in its retail leasing following its April trading update.

The FTSE 250 firm said luxury chocolatier and cocoa grower Hotel Chocolat was opening a 1,797 square foot cafe store at Intu Derby.

Hotel Chocolat already had eight stores across Intu's portfolio of retail and leisure destinations, including at Lakeside and the Trafford Centre.

Mitsubishi Motors had signed up with intu to open its first-ever retail store at Intu Lakeside in Essex.

The firm said the new store concept, designed by London-based creative agency Dalziel & Pow, would feature the marque’s latest vehicles, and would include interactive digital displays inviting customers to discover more about the brand and its model range.

Meanwhile, work was currently underway on a 175,000 square foot leisure development at Lakeside, which would include brands such as Flip Out, Puttshack, Nickelodeon and Hollywood Bowl.

The new development would be the first retail resort concept for the South East, and would bring in customers from further and for longer while helping all retailers flourish.

At Intu Watford, New World Trading Company had chosen to open its latest venture, The Florist, with a 9,030 square foot unit.

The new signing would complement the £180m refurbishment and extension project at the centre.

Intu said The Florist would offer deli, rotisserie and grilled food, with the development project at intu Watford creating an enlarged 1.4 million square foot retail and leisure destination upon opening later in the year.

It would also include a nine-screen IMAX cinema, Hollywood Bowl and 11 new restaurants.

The company said more than two thirds of the retail and leisure extension at Intu Watford was now let.

Australian retailer, House, was the final new announcement, opening its sixth UK store at Intu Chapelfield as it worked with the landlord to expand across the country.

House's 2,441 square foot store would sit alongside other international retailers including Hollister, Smiggle and Timberland.

Accessories brand Skinny Dip also opened one of its first bricks-and-mortar stores there last year.

“Retailers continue to gravitate towards our prime, high footfall destinations that together are visited by over half the UK's population every year,” said chief executive David Fischel.

“We are seeing the continuation of two key trends: great new brands making Intu centres their first port of call as they expand their physical presence, and established retailers upsizing their units to create flagship locations that form a centrepiece of their multichannel strategy.”