High-flying Heron seeks more stores

Retail specialists Johnson Fellows has been set the task by a leading food retailer of finding up to 30 new stores in the West Midlands to support its ambitious expansion programme.

The Birmingham-based chartered surveyors have been retained as agents in the Midlands on behalf of family-owned food retailer Heron Foods who currently operate from around 170 stores in the North of England and the Midlands and employ around 1,800 people.

Johnson Fellows’ agency partner Chris Gaskell said the company had been asked to target West Midlands suburbs where Heron Foods currently has no presence. Sites of 3,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft, in prime, secondary or estate locations, which are close to transport links and other retailers are being sought.

The company will consider development sites including pubs, libraries, garages and PFS, either leasehold or freehold.

Chris said: “Heron Foods is a very well established food retailer. It is an ambitious company that is keen to grow and is therefore considering expanding across the West Midlands region. They have plans to launch around 30 new stores and we are delighted to be able to provide the support they need in terms of locating the right properties at the right locations.”

Heron Foods’ estates director Jonathan Laverack said: “Heron is looking to open 20 to 30 new stores, either freehold or leasehold, in the next twelve months. We are looking for High Street locations, district centres and busy secondary locations in all towns in the West Midlands.

“Ideally, we’d like shops of around 3,500 sq ft although we will look at larger or smaller stores in the right location. We are also quite happy to consider development sites and conversions, especially pubs in estate locations. Our standard store fit is of high standard and is bound to increase the investment value of the stores we occupy on a leasehold basis.”

Johnson Fellows is a commercial retail agency established in 1984, working on acquisition and disposal instructions in England and Wales. The company has assisted in the expansion of retailers from their initial units through to being national multiples.

The practice encompasses several specialist departments and acts for a variety of clients including retailers, investors, developers, financiers and occupiers of commercial property. It specialises in providing professional advice, current market information, guidance through the constantly changing laws and statutes which govern the use of property and, above all, in providing a service which seeks to achieve the optimum commercial outcome for clients. Its team of dedicated surveyors advises many of the UK’s national multiple retailers on a nationwide basis.