Loft Design by…, the Paris-based luxury fashion brand, has secured an assignment of the lease at 36 Marylebone High Street, London from L’Artisan Parfumeur who are relocating to Covent Garden.
Advised by twentyretail, Loft Design by… has taken the 1,300sq ft retail unit for its second site, following the opening of its first boutique on Westbourne Grove in May 2009.
Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, Loft Design By… is a brand with a long-established reputation for quality; it is a collection of essential casual wear for men, women and children with a focus on understated elegance. The tailoring is primarily simple with interesting detailing and the palette largely consists of neutral shades of cream, white and grey.
Loft Design By… is looking to open further boutiques in London this year, following the opening of the Marylebone High Street site in May 2010.

Leeds most celebrated up-market shopping destination, Victoria Quarter has announced record footfall during December 2009. More than 1.1 million people visited the centre for the traditional Christmas shopping month showing an increase of 16.6 per cent on 2008. Indeed the figure represents the best ever footfall in the 20 years history of the centre.
John Bade, Centre Director said: “These are unprecedented figures in what is clearly a very difficult trading market for retailers. When monitoring daily footfall we found very different trends from previous years. Usually there are highs and lows with early and last-minute shoppers but this year was more plateaued with a steady stream week on week.”
Victoria Quarter owner Bank of Ireland Private Banking attributes these figures to a much more considered approach to shopping by customers who are buying less on impulse and more on pre-determination. Asset Manager, Michael Pettibone said: “We are delighted to achieve record footfall. This is testament to the prominence of the centre and our marketing drive to deliver for our retailers. The customers that we deliver intend to purchase.”

Buyers have shown increased appetite for pub and restaurant assets largely driven by the continued restriction of debt availability, as their smaller lot sizes make them easier to finance. According to international property advisor Savills, the licensed retail sector has seen income returns averaging 6.8 per cent pa, over the past three years, exceeding the six per cent achieved for ‘all property’.
Savills reports that the well publicised difficulties in the tenanted pub sector has resulted in a divergence in pub and restaurant yields. Prime yields are now at 6.5 per cent for pubs and six per cent for restaurants with Central London pub investments achieving between five and six per cent. The firm forecasts a further 50 basis point hardening in both areas over the next six months. Pub properties like JD Wetherspoon have been traded at between 6.25 and 7.5 per cent which represents a 125 basis point spread on macro locations.
Enterprise Inns maximised sale and leaseback value with the sale of some of some of its London pubs at auction in the last quarter of this year achieving an average yield of 5.79 per cent. These were subject to 35-year leases granted back to Enterprise with sale prices averaging £1.96M.

Innovative and upmarket salon operator Sean Hanna is to continue to expand his UK presence with a further five new salon units planned in the next 18-24 months - Hanna already has eight eponymous salons around London including a new one in Putney, five more in South London, one in Surrey and one in Cambridge.
Stephen Kane & Company is finalising a deal for a unit in Bristol and has been given instructions to commence searching for a further four locations with a focus on the Home Counties.
Hanna, whose company has just won the Best Group Salon of the Year title at the Fellowship of British Hair Artists Awards, intends a ‘measured approach’ to brand expansion. He has developed a comprehensive training programme and only allows staff whom have worked for him for about 18 months or more to take on a franchise.
He comments: “We have a strong and creative customer service-focused brand and are creating a dynamic salon format that underscores that ethos. Our expansion plan is designed to be take the business forward strategically in key locations where the client profile and footfall are right.”