Global real estate advisor, CBRE, has been appointed to work alongside FHP on a joint agency basis to support in continuing Derbion’s progressive leasing strategy, optimising the offer from its current retailers while attracting exciting new brands, food and beverage and leisure occupiers to the tenant mix.
The CBRE team is made up of Stephen Proudley, Emi Turner, Amy Carroll and Lucia Sanderson, who bring 46 years’ combined experience across the Central London and regional markets. CBRE’s Shopping Centre Leasing team boasts significant experience on major regional shopping centres across the breadth and depth of the UK, and forms part of the firm’s wider 120-strong UK retail team.
Over the last four years, Derbion – which sits at the heart of Derby City Centre – has undergone an extensive repositioning and growth strategy.
Derbion has benefited from circa £35m-worth of retailer investment in new stores, refits and upsizes since 2021 and is attracting footfall of more than 15m visitors a year. CBRE will make use of the centre’s customer insight and data to attract new retail occupiers, while also enhancing Derbion’s leisure facilities to ensure the centre continues to offer a full family day out.
This year alone, it has welcomed new occupiers including Castore and White Stuff, while new brands and existing retailers, including JD, Superdrug, Ann Summers and New Look, have recently invested in refits and upsizes, to create an enhanced shopping environment with customers benefiting from better store layouts, more interactive experiences as well as increased product ranges.
Derbion has also curated a strong F&B line up with a variety of grab-and-go options, restaurants and cafes for visitors to choose from. Meanwhile, the shopping centre’s leisure operators, which include Showcase Cinema de Lux, Paradise Island Adventure Golf, Hollywood Bowl and the 640-seat Derby Theatre, help to attract visitors from across the East Midlands.
An additional project is also underway to create a new eastern entrance to Derbion via the £4m Eastern Gateway project. Part-funded by the government’s Future High Streets Fund, this will create a new façade and urban garden to better connect Derbion with Derby city centre.
Michael Boundy, director – asset management at Derbion, said: “Supported by trusted advisers, our best in class on-site team has enabled us to move quickly over recent years and take an agile approach to everything from marketing and operations to leasing and strategic planning. This has resulted in an increased market share and significant growth. With CBRE on board we hope to take this approach to a new level as we broaden our offer for customers through new and exciting openings and expanded stores.”
Stephen Proudley, head of Northern retail at CBRE said: “By drawing on CBRE’s teams in Manchester, Birmingham and London, we can leverage our breadth of expertise to deliver best-in-class retail and leisure leasing advice for Derbion. Alongside a wider asset management strategy that goes beyond just retail, this ensures an integrated approach and provides our clients with access to the wider CBRE service offering.”
