Stärka, the leisure and real estate advisory business, has been appointed by Gravity, the active entertainment and leisure company, to secure a series of new sites in the UK and internationally.
Stärka is seeking sites of between 50,000sq ft to 100,000sq ft-plus in prime UK cities, leading regional destinations and internationally, with a focus on dominant shopping centres and large mixed-use schemes to add to Gravity’s existing domestic portfolio of 17 sites.
A focus will be predominantly on supporting the expansion of Gravity’s Gravity Max concept, which includes e-karting, bowling, urban golf and a modern F&B offering with a bar concept and live entertainment. This was successfully launched in Wandsworth London in August 2020, with Liverpool One and Westfield Stratford expected to open this year.
In February 2023, Gravity announced it had secured £30m of investment from Sculptor Real Estate, the property arm of NYSE-listed Sculptor Capital Management, inc (NYSE: SCU). This funding is allowing Gravity, which was founded by Harvey Jenkinson, Michael Harrison, and Simon Whicker in 2014, to bring forward its plans to ramp up expansion and refurbish existing Gravity Active sites to enhance the customer experience. It also recently opened a franchise site in Mauritius, and a second location in Saudi Arabia.
David Bell, co-Founder of Stärka, said: “Gravity has transformed the experiential leisure sector in the UK, fast becoming one of the most in-demand brands among landlords and consumers alike, and there are still locations in the UK that would be perfect for Gravity Max.
“The opportunity in the UK and internationally is significant, with Gravity’s longevity, creativity and adaptability the perfect concept for cities globally. With Sculptor Real Estate’s backing the vision from Michael and Harvey, we have a fantastic proposition.”
Harvey Jenkinson, co-founder and CEO, said: “We are delighted to appoint Stärka to help us in our growth journey. Stärka is a leading industry specialist and a trusted partner to find the best sites for us to continue our growth momentum.”
Over the past 12 months, Stärka has been instrumental in a large number of significant transactions and re-gears totalling over 400,000sq ft and secured new clients, including Everyman Cinema, Blacklock, Bundobust, Parthian Climbing, Oxygen FreeJumping and Bean Coffee. The number of landlord mandates has grown to include Grosvenor, DTZ IM, Schroders and DS Properties.
