Retail
Delivering Success in a Changing Retail Landscape
Retail Trends in 2026
Navigate the UK retail market: key trends and opportunities revealed in our 2026 review.
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Retail is evolving at unprecedented speed. Companies in the retail sector are enhancing their capabilities to adapt to rapid changes and disruptions.
From the rise of omnichannel to shifting consumer expectations and sustainability demands, today’s retailers and investors face complex challenges and new opportunities at every turn.
Clients, including fashion, grocery, and leisure companies, are seeking support to future-proof their businesses and stay ahead of industry shifts.
Retail properties are dynamic environments where consumer engagement and operational efficiency intersect. We support acquisition, leasing, and operational management to help you maximise value at every stage.
Retail Challenges & Trends
Retailers and investors today face a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by economic, consumer, and operational pressures.
Key challenges include:
- Sustainability and regulatory pressures
- Rising costs and inflation
- Changing consumer behaviour
- Evolution of e-commerce
- Volatile consumer confidence
- AI and technology in retail operations
- Portfolio optimisation
- Cost and capital efficiency
- Supply chain and logistics pressures
- Operational efficiency
London’s Future: Driving Growth Across Real Estate
The Only Real Estate Advisors Covering Every Retail Sub-Sector
Our team delivers specialist support across every retail sector and property type, ensuring you benefit from deep market knowledge and tailored solutions.
Retail Real Estate Solutions for Investors, Occupiers, and Developers
Our Services: Investor
Capital Markets, Restructuring and M&A Advisory
Benefit from actionable insights, market intelligence, and expert consulting across investment strategies, transactions, and portfolio due diligence. Our team supports you through mergers and acquisitions and restructuring initiatives – helping you unlock opportunities, mitigate risk, and drive long-term value.
Valuation & Advisory Services
Delivering expert retail valuations across all UK sub-sectors, powered by local insight and national market intelligence to support confident decision-making.
Asset Management & Disposal Advisory
Whether you’re selling or purchasing retail real estate assets – from single properties to larger portfolios – our team advises on every step, including marketing, sourcing opportunities, and negotiating deals to ensure efficiency and optimal outcomes for your assets.
Retail Lease Advisory & Consultancy
Our experts offer tailored advice across high streets, shopping centres, out-of-town, and Central London retail, supporting you to secure favourable terms and maximise value.
Strategic Site & Market Identification
Pinpoint high-potential locations and markets that align with your investment objectives. Our advanced analytics and local market intelligence help you make confident decisions, reduce risk, and maximise returns.
Tenant Mix Strategy
Curate and implement optimal tenant mix and leasing strategies in shopping centres, retail parks, and managed estates. Our team ensures your assets attract the right tenants, drive footfall, and deliver sustained value.
Portfolio Strategy & Management
Maximise returns by rationalising your investment portfolio, managing lease events, and disposing of surplus retail leasehold assets. Our team provides strategic portfolio and lease event management for investors, ensuring your assets are efficiently optimised, marketed, and transacted to unlock capital and enhance overall portfolio performance.
Long-Term Investment Planning
Stay ahead of market shifts and emerging trends. We build robust, data-driven 3–5 year investment strategies, giving you a clear roadmap for sustainable growth and helping you capitalise on new opportunities early.
Our Services: Occupier
Retail Expansion Strategy & Planning
We help you develop a tailored strategy and timeline for growth, ensuring your expansion aligns with your business goals and market opportunities.
Retail Merger & Acquisitions
Our specialist team covers all retail sub-sectors, guiding you through every stage of the acquisition process – from reviewing property locations and leveraging landlord relationships to negotiating and executing deals. We also provide expert advice on rent reviews, lease renewals, and resolving lease-related disputes, ensuring your interests are protected and your transactions deliver optimal outcomes.
Brand Omni Channel Strategy
We take the time to understand your brand and the competitive landscape, ensuring your property strategy is properly aligned for success in today’s retail environment.
Portfolio & Lease Event Management
Effectively manage your property portfolio and lease events to optimise your store network, reduce costs, and support business growth. Our team helps occupiers identify opportunities for rationalisation, manage key lease milestones, and ensure your property strategy adapts to evolving market needs.
Location Strategy & Network Planning
Find sites that truly fit your brand, customer base, and operational needs. Our experts use data and local insights to ensure every new location supports your business goals and delivers measurable impact.
Retail Operation Transformation
Streamline your property network and optimise store footprints for scalable growth. We help you reduce costs, improve performance, and expand into new markets with confidence.
Future of Retail Retail Roadmap 2030
Receive actionable, analytics-backed 3–5 year plans that guide your market entry, optimisation, supply chain, and expansion. Our strategies adapt to your business lifecycle and the evolving retail landscape, so you’re always ready for what’s next.
Our Services: Developer
In-Depth Market Analysis
Support for retail development, including customer experience, shopping habits and retailer surveys, site reviews, and competitor benchmarking.
Shopping Centre Analysis
Recommendations on market positioning, retailer tenant mix optimisation, financial analysis, and concept design and brief.
Shopping Centre Planning
Strategies to achieve optimum customer flow and increase retailer interest and performance.
Enterprise Project Leasing
Identifying and connecting with suitable brands, retailers, project marketing, negotiating lease terms, and executing contracts.
Find Retail Property for Sale or Lease
Discover unique commercial retail properties across the UK. A portfolio of former branch properties are now available.
Easily find out-of-town retail properties available to rent in the UK with CBRE, the nation's largest commercial property solution provider.
Connect with CBRE Retail Experts
Drive success with strategic retail real estate solutions. Maximise your ROI with our data-driven insights and global network.
Related Insights
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CBRE’s latest UK Property Market Figures show diverging trends: office leasing down, logistics outperforming, retail investment falling, and Living resilient.
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CBRE’s UK Retail Generational Survey reveals Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials are reshaping retail, from store demand to experience and social-led discovery.
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UK commercial real estate investment totalled £11.1bn in Q1 2026. Living led volumes, followed by Offices and Retail.
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UK retail investment reached £1.5bn in Q1 2026, led by retail parks. Prime high streets saw rental growth, with demand focused on prime shopping centres.
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CBRE’s April Monthly Index shows stable capital values across all property, with rental growth of 0.1% and total returns of 0.4%.
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Discover key trends shaping Central London retail in H2 2025, from rising footfall and tight supply to rental growth and renewed investor confidence.
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CBRE’s latest UK Property Market Figures reveals office supply is falling, logistics strengthening, retail investment easing, and living showing recovery.
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While total year UK retail investment volumes fell by 10% in 2025, overall performance has improved. Explore the latest figures for UK retail market trends.
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CBRE's UK Prime Shopping Centre Leasing Trends highlights how key leasing dynamics across UK prime shopping centres have changed throughout recent years.
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Our 2026 Outlook highlights the key opportunities, considerations, and areas where value is expected to emerge. Explore sector‑by‑sector insights to help shape your strategy for the year ahead.
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Discover the evolving real estate market cycle for the year. Learn why elevated interest rates, income-driven returns, and proactive asset management are key. Explore growth in the living sector and data centers amidst improving financing conditions.
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Welcome to our 2025 UK Real Estate Market Outlook Mid-Year Review; in which we look back and evaluate our expectations for 2025 made at the beginning of this year.
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Gain key insights into the evolving UK retail park landscape with CBRE's latest report. This analysis delves into the key drivers shaping the subsector, providing valuable information for investors and occupiers navigating the current market.
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At first glance, the retail market may seem bleak. CBRE’s monthly index reveals that average retail rents are over 10% lower than a decade ago, and values over 30% lower.
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Article
How changes in omnichannel retail are shaping retail and logistics real estate
April 3, 2025
The UK’s online penetration rate has returned to trend in the post-pandemic period, and we are forecasting steady growth to continue.
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