What makes a retail property valuable today? The answer increasingly depends on who you ask. Traditionally, retail property conversations have centred on familiar fundamentals: location, rent, footfall and covenant. Those... Published: October 23, 2026 Real Estate Advisory London Fitzrovia Traditionally, retail property conversations have centred on familiar fundamentals: location, rent, footfall and covenant. Those fundamentals still matter, but following a decade where online growth has dominated the conversation, retailers are asking different questions about what physical space needs to achieve. As a result, investors and landlords are also having to think differently about what makes a good asset. Prime is a matter of perspective Location decisions no longer follow a simple high street versus out-of-town split, it depends on the brand and its customers. A location can look attractive to an investor on paper but make little sense for the retailer and customer. Equally, an unconventional location can prove strategically valuable for the right brand. It's easy to forget that seven in every ten pounds of retail spend is still in-store or 'offline' and for most brands the physical store is a critical part of the overall brand experience. With younger customers increasingly valuing real-world experiences, physical retail is giving customers something that online can't. Retailers have the opportunity to build human interaction and community through increasingly creative in-store experiences, leading smaller brands to deliberately choose destinations traditional property thinking wouldn't immediately consider. If the role of the store has evolved, the criteria used to select and value property should change with it. But this raises the question whether retailers and investors are looking for the same things. Is the value in the tenant or the building? For retailers, value comes from finding a space that reaches the right customers, supports the brand and works alongside online sales. Investors are weighing a different mix of factors: the tenant's financial strength, the quality and location of the building, and its potential to attract another occupier in the future. Different investors also have different priorities, from reliable long-term income to the opportunity to improve, reposition or redevelop a property. Five investors could therefore look at the same vacant unit and have very different perspectives on whether the value is in the tenant, the location or what the building could become in the future. Better data drives better decisions More detailed data is helping retailers and investors assess locations, customer demand and future potential with greater precision. AI could make that analysis faster and more accessible, allowing decision-makers to compare a wider range of opportunities. So, for how long will local knowledge, relationships and commercial judgement still shape the final decision? It's against this backdrop that FRP Advisory Group'll be exploring 'Retail Real Estate: Property as a strategy, not an overhead' at FRP's upcoming Retail Conference. Together with its panel of retail and property experts, where long-term value sits, and how data, AI and changing consumer behaviour are reshaping property decisions. If you'd like to join FRP Advisory Group, you can find out more and register your interest here.

Debrett's appoints ex-FRP partner to lead new debt advisory team. Simon Sherliker brings over 20 years of experience across banking, debt advisory and corporate finance Debrett's has announced the appointment of Simon Sherliker, a former debt advisory partner at FRP Corporate Finance, to lead its newly launched debt advisory team alongside senior director Umito Choji as part of an expansion to its corporate finance practice. Subscription required Become a subscriber today Select a plan Choose billing Unlock benefits Secure payment Instant access Published: 4h ago

Moves and promotions - week of 21 September, 2026. Moves and promotions at Opus, Howes Percival, Ropes & Gray, and more. Mark Boast has been promoted to Partner within the Restructuring & Insolvency division at Opus Advisory Group. Read more. Katie James has joined Howes Percival in Oxford as a Partner (Insolvency & Corporate Recovery). Katie was previously with Shakespeare Martineau. Read more. Edward Downer has joined Ropes & Gray as a Partner in the London business restructuring group. Edward was previously with Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Read more. Clare Coyle has been promoted to Insolvency Manager at JT Maxwell. Luqmaan Said has joined FRP Advisory in London as an Insolvency Administrator. Luqmaan was previously with Crowe Ireland. Sarah Mower has joined Birketts in Ipswich as an Insolvency & Business Recovery Senior Associate. Sarah was previously with Barker Gotelee Solicitors. Chloe Ball has joined Burges Salmon as a Senior Associate in the Restructuring and Insolvency team based in London. Chloe was previously with Freshfields. Jan Ortonowski has started a new position as an Associate (Business Restructuring & Reorganization) at Jones Day. The Institute for Turnaround celebrates 25 years, having held its first Annual General Meeting in September 2001. This means 25 years of accrediting, connecting and championing the work of turnaround professionals. Read more.