Tag Archives: Market Walk

unit to let

Quarterbridge Commercial Director, Hayden Ferriby gives you his top tips for successfully letting market units.

 

Letting units in any market hall can be very tough going, regardless of the location. As with all property lettings, there are key points to follow to ensure presentation is excellent to attract the perfect business to your market.

The appearance – sell the vision

It goes without saying that high levels of cleanliness and maintenance should be upheld within your market; make sure the unit you wish to let is the same. Remember, you are selling a prospective business their new home – not everyone has the foresight to imagine how a unit could look when occupied, and not just how it looks as an empty shell.

 

  • An unused unit is a magnet for children’s rides, rubbish and other tenants’ old stock – make sure it is kept clear, clean and presentable
  • Undertake minor repairs – small, simple fixes can make the world of difference Make sure the unit number is visible
  • Turn the lights on, ensuring all the bulbs work!

If there is any equipment being let with the unit (coldroom, serve-over counters, for example), check they are fully functioning, are odour free and clean. Ideally, ensure they are serviced and the service history is up-to-date. This will make life much easier for the incoming tenant.

Advertising – find the right tenant

Gone are the days that passive advertising alone will find you the perfect business for your market. These days, market managers need to go out knocking on doors to attract the best businesses – though luckily there are ways of doing this ‘virtually’ to save both your time and shoe leather.

 

  • Decide on the user clauses you wish to attract to your market – set yourself a goal and don’t just accept the first business that comes along. Prepare to be flexible though – you never know when someone will come up with a completely different idea that will be perfect for you.
  • Use social media to advertise for new businesses. It is free, easy to use and wide reaching across age ranges, demographics and geographical areas.
  • Facebook advertising is cheap, easy to control and simple to use. This can help you reach out to thousands of people for very small outlay.
  • Use internet search engines to source contact information for local and regional businesses that fit your user clause aspirations. Write to them all, showing how your market would be the perfect home for them. If possible, include some well-taken photos of the unit and the market hall. Describe the fantastic environment they will be joining and sing the praises of the events you run. Remember to follow up with an email or letter.

And very importantly… make sure you put a big, bold To Let board up in the unit with the correct contact information on!

The process – keep it simple

Once you’ve found the perfect business to fill your empty unit, you need to take them through the lettings process. You will need to advise them on whether they are signing a lease or licence, what documents they need to provide, deposits to make and how long the process will take. Even if you have gone through the process hundreds of times and it seems simple to you, remember this will be an exciting but probably anxious time for the applicant so explain everything clearly and make them feel at ease throughout. Having worked with many markets across the UK, we know that the lettings process varies from one market to another with some markets even including elements such as approval of an applicant by all existing market traders. Whatever your lettings process, ensure it is as seamless as possible by adopting the following points:

 

  • Simplify the process as much as possible.
  • Make a step-by-step applicant’s guide to the process.
  • Include an explanation of key phrases such as ‘licence’ or ‘service charge’ – this is especially useful when dealing with start-up businesses.
  • Keep in regular contact with the applicant and let them know how their application is progressing.

Woking Market Walk

 

Since opening with a grand launch weekend at the beginning of October, 2014, the first few months operating Market Walk in Woking have been exciting times.

Through our dedicated management company, Woking Market Company Ltd, Quarterbridge have operated and asset-managed the new covered market development set in the heart of Woking’s retail centre. Open seven days a week, housing 15 permanent kiosks and 7 pop-ups, Market Walk is well-situated between Woking’s two shopping centres, Wolsey Place and The Peacocks.

100% let by Quarterbridge

The market was 100% let by Quarterbridge prior to opening and it successfully provides a key home for independent retailers ranging from fresh produce to flowers and catering to crafts. It is these independent retailers that make Market Walk a popular shopping destination, attracting an average 67,000 shoppers per week.

The management team is a combination of on-site management and operatives combined with head office support for marketing and administrative duties. It is this team that have guided the market through its fit-out phase, an exciting launch and a busy (though late starting) Christmas period into the first quarter of a New Year.

Market walk is a great example of collaboration between public and private sectors

Market Walk enjoys a rare position for a market in the UK, benefitting from the combined purchasing power and operational services of both the Council and shopping centre management by Woking Shopping. We can access services supplied from both parties to ensure areas such as 24/7 security and cleaning services are provided for the best value. The development of this market is a great example of a combination of a local authority financial and community investment combined with private sector experience from both the markets and shopping centre industries.

Early success for tenants

Although the market hasn’t been open long, during this short period we have already seen our tenants develop and expand. We are excited to see how they will continue to develop their businesses and how best we can support them.

News-Cutting the ribbon

Market Walk, Woking’s new covered Market was opened on 4th October at a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by the Mayor Tony Branagan accompanied by his wife. Also present were (on the left) local MP Jonathan Lord, together with Councillor Gary Elson.

15 fully-equipped lock-up kiosks which offer food, catering and specialist offers.

The new Covered Market replaces the Open Market on Victoria Way due to be closed for redevelopment in the New Year and has been created from the cavernous walkway which formerly separated the Wolsey Place and Peacocks Shopping Centres. A new mezzanine floor has been built to create backup storage and provide space for preparation areas and coldrooms. The walkway is now lined lined with 15 fully-equipped lock-up kiosks which offer food, catering and specialist offers – with a funky new ‘Mood ceiling’ with constantly changing LED lights.

Market Walk also offers gazebo stalls for Casual stallholders and trades 7-days per week. Traders on the old Open Market have been promised they can remain trading through the Christmas period and Woking’s popular monthly Farmers Market continues to stand on Jubilee Square, at the end of Market Walk.

The new Market is a key element of ambitious plans to revitalise the Town Centre.

Councillor Kingsbury said: ‘Thanks to the Council’s continuing investment we’ve breathed life into a drab and unoccupied part of the town to the benefit of both Traders and Visitors – and above all, Woking.’

The Market was designed by Quarterbridge working in conjunction with Benoy Architects. Quarterbridge have also provided the staff and set up a new management company to operate the Market on behalf of Woking Council.

Jonathan Owen of Quarterbridge said: ‘Demand for kiosks and stalls has been excellent and we’ve opened fully-let. This new Market enables independent businesses to trade in a prime location at modest cost and shows how Markets still deliver the variety and footfall lost from so many Town Centres. Mary Portas – please note’.

The new Market includes two Catering units, a Butcher, Baker, Fishmonger and Florist.

Quarterbridge lettings department can be reached on 01206 761000.

News-Market walk artist impression

The £4 million project forms part of wider Town Centre improvements by the Borough Council.

Councillors had a first glimpse of the new Covered Market in Woking earlier this month. The £4 million project forms part of wider Town Centre improvements by the Borough Council which include refurbishing the 1970’s Wolsey Place Shopping Centre and repaving Commercial Way, the retail heart of Woking.

The new covered Market Walk replaces the existing Open Market on Victoria Way due to be replaced with a new Hotel, Offices and Apartments as part of the improvements, but Councillors have promised existing Traders the current Market will remain open for Christmas trading.

Councillors were shown around by Council Officers and Quarterbridge who designed the new facility in conjunction with Benoy Architects. Quarterbridge is also providing interim management services through a new operating Company, Woking Market Ltd.

A new mezzanine floor was installed to create for backup storage accessed directly off the Shopping centre’s service yard.

The new Market has been built in the double-height walkway previously separating Wolsey Place from the adjacent Peacocks Shopping Centre. A new mezzanine floor was installed to create backup storage accessed directly off the Shopping centre’s service yard. It is equipped with coldrooms for fresh food uses and ambient storage cages for others. The ground floor walkway beneath has been repaved and 15 lockup kiosks provided, ranging from 750 to 1800 sq ft. Two of these are fully-equipped for catering with designated seating areas and three others fitted-out with fridges and display counters for a Butcher, Delicatessen and Fishmonger. The remainder are equipped with lighting, heating and standing-out display areas for greengrocery, florists and fashion sales.

15 lockup kiosks provided, ranging from 750 to 1800 sq ft.

Hayden Ferriby, Lettings Director for Quarterbridge said: ‘Demand for the kiosks has been excellent – too much in fact, but that’s a nice problem to have. It’s still a Market offering low-cost premises for Stallholders and excellent value for Shoppers. This investment will strengthen and diversify the town centre’s retail offer and help Stallholders keep pace with the multiples’.

Market Walk will trade 7-days per week and include a further 7 demountable daystalls for ‘casual’ traders in addition to the monthly Farmers and Specialist Market on Jubilee Square. Traders facilities are a vast improvement and include on-site preparation rooms, WC’s, data cabling and a state-of-the-art ‘Mood ceiling’ with background lighting which changes colour!

Quarterbridge lettings can be contacted on 01206 761000 or via their website: www.quarterbridge.co.uk