The S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI for February was 46.9, a 14-month low and in line with weak demand and weak confidence.

British Chambers of Commerce slashed its GDP forecast for the UK economy to just 0.9% in 2025, well below its 1.3% January forecast.

British Retail Consortium reports that shop prices fell by 0.7% y/y in February, driven by a 2.1% drop in non-food prices.

Bridgewater Shopping Centre in Erskine is being marketed for c.£21m, equating to a net initial yield of 8.16%.

Net lending to UK commercial real estate in January was £917m, down from £1.28bn in December.

Boots UK is set to be sold to US private equity firm Sycamore Partners, which raises questions about the future of its almost 2,000 stores across the UK.

Pepco Group is “actively exploring” a sale of Poundland & Dealz as it moves towards a simpler business model focused on its higher-margin Pepco brand.

Greggs has reported record sales in 2024, surpassing £2bn for the first time. It is now targeting 3,000 stores (currently 2,600).

The UK government has announced that it plans to end the centuries-old leasehold system in England and Wales and adopt commonhold as the default tenure. It will involve an outright ban on new leasehold developments.

Dandara Living has agreed a partnership with Malaysian real estate developer GAMUDA LAND to develop a 492-bed PBSA scheme in Glasgow.

A JV between Legal & General, PGGM and Nest pensions has agreed a deal with developer RENAKER to forward fund 494 BTR homes at Deansgate Square, Manchester.

By law the UK must reach "net zero" by 2050. The recent Climate Change Committee guidance reported that 80% of cars will need to be electric and 50% of homes will need to be powered by heat pumps, alongside lower meat and dairy intake to meet such a challenging target.

Mark Charlton – Real Estate Research Consultant at Waypoint