Aurora Fashions outsources property function to Harper Dennis Hobbs

The property firm will “provide full property services to Coast, Oasis, Warehouse and Karen Millen” as part of its new Corporate Outsourced Real Estate (Core) Management team, which has been set up to provide outsourced property functions for retailers with portfolios of to 100 stores.

Aurora group property director Ian Dudley has joined Harper Dennis Hobbs to head up the “groundbreaking” Core division.

Mike Shearwood, chief executive of Aurora, which is in the process of a demerger, said: “This provides the perfect solution for our brands and other speciality retailers to utilise the expertise of this team who have achieved some excellent and innovative property solutions in the last year.”

Harper Dennis Hobbs chief executive David Harper said: “The retail landscape is changing fast and as such retailers, and their store portfolio requirements, are changing with them. With retailers now focusing on quality of locations rather than quantity it’s more important than ever that they make the most informed choices with their stores to ensure the best stores in the best locations to suit their brand.

“Our new team can come in to assist smaller retailers who may find this important challenge daunting, giving them access to both cost savings advice and global property expertise.”

Harper Dennis Hobbs said that the service would allow retailers to “benefit from the support and expertise of a senior experienced property team without the specialist requirement of dedicated internal resource”.

The Core team will also offer international property expertise.