Retailers at Bluewater shopping centre are demanding that their rents are not increased in their second review at the centre, taking place this year, as trading continues to prove tough.

The retailers concerned are fearful of similar or worse rent increases to those experienced at the centre five years ago. It is understood that the increases – by landlord Lend Lease – were between 150 and 200 per cent for some retailers .

One retailer with a store at Bluewater told Retail Week: “We will be fighting tooth and nail not to have an increase.”

The retailer said the landlord needed to be sympathetic to the pressures its tenants are under.

The source said: “At our first review, our rent doubled. I don’t think the market could sustain that [today].”

Lend Lease head of leasing Russell Loveland said that rental increases are almost always a fact of life for retailers in any shopping centre. He would not comment on whether Bluewater would give in to its tenants’ demands, but did not rule holding the rents out.

“There shouldn’t be any surprises for retailers,” Loveland said. “I’m disappointed some retailers feel this way, because we work very closely with them through a dedicated retail marketing manager. The rents will be what they’ll be; it’s not a case of forcing rises.”

Bluewater has an average occupier turnover of 30 tenants a year. With new retailers continually coming into the centre, existing tenants’ rents can get forced up dramatically.

The shopping centre has about 12 vacant units at present and other retailers including Mosaic brand Nine West and Envy also want to leave their units in the centre. Lend Lease also has six new deals in solicitors’ hands.

Cushman & Wakefield director Toby Comerford said: “The problem is that someone will come in and pay what it takes to get a unit and the resultant increase can be catastrophic for the other tenants already in, because Lend Lease can prove uplift.”

Bluewater, which opened in 1999, has recently signed Cross as a tenant.

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