Completely Retail & Leisure Marketplace has established itself as a key date in the property calendar and retail interest is on the rise.

With 40,000 sq ft of space dedicated to the event, which in April attracted 1,500 delegates, including 500 retailers, CRMP has rapidly become a highlight in the retail property calendar.

The digital revolution has ensured that retailing in the 21st century is in a constant state of flux. Yet while the pace of change may be daunting, one business fundamental remains as relevant now as it did to the early retail pioneers: location is everything. The shift towards multichannel retailing has not changed the fact that for a business of any size, getting the right shop in the perfect location is a make-or-break decision.

Turning this fundamental concept into a reality is not so easy. The key, even the smallest of business owners will tell you, is making those crucial connections in property circles: the landlords with the perfect space; the agents that can make it happen.

This is where Completely Retail & Leisure Marketplace (CRMP) comes in. For one day in September occupiers will stop running around the country on the lookout for stores, landlords will take a breather from showcasing their space, and the key players in the property market will block out their diaries and descend on London for a one-day, deal-making bonanza.

In the diary

With 40,000 sq ft of space dedicated to the event, which in April attracted 1,500 delegates, including 500 retailers, CRMP has rapidly become a highlight in the retail property calendar. Its evolution has been rapid. This month’s event will be only the fifth time CRMP has been held, yet already the format has been expanded to include leisure operators, and the event has outgrown its original venue.

Cushman & Wakefield out-of-town retail partner Andrew Collier says: “This event is now firmly in the retail property diaries as a biannual dealing forum. Cushman & Wakefield were early supporters and sponsors of the first event held at Old Spitalfields Market and it has since become an established event for landlords, retailers and agents alike across the retail and leisure sectors.”

After being held at London’s famous Old Spitalfields Market since its inception, this year’s spring event has moved to a new venue, the equally historic and illustrious Old Billingsgate market, overlooking the Thames by the iconic Monument pillar.

Now in its third year, the biannual event has made a name for itself during the toughest of financial times as a no-nonsense marketplace with one key objective: deals. A short, one-day burst of activity, organiser Completely Group says the key is that all of the frivolous dstractions have been stripped out so that retailers and landlords can get down to business.

Completely Group managing director Dom Millar says: “We know that people need value for money, especially in the market of the past few years. Everybody’s there, and everybody’s very focused on deals. Because of that it makes it a really efficient and effective day. It’s very intense; some people have 16 or 20 meetings in one day.”

Deal-making

It’s a day for the whole retail and leisure property world, but Millar says it’s the occupiers who are the priority. Entry is free for the first three delegates that retailers and leisure operators send along so that every incentive is offered to get the occupiers through the doors on the day. In April there were some 500 retailers together under one roof – a 50% increase from September 2013 – and Completely Group is expecting to top that number this time. “People vote with their feet,” says Millar. “If you speak to an agent they will say they can get three months’ worth of deals done in one go.”

As an agent this, says Collier, is what attracts him and so many others to the event, as well as an increasing presence of international brands whose eyes are trained on the UK market. He says: “One of the biggest successes for Completely Retail is its ability to attract a large number of retailers from the in-town and out-of-town markets and now a growing number of food and beverage occupiers as well as an increasing number of international occupiers.”

In recognition of the economic upturn and the growth in start-ups, a new format has been introduced this year. Soap Box (see box) is all about giving fledgling businesses or new UK entrants that crucial bit of early exposure to exactly the right crowd.

Millar says: “We got some great feedback from the event in the spring; a lot of the businesses who stood up got space out of it, and a lot of them asked if they could do it again. And this time everybody will be made aware of the event because with it being new not everybody was familiar with the idea.”

All of the marketing, stand design, food and beverage is laid on as part of the Marketplace, which Millar says is designed so that “all the delegates have to do is turn up and do deals”, and at the end of the day there is a reception where all participants can enjoy a well-earned drink overlooking the Thames.

CRMP doesn’t do all the work for a retailer, and for many it might be just the starting point on a long journey. But in such a competitive marketplace, it’s a rare opportunity to meet that invaluable contact or even find the dream store.

Soap Box

CRMP is hosting a special fringe event, the Soap Box, to give emerging brands the opportunity to pitch to the market and talk about themselves and the property they’re looking for.

CRMP is hosting a special fringe event, the Soap Box, to give emerging brands the opportunity to pitch to the market and talk about themselves and the property they’re looking for.

At its debut in April this year, Soap Box attracted more than 800 landlords and agents over two sessions, all keen to hear from some of the most exciting new brands. CRMP is expecting numbers to be even higher with several leisure brands already confirmed. These include Netto, Bubbleology, Pizza Pilgrims, Soupe Du Jour, The Fine Food Company, Tossed and Wok & Go.

Cushman & Wakefield out-of-town retail partner Andrew Collier says: “This was an innovative idea that Completely Retail launched at the last market. It gave a dozen new and expanding occupiers the chance to have their five minutes in the limelight when they were able to address an assembled field of agents and landlords and spell out their UK expansion plans.”

CRMP at a glance

Date: September 30, 2014 

Venue: Old Billingsgate Market 

Time: 9am to 7:30pm

  • The first biannual event was in 2013
  • Attendance is free for the first three delegates from an occupier
  • Delegates can register by visiting www.crmarketplace.co.uk