Retail for sale

The property comprises a substantial town centre retail parade with significant frontages onto Fore Street and Aylmer Square. Occupiers include H Samuel, Specsavers and Argos together with Boots and WHSmith which have been sold off on long leases
Executive Summary
47/49 Aylmer Square extends to 838.2sqm (9,022sq ft) over ground floor and is held on a full repairing and insuring head lease to Argos Limited expiring 7th August 2028 at a passing rent of £49,000p.a.x. Argos Limited, formerly known as Argos Distributors Limited, has an annual turnover of approximately £4.2 billion as of the latest financial data. This significant revenue highlights Argos as one of the major players in the UK retail market, specializing in non-specialized retail sales through its various catalog and online platforms. The company has integrated many of its standalone stores into Sainsbury's supermarkets following its acquisition by Sainsbury's in 2016, with no Sainsbury’s within the town, there is still significant demand to hold a stand alone Argos store.
37 Fore Street is formed over ground (1,188sq ft), basement (218sq ft) and first floor (337sq ft) held on a full repairing and insuring head lease expiring 10th April 2028 to Signet Trading Ltd t/a H. Samuel at a passing rent of £14,100p.a.x The tenant has a break option in April 2026.
39 Fore Street is formed over ground (1,240sq ft), lower ground (131sq ft) and first floor (347sq ft) held on a full repairing and insuring head lease expiring 28th September 2026 to Specsavers Optical Superstores ltd at a passing rent of £18,850p.a.x The tenant has a break option in April 2026. Specsavers Optical Superstores Ltd reported an annual turnover of £3.42 billion for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2023. This marks a slight increase of 1.1% from the previous year's turnover of £3.39 billion. Despite this increase in revenue, the company's operating profit decreased by 39%, from £453 million to £326 million, due to efforts to mitigate inflationary pressures and avoid significant price hikes for customers. As of 2024, Specsavers operates approximately 1,000 stores in the UK. This milestone marks a significant growth for the company, which has been expanding steadily since it first opened a practice in Bristol 40 years ago
1 Aylmer Square, occupied by W.H Smith, is held on a 99yr ground lease expiring 28th September 2079 at a passing rent of £1 per annum
29 & 31 Fore Street, occupied by Boots, is held on a 99yr ground lease expiring 9th November 3010 at a passing rent of £1 per annum