British Land and Aviva Investors have signed Marks and Spencer for 122,000 sq ft of space in the former Debenhams store at SouthGate Bath, the city’s prime open-air retail-led destination. Following recent deals with Zara (32,000 sq ft), Rituals (1,200 sq ft), and Sunglass Hut (1,042 sq ft), the scheme is now fully let.

The new M&S store will deliver a food hall, as well as the retailer’s extensive clothing and beauty ranges.

This news follows a number of other recent lettings British Land has signed with Marks and Spencer including upsizes at Doncaster and Swindon totalling 94,000 sq ft.

Darren Richards, Head of Real Estate at British Land, commented: “SouthGate’s prominent city centre location and strong national transport links create a compelling offer for our occupiers, and following this letting we are delighted that the scheme is now fully let.

“Marks and Spencer is a great retailer with whom we continue to work closely as they expand their offer across our retail portfolio. They will be a brilliant addition to the strong line up at SouthGate.”

Julian Cobourne, Head of Regional Investment Management at Aviva Investors, commented: “We are incredibly pleased, both to welcome a brand such as Marks and Spencer to SouthGate, as well as having reached the point of full-occupancy. Bath remains a thriving destination in the south west of England and it is great to see this continuing to be reflected in the quality of companies represented across the scheme.”

Will Smith, Property Director at M&S, commented: “Our customers want to shop in modern stores, with the right space in the right locations and with strong parking and public transport options. The Bath City centre site provides all of this.

Our recent city centre relocations and renewals have already shown strong performance and we are confident that customers in Bath will be impressed with a new store that is fit for the future and guarantees M&S will remain in Bath City Centre for many years to come.”

Owned jointly by British Land and Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc, SouthGate is situated in the heart of the city centre, located next to Bath’s main rail and bus terminals. The scheme benefits from exceptional transport links to London, the South West and South Wales.

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About British Land

British Land is a UK commercial property company focused on real estate sectors with the strongest operational fundamentals: London campuses, retail parks, and London urban logistics. We own or manage a portfolio valued at £13.0bn (British Land share: £8.7bn) as at 31 March 2024.

Our purpose is to create and manage Places People Prefer – outstanding places that deliver positive outcomes for all our stakeholders on a long term, sustainable basis. We do this by leveraging our best in class platform and proven expertise in development, repositioning and active asset management.

We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to manage our business in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Our approach to sustainability is focused on three pillars: Greener Spaces, Thriving Places and Responsible Choices.

Read more about us at www.britishland.com.