Market Visits

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Danish Design and Hygge Homeware - variety store trends in the UK

Josh reviews the grand opening of Søstrene Grene in Leeds along with other Danish brands taking the UK by storm. Who could be next?

Published 17th March 2025 • Tags market-visits
Oxford Street Reinvented

Ben recently took to Oxford Street to ask the question "can it make sense to have 4 stores in the same vicinity, no matter how strong that Retail Place is?"

Published 14th August 2024 • Tags market-visits, geodata
Debenhams: Two years (& two months on)

Over two years since the physical presence of Debenhams on our high streets ended, we review 126 units they left vacant. What’s become of them?

Published 2nd August 2023 • Tags market-visits, geodata
The Importance of Site Visits for Location Planners

While data driven insights are essential, site visits are indispensable for Location Planning. Alison interviewed our Location Planners to find out why we do them and 10 top tips that might help you next time.

Published 1st June 2023 • Tags market-visits, team-thoughts
A visit to Rossmann

Rossmann - the place to buy your health & beauty, children's toys, cat food, chia seeds, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and some boxer shorts...

Published 20th March 2023 • Tags market-visits
New towns are not built too often in the UK: Exploring Sherford

The UK is known for its many historic towns but new towns are occasionally built. Sarah explores Sherford which welcomed its first residents in 2017.

Published 17th January 2023 • Tags geodata, market-visits
Gymshark's Regent Street Flagship is definitely worth the weight

Imogen & Rachel recently visited the flagship Gymshark on London's Regent Street. They review their full experience; from a workout in the Sweat Room to a Joe & The Juice shake.

Published 19th December 2022 • Tags market-visits
Is the opening of the first Warsaw Uniqlo the icing on the cake in changing retail trends in Poland?

Uniqlo opens its doors in Poland. Jacek visited the new store in Warsaw and shares his excitement about the potential shift in retail trends the country is experiencing.

Published 2nd November 2022 • Tags international, market-visits
Inside the Corner Store - ALDI Melbourne

While Rachel was in Australia working on a client project she took time out to explore Melbourne CBD and visited the new ALDI format Corner Store.

Published 24th October 2022 • Tags market-visits, team-thoughts
Experiencing IKEA’s First City Centre Store in China

This summer Coco had her first business trip back to Shanghai, one of the key things she ticked off right upon arrival was to visit the IKEA Jing’an City Store.

Published 7th September 2022 • Tags market-visits
Filling the gaps with {mydentist}

How Europe’s biggest dental provider uses GEOLYTIX MAPP to manage their network of practices and target the most appropriate opportunities for growth.

Published 24th August 2022 • Tags market-visits, geodata, mapp
Where the FAANGs live.

Blair visited Battersea Power Station over the weekend and shared some of his thoughts.

Published 22nd August 2022 • Tags market-visits, team-thoughts
The Sweeter Side of Life

Rachel suggests a sweet spot to visit in St Albans, The Waffle House. We recently supported their team with customer and location analysis.

Published 18th August 2022 • Tags market-visits
LondonShuffle

Six years ago we had a team social to a newly opened Shuffleboard club called LondonShuffle. We were delighted to support them recently with some location data and analysis.

Published 27th July 2022 • Tags team-thoughts, geodata, market-visits
Providing The Original Factory Shop with the tools to make Informed Network Expansion Decisions

The Original Factory Shop were looking for a forecast model and network blueprint to help guide their latest phase of new store expansion across the UK. GEOLYTIX rose to the challenge of forecasting sales for this bargain retailer with a somewhat unusual store portfolio.

Published 22nd June 2022 • Tags market-visits
Welcome to Oxygen!

Back at the beginning of April we were invited to embrace our inner children and bounce our way around Oxygen Freejumping at the O2.

Published 18th May 2022 • Tags market-visits, our-team
Pop Up Horsham –helping pandemic entrepreneurs reinvent the high street.

Kate visited Pop Up Horsham, a council led scheme aimed at helping both reinvent the high street whilst supporting local small businesses created during Lockdown...

Published 18th November 2021 • Tags market-visits
My Reading Roadtrip with Geolytix

In September, back when days were longer and the weather a little warmer, Jasper and a few of the team headed out to Reading for a site visit. He writes about the day below...

Published 9th November 2021 • Tags market-visits
Ready, set, 'GetGo'

Last week Tesco opened its first checkout-free store, 'GetGo' in High Holborn. We couldn't pass up the opportunity for a site visit!

Published 26th October 2021 • Tags market-visits
Marugame Udon - Liverpool Street’s new lunch and evening spot

Last week, Jas, Chris and Kate were fortunate enough to be invited to the soft opening of Marugame Udon, an authentic Japanese Udon restaurant, located a short walk from Liverpool St Station in London.

Published 29th July 2021 • Tags market-visits
Will large malls be replaced by smaller, more convenient venues in Poland?

As the world is slowly coming out of lockdown, we have been lucky enough to go on real site visits again; this week Jacek discusses his site visit in Warsaw!

Published 10th June 2021 • Tags market-visits
Need a site visit fix?

2020 was a year without travel, and in an industry where site visits are part of the job, we were restricted to site visits from a laptop! As the world is slowly coming out of lockdown, our location planners based in Australia have been lucky enough to go on real site visits again!

Published 22nd April 2021 • Tags market-visits
Chocolat: At home and abroad!

Valentine's is a peak in the chocolate gift-giving season (Xmas-through-Easter) and even Hotel Chocolat’s “Chocolate Metropolis” in Leeds was beginning to run out!

Published 14th February 2020 • Tags market-visits
Aldi in Shanghai

Aldi opened it's first store in China on the 7th June 2019 in Shanghai after it launched an e-commerce platform on Alibaba’s Tmall Global in April 2017.

Published 10th February 2020 • Tags market-visits
India Retail Landscape… A decade on

How exciting to be back in India, and particularly Mumbai, after almost a decade away.

Published 30th October 2019 • Tags market-visits, team-thoughts
Paris Retail Landscape – First Impression

I was always intrigued by the breath-taking history and the industry-leading fashion Paris presents to the world.

Published 14th October 2019 • Tags market-visits
Blackwell’s and the book buying experience

A well-stocked bookshop, with the scent of new paper and an adventure on every shelf, has been a staple of the British high street for hundreds of years.

Published 9th September 2019 • Tags market-visits
How a fruit and veg supplier won my heart

I am a reluctant online shopper. I enjoy the actual shopping experience – choosing goods there and then and getting them immediately without expected delivery time.

Published 22nd July 2019 • Tags team-thoughts, market-visits
Lush and the war on plastic

Until 12 months ago Lush wasn’t on my radar.

Published 29th June 2019 • Tags market-visits
Geolytix in Dubai

It has the aquarium, the waterfall, the ice-rink and of course the towering Burj Khalifa as a neighbour.

Published 11th June 2019 • Tags market-visits
Shanghai – A Flagship City

From a fishing village in the 11th Century, to the world’s busiest port today, Shanghai has long been synonymous with international trade and commerce.

Published 11th March 2019 • Tags team-thoughts, market-visits
From Ahmedabad to Zibo

It’s gone unbelievably quickly but we are now six months in to our Asia Pacific adventure with Geolytix offices now up and running in Tokyo and Shanghai.

Published 18th May 2018 • Tags our-team, market-visits
Creamstastic: An explosion of ice cream parlours

Ice cream parlours make me think of a Sunday afternoon, currant tea cake, jersey ice cream and miniature train ride at Charlottes in West Yorkshire. Times have changed.

Published 9th December 2017 • Tags market-visits
European Fast Fashion Sweeping the West End

In my June blog, I discussed my view on the future of Oxford Street, coming to the conclusion that although it faced some challenges, it was still an attractive shopping destination that would remain strong well into the future.

Published 17th October 2017 • Tags market-visits
The changing face of Enfield. Ditching mainstream fashion for wine tasting, a pedicure and a Cuban night

I moved to Enfield 13 years ago, leaving Crouch End to take advantage of the lower house prices.

Published 24th July 2017 • Tags team-thoughts, market-visits
The Future of Oxford Street: Strength to Strength or Fighting for Survival?

London’s Oxford Street is one of the busiest shopping destinations in the world with a history stretching back well over 100 years.

Published 6th June 2017 • Tags team-thoughts, market-visits
Fresh Trader: Can a wholesaler succeed on the high street?

We welcome back Angela, our guest blogger, who shares her view on a different kind of grocery store…

Published 14th March 2017 • Tags market-visits, team-thoughts
Birmingham New Street/Grand Central: A space fit for the 21st century

On a fleeting visit to Birmingham I had some time to explore the redeveloped area at Grand Central/ New Street station.

Published 3rd March 2017 • Tags market-visits
Bunnings first UK opening: An Aussie sausage sizzle in the snow

The shake up of the UK DIY sector recently got underway in St Albans with the opening of the first UK Bunnings.

Published 21st February 2017 • Tags market-visits
Smiles and Giggles = Smiggle

We’re excited to post our first guest blog. Angela shares her take on one of the new retailers to hit the UK…

Published 6th February 2017 • Tags market-visits
The Dining Club – IKEA

“It doesn’t matter what you make, it’s the people that are the best ingredients.”

Published 10th November 2016 • Tags market-visits
Veggie Pret – Not just for Veggie’s

During the month of June Pret A Manger opened a pop-up vegetarian store – not a ‘new concept store’, they acknowledged.

Published 14th July 2016 • Tags market-visits
Iceland Food Warehouse – Old Kent Road

It has been a hot topic in the industry for a while that the discounters are continuing to grow in popularity and share of market spend.

Published 23rd September 2015 • Tags market-visits
The air is better up here – Trampoline parks

Trampoline parks seem to be taking the UK by storm, they are opening all over. So Geolytix decided to have a team afternoon at Oxygen Free Jumping in Acton.

Published 9th September 2015 • Tags market-visits
Good Evenings at Pret a Manger

In April of this year when Pret a Manger on The Strand introduced Good Evenings it went against the definition of their name.

Published 28th August 2015 • Tags market-visits
Shop in shop: The Google Shop

If you go down to Tottenham Court Road today you’re sure of a big surprise. Those familiar Google colours have come down to earth at the Currys PC World store.

Published 9th June 2015 • Tags market-visits
Home of Smart Shopping

I’m going to be honest I never went to a Netto when they were previously around in the UK during my school years.

Published 24th January 2015 • Tags market-visits
1000th Holland and Barrett store

At a time when high street stores are still at risk of closure following the turbulent economic climate of recent years, what is Holland & Barrett’s secret?

Published 29th October 2014 • Tags market-visits
The Latest Phenomenon: Pop-Up Shops

Flash retailing has become a popular concept. This is a new breed of pop-up shops, far from the tacky, messy seasonal shops that appear around a festive holiday.

Published 21st February 2014 • Tags market-visits
Food is the Focus and the new Warehouse style Morrisons store

Morrisons recently opened a refreshingly innovative store that encourages good old fashioned food shopping in a clear yet theatrical fashion.

Published 13th January 2014 • Tags market-visits
New Destination Format Tesco combines High Street feel with Supermarket experience

There is much to be said for Tesco's new approach to out of town shopping.

Published 13th August 2013 • Tags market-visits