Retailer Marks & Spencer has taken additional space in Yorkshire less than two years after opening its 1.1 million sq ft mega shed in Bradford.
M&S has taken CBRE Global Investors 647,000 sq ft warehouse facility at Sheffield International Rail Freight Terminal in South Yorkshire to allow it to fulfil its supply chain objectives first mooted in 2008.
An M&S spokesperson said: “To achieve our aim we needed to move the non-merchandising equipment to another facility. We will transfer the visual merchandise, store equipment and home furniture offering to Sheffield.”
The Bradford facility will focus on ambient food, clothing and home products as an RDC in the North – one of the three core hubs from which M&S is re-invigorating its supply chain.
The retailer has only been searching for additional space in the region since September and the deal has been concluded in just ten weeks. Only existing buildings were considered: these included Evander and Anglesea Capital’s 550,000 sq ft facility at its 1.4 million sq ft Sherburn Distribution Park near Leeds and SEGRO and Moorfield’s 412,000 sq ft LPP Sheffield warehouse formerly known as Blade that was developed by Gazeley. SIRFT is located approximately 1 mile from both Junctions 33 and 34 of the M1 motorway.
The facility, which is made up of two combined warehouses, has been let on a ten-year full repairing and insuring lease. The quoting rent for the building was £4.50 per sq ft. It boasts 15 metre haunch height and 50 kN/sq m floor loading.
There are a range of environmentally sustainable initiatives included in the specification including solar panel water heating system and grey water recycling. The units benefit from two 420 metre rail sidings to the rear thus allowing multi modal freight movements.
It is anticipated that more than 300 jobs will be created when the distribution centre is open.
Moriarty & Company, GVA, Jones Lang LaSalle and Commercial Property Partners acted for CBRE Global Investors. Cushman and Wakefield acted for M&S.
