A strong industrial market in the North West has resulted in an increase in the development of distribution buildings across the area.

This is particularly apparent in the areas of Crewe, Middlewich and to the north and south of Warrington where demand continues to outstrip supply.

The high level of demand has seen a shift in the investment market, which has moved away from retail in favour of industrial property which continues to generate strong yields of between 6.00 and 7.00% for prime stock.

We are also seeing a growing number of speculative industrial developments, so would predict that the supply will eventually catch-up with this demand.

When looking at the retail market, location is key as many town centres have increasing voids as retailers favour out of town shopping outlets which can often prove challenging.

Chester is one example of this, with Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet booming as many shopper’s favour driving to the retail park rather than visiting the town centre.

Banks are also restructuring which is resulting in more empty town centre units as branches downsize or close completely.

Knutsford is one area in the North West which is bucking this trend and has a resilient retail market which continues to attract investors.

We have seen a former restaurant which would also suit a retail market achieve a number of strong offers.

We also have a prime property becoming available in Knutsford town centre in February 2019 which we expect to be extremely popular.

The large retail unit in Canute Place would be suitable for national or large regional companies, and while other towns may struggle to attract retailers of this scale, we are predicting high demand for the unit.

Good quality office stock in both town centres and suburbs across the North West is still in demand.

One success story of the North West is online beauty retailer The Hut Group which recently announced it has finalised a deal to develop one million square foot of office and studio space at Manchester’s Airport City.

It is reported that the total investment is set to be &750m over the next three years.

However, we are also seeing an increasing amount of developers converting office space into residential properties.

As this reduces the supply of office space available, we would expect the office market to strengthen once again and see more being built down the line.

So, while there has been a shift in market trends, it is clear that the property sector remains strong in the North West and there are still plenty of investors out there who are keen to invest in the area.

We have recently agreed several sales and lettings and require more properties to market.

for more information regarding commercial properties, please contact

simon.geary@fishergerman.co.uk tel: 01565 757977