Retail in fashion as Allsop auction raises £63m

Allsop raised £63m at its December auction selling 82% of lots offered.

Despite ongoing market uncertainty, Allsop said the auction was again marked by strong investor appetite for well-priced assets, with retail premises proving to be especially in demand. Some £44m of sales generated came from retail assets.

Partner and auctioneer George Walker said: “We continue to operate in a highly unstable market as the UK enters the next, pre-vaccine stage of the pandemic, and there remains little clarity on Brexit. In spite of this, our auctions remain a solid route for willing sellers, enabling them to tap into a pool of buyers chasing yield and opportunity.”

Notable lots sold include parade of 14 shops and 18 flats (pictured) near Ruislip Manor station, currently let at £479,424 pa. It sold prior to the auction for £10m off a guide of £8m. A riverside pub located in a covetable setting in Chiswick, overlooking the River Thames, received 188 bids and sold at £2.8m – a 4.25% yield – while a Grade II listed freehold shopping parade in Chester exceeded its guide price of £3.9m.

Allsop said it had raised £424m across its auctions since the beginning of the year, down from £437m in 2019.

Its next commercial auction takes place on 3 February.

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