By creating the space that today’s retailers need to showcase their brands, we achieved the highest level of lettings this year than in any other in Hammerson’s 75-year history and group occupancy is at a 17-year high at 98.3%. This activity contributed to a 6.5% uplift in Earnings Per Share, which has risen on average by 8.3% per annum over the past five years.
“Not all retail is equal and not all locations are well placed to support the future needs of brands. But with 440 million visitors a year, our unrivalled consumer insight and relationship with retailers ensures that we target the next generation of brands, as we proactively rotate retailers and expand winning formats. In this polarised retail market place, winning retailers increasingly choose our exceptional destinations to achieve their growth potential and so, our role as an expert operator of retail property is more significant than ever before.
“The highlight of 2017 was the announcement of our proposed acquisition of intu. In line with our strategy, the transaction will further enhance our portfolio and operating platform, providing further opportunity to expand in higher growth markets. We are on track with our acquisition timetable and integration planning.
“Our disciplined approach to capital recycling ensures we continually lift the overall quality of our portfolio and we are seeing clear investment demand for our well-managed properties. We have achieved £1.2bn of disposals over the last three years including £400m in 2017. Consumer confidence in France and Ireland is strong and our unique position in the premium outlets sector continues to deliver impressive growth, and today we announce further investment by increasing our stake in the internationally renowned Bicester Village to over 50%. Overall, we are in a strong position to respond to the current consumer conditions in the UK and our rigorous approach to the capital and asset management of our properties supports our confidence in generating future returns for our shareholders.”