J Sainsbury boosts QS framework to focus on major construction push

Retail client J Sainsbury has expanded its framework of QSs to work on its ambitious programme to add 5% extra floorspace a year to its portfolio of stores by 2011.

The new framework, which is believed to last two years and was announced by the client last month, includes big names Gardiner & Theobald, Turner & Townsend and EC Harris. This adds to incumbent framework consultants Henry Riley and Davis Langdon. Gleeds is understood to have bid for the deal unsuccessfully.

Sources on the new framework claim the new firms will be given a job each to start with as an initial challenge before being given further work.

The construction programme will be overseen by the group's recently appointed property director Peter Bagley, who joined from Boots. The 5% target, which would be equivalent to about 25 mid-sized stores, contrasts with Sainsbury's current practice. In 2005 the chain expanded floor space by 2%, with almost a quarter of that coming from extensions.

The big retailers have to keep rebranding... the consumer demand still appears to be there

Industry source

Other major retail clients such as Marks & Spencer also have bullish expansion plans. M&S is believed to be planning nearly 100 future schemes in the UK and Ireland, including the refurbishment and rebranding of 28 Iceland stores that the firm bought last month. Companies working on the programme include Davis Langdon, Gardiner & Theobald, Henry Riley, Currie & Brown, the Bruce Shaw Group and Gleeds.

A source at one of the firms said optimism was high amongst retailer despite "subdued" activity in the retail property market reported by an RICS report this week. The source said: "The big retailers have to keep rebranding to keep up with the competition. The consumer demand still appears to be there."

The RICS did report greater optimism voiced by retail surveyors for the market in 2006, with those surveyed claiming the market would stabilise this year after a flat second half of 2005.