TOM’S BEEN TO ICELAND

Harris Lamb has let the final unit on a Tipton trading estate to Iceland for its first UK dark store operation.

The frozen food retailer has taken on an 18,000 sq ft unit at the Link One Trading Estate in Great Bridge, which will be used as a warehouse for online order fulfilment.

Tom Morley, who oversaw the deal, said: “This is a great brand to join the existing companies located at Link One. The estate is well managed, and the units have all been refurbished to a high specification, making them very appealing given the current shortage of high quality industrial stock in the region. Add to that the site’s gated, has 24-hour CCTV security, and it’s easy to see why the units have been in very high demand.

“The real appeal for Iceland, though, was the estate’s prime strategic position, which makes it an ideal location for the retailer’s first dark store venture. The store won’t be open to the public, but the site’s excellent access links make it perfect for fulfiilling online orders.

“This has been a fast transaction for the business, which was keen to be in situ as soon as possible. The unit was placed under offer in May, with the deal completing within six weeks,” he added.

The unit, A1, was the last available unit on the estate.

The dark store is expected to be operational from next month.