Law firm shines in Kings Road lease negotiations

National law firm Lewis Hymanson Small (LHS) has helped leading jeweller Thomas Sabo open its first shop in the UK. Located on Chelsea's prestigious Kings Road, the shop marks the start of the sterling silver jeweller's national expansion plans as it looks to increase its market share throughout the UK. Thomas Sabo has 21 standalone boutiques and over 40 shop-in-shops across the world. Dr. Harald Winzer, managing director at Thomas Sabo UK, comments: "During the last four years, we have been successfully reaching UK consumers through concessions in renowned retailers including Harrods, House of Fraser and Selfridges. This has enabled us to firmly establish Thomas Sabo in the UK. "Opening our own shops will enable us to build on this successful entry to market by strengthening brand awareness and increasing product availability." LHS negotiated the 10 year lease agreement with retail leasing advisers Wilson McHardy. Anthony Sacks, partner at LHS, comments: "There is extremely high demand for properties in Kings Road and securing lease agreements is very competitive. We had to plan carefully and move quickly to ensure that we reached an agreement that suited all parties." Keith Wilson at Wilson McHardy adds: "There is a long waiting list of retailers for Kings Road properties and landlords are very prudent about which companies and brands they allow to let their premises. Interested parties need to ensure that they can make decisions quickly and clearly demonstrate their long-term business objectives. A well-planned marketing strategy can be very influential during negotiations." Thomas Sabo's Kings Road shop opened on 1st July 2007. The company is now looking at other potential retail outlets across London and the UK. Mr Winzer concludes: "Opening our first UK shop tops what has already been an exciting year for Thomas Sabo. Our new range of charms, which was launched last year, is selling extremely well. Furthermore, we have increased our target market following the introduction of our new Unisex collection. "Kings Road has an excellent reputation synonymous with our brand values and product quality. The new shop is perfectly positioned to serve our target market and will provide a good benchmark for the opening and running of future outlets in the UK. Our existing concessions will complement our growth strategy."