Celebrating 35 years of GCW.

In 1989, as the Berlin Wall was ripped down signalling the end of the Cold War and beginning of a new era for Europe, three young surveyors left the big corporate companies, to set up their own firm, GCW, as an out-of-house property director service for retailers.

As the retail landscape has altered over the last 35 years, so to have GCW evolved and changed, embracing not only the progression of town centres, but the importance of place.

Throughout that time, accomplishments have been many, from gaining national clients, selling trophy assets, to growing and supporting their team, whose increasing numbers have triggered several upsizes to new office space. It is a proud boast that they have achieved an APC 100% pass rate with over 20 people and have supported Elifar for 25 years, and Pathways to Property for 10 years, through long-standing fundraising efforts.

Below, and opposite we look back at key company moments, hires, and world events that have shaped the last three and a half decades.

The early years.

The very day of the company launch on 17 July 1989 at the first office on 20 Welbeck St, GCW landed an instruction that would entirely impact the fledging business.

We never, just never dreamt we would get an instruction from Next, certainly not early doors. But that was our first, and it was a big high-profile sale that got us a lot of coverage and through it, we met a lot of people, says GCW co-founder David Gooch

who credits already established connections with the retailer for giving a ‘leg up’ to the new company, that included fellow co-founders Stuart Cunliffe, and Keith Whale.

In 1991, GCW moved to 2/3 Woodstock St, where Gooch, Cunliffe, Whale, and Nikki Robinson, the first staff member, were joined in 1992 by new partner Clive Gillingwater (now consultant) – the year the Channel Tunnel opened linking London to Paris.

1993 saw the first shopping centre instruction: the Peacocks Centre, Woking, and current managing partner, Duncan Kite becoming part of the team in 1994.

Tech ramps up.

The advancement of technology arrived with a ping in 1996, when GCW received its first email and later launched its website.

1996 also broke English hearts when they lost the English- hosted UEFA European Football Championships to old rivals Germany in the semi-finals.

Sport plays a prominent part in the company as evident in 1999, when GCW was instrumental in setting up The Elifar Challenge, cementing the company’s reputation as having, “a strong sport and fun bias,” says Gillingwater.

Gooch was a key figure in the launch of the foundation, that aims to improve the lives of disabled children and young adults. “It is a proud legacy,” he says.

An enduring legacy for London, was the official opening of the London Eye on the 31 December 1999, while the final 12 months of the 20th century saw GCW settled into a new home at 104 New Bond St, and with two new starts, Simon Horner, current partner, and Simon Morris, todays managing partner.

The new millenia.

As the new century was ushered in, the world sighed with relief that doomsday predictions of a Millennium bug didn’t wipe out global computer systems at the stroke of midnight ringing in the year 2000.

But the following year, the world came together in mourning as the two World Trade Centre towers were struck in New York, and 2,977 lives, from 102 countries were lost. Some industry commentators predicted it would be the end of skyscrapers.

You have very strong memories from each office, and the things that were happening, says Gooch. There was a Dixons store on New Bond St, and when the Twin Towers were hit we all left the office to go and stand outside the windows watching the TV.

Two years later, in 2003, the firm left New Bond St, for Allan House, 10 John Princes St.

Also in 2003, GCW launched its first newsletter, then a certain Mark Zuckerberg unveiled his own communication platform in 2004, Facebook, that would connect the globe through social media.

Retail starts to reposition.

GCW’s work and reputation gains momentum as Feltham wins the award for Best Town Centre Regeneration, 2006. The following year, it was appointed on Centre:MK, while HRG Queen Elizabeth II opens the Windsor, King Edward Court extension – now Windsor Yards, in 2008, the same year Nick Warr, current partner, joins the team.

This was when the growth of the internet started to highlight those companies which hadn’t moved with the times, with Woolworths one of the biggest victims. Even the magic of Harry Potter, and the final book hitting UK bookshelves in 2007, couldn’t help the retailer that first opened here in 1909.

Using it’s growing expertise, GCW worked to repurpose 27 Woolies stores, before it fell into administration, with all shops finally closing in 2009.

Our strengths have always lay around understanding that every location has an individual challenge. There is not a one-solution-fits- all, but we see only opportunities for clients, even in the most difficult situations says Simon Morris, managing partner.

GCW continued its passion for sport and giving back to the sector by doing the 3 Peaks Challenge and getting the Triathlon bug at the first King Sturge Property Triathlon, both in 2007, and continuing to lead with the Elifar Challenge.

Also taking place was the GCW Pooch Cunliffe Whale Stakes, in 2008, and the GCW vs TFL Cricket Match in 2009.

Olympic fever.

Bury saw The Rock opened in 2010, the same year Oli Horton, now partner joined, while in 2011 GCW bought a 1,000-bed student site at Westfield Stratford for student housing developer, Unite.

The scheme would be one of many to take place there as the transformation of Stratford into the Olympic site was full steam ahead preparing for the London 2012 Olympics, the following summer.

In Windsor, GCW sold King Edward Court, now Windsor Yards, for ￡104.7m in 2013, while Philippe Micheal, newly promoted partner, added to the growing team that moved offices to 7-10 Chandos St.

As GCW celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014, at Morzine, France, it began a decade long association working with Pathways to Property, led by the Reading Real Estate Foundation at the Henley Business School at the University of Reading.

The pivoting years.

GCW secured several ‘firsts’, with the launch of Loaf Shack in 2015 cementing a leasing partnership, the first Busy Bees deal, and the first hotel site for Moxy with 450 beds, Heathrow, both in 2016.

In 2015, GCW bought the Ashley Centre, Epsom for CBRE IM, sold Brixton Market on behalf of LAP in 2017, and brokered the sale of Edmonton Green for St Modwen in 2018.

Scheme accolades included Ipswich Sailmakers, and Bolton Market Place winning Revo Gold Awards for Best Refurbishments in 2016.

2018 was also a transformational period for GCW. As shoppers’ habits began to change, and the company took note of the desire for more leisure, F&B, and interactive entertainment. Getting ahead of the game, the firm branched into the alternative sectors and pivoted the business towards town centre uses.

We saw it was time to build on our many years of heritage as a retail agency, broadening our experience to take advantage of new and emerging sectors, says Duncan Kite, managing partner.

Success continued at Elifar, with GCW wins in 2015, 2017 & 2018. The team hit the hills once again for another 3 Peaks Challenge in 2017, and the Coast to Coast cycle, in 2019.

Two founders changed their roles, with Whale becoming a consultant in 2016, and Gooch saying goodbye to the business, retiring in 2019.

Success achieved through challenging times.

As Big Ben struck midnight, welcoming 2020, and Brexit officially set to happen on the 31st of January, whispers of a virus wreaking havoc in China were becoming louder. By late March, the Corona Virus was firmly on UK shores, prompting three national lockdowns over 12 months with retail and hospitality closures, restricted travel, working from home directives and social distancing in place.

But GCW carried on through the pandemic. It completed the Lockdown Challenge in 2020, where the team did 106 hours of continuous exercise, raising over ￡11,000 for Elifar, while the Paddle Challenge took place in 2021, raising a further ￡13,000 for the same charity.

In 2022, and after two years of remote working and lockdowns, a summer outing in Cornwall, brought everyone back together physically, building on a team spirit kept alive through mainly internet connections.

Business continued as key clients were still won, with the team appointed to represent AS Watson, owners of Superdrug and Savers, in 2021. Notable deals included Redhill, The Rise opening following GCW prelets anchored by The Light Cinema in 2023.

Basingstoke, Festival Place became the firm’s latest major leasing project in 2023, while significant milestones were reached with longstanding clients, 20 years working with JoJo Maman Bébé, and 30 years with LAP. King Charles III was also crowned, and Whale retired.

This year, 2024 saw Philippe Micheal promoted to new partner, and GCW launching its first Sustainability Action Plan, along with the Graduate Programme.

As GCW continues to grow, today with a team size of 25, the move to 50 Great Marlborough St, and more flexible offices in 2022 was the sixth in the company’s history allowing the space for further expansion in the decades to come.

What GCW has shown in the last 10 years is that it can adapt to a changing market, and I predict it will continue to grow and adapt, to enjoy its place as one of the leading town centre specialists, says Cunliffe.

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