Wing Yip appoints property consultancy to manage its operational portfolio

Britain’s biggest Chinese supermarket group, Birmingham-based Wing Yip, has appointed commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) to manage its four business centres.

The Oriental food specialist has also asked LSH to take on facilities management for its distribution hub in Birmingham and its superstores, which are located at its business centres in Cricklewood, Croydon, Manchester and Birmingham.

The appointment to provide property management services across the portfolio follows Wing Yip’s decision to outsource all property matters so that it can focus solely on running its business.

Nigel Foster, head of property and asset management at LSH Birmingham, said it was now working with Henry Yap, property director of Wing Yip, to ensure the smooth transition and management of the properties, which total 965,000 sq ft across 22 acres.

“We are thrilled to be instructed by Wing Yip to manage its business centres and to undertake the facilities management provision of its distribution hub and supermarkets,” he said.

“It is a significant portfolio from the country’s biggest Oriental superstore chain and it is testament to LSH’s reputation for excellence in these fields that Wing Yip has appointed us. We’re looking forward to working closely with Henry and his management team.”

Henry Yap said: “We are delighted to be working with Lambert Smith Hampton to place the property and facilities management of our sites and property investments on a professional footing. This will provide us with economies of scale and allows us to focus on our core commercial activities as well as to develop the strategic plans for our business.”

LSH was introduced to Wing Yip, a family-owned business that was established nearly 50 years ago, through Andrew Cook, a consultant who has been advising Wing Yip for more than 20 years.

All four business centres provide specialist services to both the Chinese and non-Chinese communities. Tenants include the Bank of East Asia, HSBC, as well as professional services such as legal and accountancy firms, plus travel operators, bakers and restaurants.

The Wing Yip business continues to grow, and it has recently refurbished its Birmingham head office, warehouse and national distribution centre with almost 200,000 sq ft of selling and storage space across the 10-acre site. Its Manchester and Cricklewood stores have also undergone transformation to offer improved shopping facilities.

The company employs more than 360 people.