Savills has built what it terms a "people-led, insight-driven" boutique global retail advisory team as it targets surging investment into consumer-facing retail, leisure and food and beverage, as well as an explosion of new entrants to leading international markets.
The drive is being led by the co-heads of its prime global retail team – Sam Foyle and Anthony Selwyn - who are masterminding the move from its headquarters just off Oxford Street in London.
Foyle says the strategy was drawn up with the support of Savills' leadership in the midst of the pandemic.
"This has been planned for a long time. With stores closing and struggling during Covid, the Board believed in retail and committed to keeping our bench strength and match-fit. That belief is paying off now as retail is back. Oxford Street voids are at sub 1%, and it is similar in Milan and Paris. Investors are back in force and we have retained and are building the team to respond."
The opportunity is huge: Savills estimates that global capital deployment into the sector surged in 2025, racing to €340 billion over the first nine months of 2025, a 13% year-on-year lift on full-year 2024 and a four-year high.
There has also been a spike in international entrants into Europe, with Savills counting 81 international new brands, retailers or food and beverage concepts over the course of last year. That has led to 114 stores in 17 cities.
A headline move occurred at the end of last year, when Savills launched a United States retail advisory services platform to be led by three former CBRE executives.
It is headed by Todd Siegel, as president, United States Retail. He will focus on growing the retail advisory group across the country and will collaborate with the rest of Savills' global retail team, which has offices in markets in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Based in Chicago, Siegel is accompanied by executive managing director Phillip Golding and corporate managing director Kimberly Wiskup.
It is branching out in Europe, too, especially at the higher end: in November Amanda Vissia joined as a director focused on international luxury retailers and based in Milan. She is leading representation for them across Europe, while also focusing on hubs in the US, Middle East and Asia.
In December Savills recruited David Close as director of EMEA retail tenant representation. He has 20 years of experience advising global brands across European markets on many of the world’s leading luxury retail streets – including the Champs-Élysées in Paris, Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona, Via Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Regent Street, London and Calle Serrano in Madrid.
Foyle says the focus has been on creating a team that understands the nuances of how "place, brand, and experience intersect".
He adds that the boutique model allows the business to stay agile, while the global reach ensures clients benefit from a cross-border overview.
Selwyn adds: "It is often about understanding the brands, and not just their projected turnover, but the ethos of the brand to find the best scenarios."
Foyle says the key thing has been to get the "right characters in roles" and then create consistency in the data and research. "We have teams that understand the local nuances and can deep dive into the dynamics but are also able to extrapolate global data. That means we can create bespoke reports and advice for retailers or landlords."
Critical to this, the duo says, is global director of research Marie Hickey, who often travels with the pair as they meet with clients across the world.
Selwyn says Savills is aiming to create a go-to global boutique retail adviser, especially for the principal shopping streets and retail markets.
He points to the luxury furniture and hospitality business RH, which it helped move into Milan, the Champs-Élysées and Madrid's high-end Salamanca district, as well as London's Burlington Gardens in Mayfair and the Cotswolds in the UK.
While European-origin brands continue to dominate regionally – accounting for 56% of new entrant store openings – US retailers, including food and beverage concepts and fashion brands, now represent the single largest international origin market, responsible for 25% of all new openings across the continent, an increase from 14% in 2024.
Among the US brands expanding in Europe, the pair flags Love Shack Fancy, Janie and Jack, Khaite and Veronica Beard. Savills reports that there has also been a retail boom in New York, particularly along Madison Avenue, with international luxury names such as Loewe and Goyard expanding their presence, alongside strong momentum from US brands including Cult Gaia and Vince.
The adviser sees the Middle East as a major opportunity for global retailers. With the United Arab Emirates recording the world’s highest growth high-net-worth individuals in 2024, Savills has highlighted the region as the fastest-growing opportunity for luxury brands. Dubai ranks highest in the latest Savills Dynamic Wealth Indices, which highlights the global cities that attract and develop wealth and investment from individuals and businesses.
A big target is also the US, where retail vacancy rates hit an historic low of 4.7% last year. Savills says there is strong demand across all categories – including discount, beauty, athleisure, luxury, sport and fashion – which has driven this growth.
Asia, and in particular India, are also also increasingly strong global retail markets, the duo says.
Selwyn says: "This is an opportunity to follow clients' growth on a global scale and match their ambitions."