Woolworths

Some investors have taken stocking up on essential items to a whole new level by buying entire “pandemic-proof” supermarkets.

A Torquay supermarket fresh from a $5 million upgrade has hit the market to test the level of interest in “recession-proof” retail assets.

The long-running stoush between the country’s largest listed pub landlord ALE Property and its tenant, the Woolworths-backed ALH, is back on despite appearing to have been settled in September.

In one of the most significant property deals since the coronavirus crisis struck David Jones parent company, Woolworths Holdings, has gone into exclusive talks with property firm Charter Hall about the sale of its Elizabeth Street site in the Sydney CBD.

The country’s largest listed pub landlord ALE Property Group has failed to win hoped-for increases in rent from the Woolworths-backed ALH Group, with a long-running dispute between the pair resulting in only limited rises.

Retail and industrial are dominating interest in NSW’s commercial property market, with the two asset classes making up nine of the top 10 most-viewed properties over the past week.

The landlord to some of Australia’s most famous pubs is charging full rent to tenant Woolworths-backed ALH Group and has boosted the value of its portfolio despite the coronavirus pandemic closing the doors of famed Victorian venues including Melbourne’s Young & Jackson Hotel.

A Woolworths-anchored mall in Melbourne has been snapped up by a Sydney investor for a cool $21.3 million – a deal that shows investor appetite remains strong, according to industry experts.

Woolworths is set to build a new supermarket in Glen Iris, following the sale of a prominent commercial site currently home to household name Arnott’s Biscuits.