Why property strategy decides winners

A disciplined property strategy in retail and industrial organisations shapes growth, margin, and risk. Location and format choices decide catchment, delivery time, and labour access. Lease and capital settings determine flexibility in downturns and speed in upturns. When property, operations, and digital are aligned, the network becomes a flywheel for sales, working capital, and brand.

The modern Head of Property: scope and accountabilities

Portfolio optimisation that serves the customer and the P&L

• Network planning. Define the right mix of flagship, convenience, and outlet formats, plus industrial capacity for primary, secondary, and last mile. Model trade areas, cannibalisation and service-level targets.
• Cost of occupancy. Rebase rents, restructure leases, and renegotiate incentives. Use options, step-downs, and turnover rent where appropriate to match risk and demand cycles.
• Capital discipline. Rank projects by returns and risk. Stage work to protect cash in volatile periods and to preserve optionality if demand shifts.
• Performance governance. Maintain a single view of store and site performance, including contribution margin, inventory turns, and service levels. Close, resize, or repurpose underperforming space quickly.

ESG compliance that strengthens brand and finance

• Standards and ratings. Plan for NABERS, Green Star, and refrigeration standards where relevant. Set minimum design briefs for energy, water, and waste, and measure outcomes at handover.
• Decarbonisation roadmap. Electrify where feasible, deploy solar and storage on suitable sites, and migrate to low-GWP refrigerants. Address embodied carbon in fit-outs and major works.
• Supply chain and Scope 3. Include construction, maintenance, and logistics impacts in targets. Bake requirements into procurement and contractor management.
• Disclosure and funding. Prepare evidence for sustainability-linked financing and public reporting. Track asset-level data to support assurance.

Property innovation that creates value

• Format innovation. Use pop-ups, short tenure, and modular fit-outs for new catchments or seasonal demand. Trial dark stores, micro-fulfillment, and returns hubs where they accelerate delivery or reduce cost.
• Industrial productivity. Design for automation readiness in new sheds. Consider clear heights, floor loads, mezzanine allowances, charging infrastructure, and data backbones.
• Energy and revenue. Monetise rooftops with PPAs where viable. Optimise demand through load shifting and storage. Explore EV charging to support fleets and customers.
• Data rights and partnerships. Secure access to footfall, energy, and building systems data through leases. Build landlord partnerships that share upside and speed approvals.

The intersection of property strategy and omnichannel retailing

Omnichannel is a property strategy in retail and industrial settings as much as a marketing plan. Store networks double as fulfillment nodes, return centers, and media channels. Distribution networks anchor availability and delivery promises. The winning model is designed end-to-end.

Design principles

• Right place, right promise. Match store locations to click-and-collect, same-day, and next-day service areas. Position industrial nodes to reduce split shipments and inventory duplication.
• Store as mini DC. Fit for pick, pack, and staging, with safe back-of-house flows and secure handover points.
• Returns at speed. Plan front-of-house space and process for fast, low-friction returns that protect margin and loyalty.
• Inventory placement. Co-optimise allocation between stores and sheds. Use property and transport cost to decide the cheapest path to service level.
• Curbside and convenience. Design bays, wayfinding, and dwell rules so collection works at peak without disrupting trade.

Governance and risk that boards expect

• Integrated planning. Align property with strategy, finance, digital, and supply chain. Keep a live roadmap that shows trade-offs and triggers for action.
• Controls and compliance. Treat safety, refrigeration integrity, and building systems security as non-negotiable. Test incident response and vendor recovery.
• Capital stewardship. Use stage gates, independent cost checks, and clear decision rights. Protect optionality on large projects with phased approvals.
• Community and social licence. Engage early with councils and neighbours. Evidence of traffic, noise, and waste controls. Link community outcomes to the brand.

Capability profile for Heads of Property we place

• Commercial depth in leasing, development and asset management
• Literacy across energy, refrigeration and building services, with credible ESG delivery
• Network modelling and location analytics
• Major project governance and supplier leadership
• Cross-functional influence with COO, CFO, Chief Digital Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer
• Clear communication under scrutiny

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How does Galvin-Rowley Executive deliver executive search for senior property leaders?

We define the capability that fits your strategy, then run a disciplined search across Heads of Property, Network Strategy, Development and ESG property specialists. Our shortlists balance cultural fit with governance and delivery track record, supported by market mapping, benchmarking and reference-led assessment.

Can you assess candidates on ESG delivery, not just intent?

Yes. We test practical literacy in ratings such as NABERS and Green Star, energy and refrigeration settings, and decarbonisation roadmaps. We seek evidence of asset-level and portfolio outcomes and verify claims with data and referencing.

Do you provide interim leadership or board and committee appointments with property and ESG expertise?

Yes. We maintain a bench of interim Heads of Property, Development Directors, and major program leads, and we conduct board and committee searches when property, infrastructure, or sustainability capability is needed. This gives you continuity and strengthens governance during transformation.

What is the first step in turning property into a company strategy?

Start with a capability and network review. We will identify gaps, quick wins, and a plan for the next two quarters, including interim cover where needed, then agree on the brief, assessment approach, and stakeholder plan.

How Galvin Rowley Executive supports clients

We deliver board, executive, and interim appointments that align leadership to strategy and reduce hiring risk. For property and network roles, we add market mapping, benchmarking, and reference-led assessment to ensure the hire is set up to deliver.

Contact our team today