Zip World

Start Date

December 2024

Services Provided

Consultancy, Facilities Management

Overview

Zip World appointed Clarity to provide Property and Facilities Management services for their first site outside Wales, located at the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London.

As a new entrant to the London market, Zip World sought a trusted, hands-on partner who understood the local landscape and could manage all property and facilities elements — allowing them to focus on their core business: delivering a world-class attraction and guest experience.

Clarity was selected through a competitive tender process, winning the appointment over some of the UK’s largest facilities management providers. The decision was driven by Clarity’s personal, transparent approach and our proven technical capability, demonstrated through the successful delivery of a pre-lease condition survey that gave Zip World a detailed understanding of the asset before occupation.

Under Clarity’s management, we deliver security, cleaning, technical services, and health & safety oversight across the site, ensuring safe, compliant, and guest-ready operations year-round.

Pre-lease Condition Survey

Before lease completion, Zip World instructed us to undertake a comprehensive condition survey of the building fabric and technical systems to support discussions with the landlord.

Our in-house technical team conducted a non-intrusive survey across all accessible areas, capturing over 200 individual assets compared with only 41 previously reported by the incumbent surveyors.

The assessment identified:

  • Significant wear and end-of-life issues across key systems (lifts, UPS, BMS, fire alarms, and hose reels).
  • Fabric deterioration, corrosion, and water ingress in multiple areas.
  • Potential compliance risks affecting safety and operational continuity.

These findings enabled Zip World to:

  • Accurately assess operational and financial risk prior to lease commitment.
  • Strengthened negotiations with the landlord on asset responsibilities, enabling major items to be repaired or replaced before lease commencement — saving Zip World a significant amount of money.
  • Develop a targeted maintenance and investment plan aligned with guest-experience priorities.

The Condition Survey Outcome Report became a core due diligence document, informing Zip World’s lease position and ongoing asset management strategy.

Lifecycle Strategy and Maintenance Planning

Once appointed, we carried out a full lifecycle review in-house to interpret the lease mechanics and help Zip World model future capital-planning options.

Our analysis highlighted two potential strategic approaches:

  1. Minimal Annual Spend – maintain assets year by year without exceeding cumulative allowances.
  2. Front-Loaded Investment – invest earlier to trigger landlord contributions under the lifecycle mechanism.

We advised Zip World on how to balance maintenance, cost exposure, and operational reliability by linking lifecycle spend directly to risk, guest experience, and long-term asset performance.

This guidance has enabled Zip World’s finance and operations teams to plan proactively, align expenditure with business priorities, and ensure compliance with the lease structure while protecting the guest experience.

Outcome

Through Clarity’s technical insight and practical delivery:

  • Zip World gained a clear understanding of the site’s condition and risk profile before lease commitment.
  • A robust lifecycle and maintenance strategy was established, aligning spend with operational and brand priorities.
  • On-site compliance, reliability, and presentation standards were improved through structured management and reporting.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates Clarity’s ability to combine technical expertise, financial acumen, and operational delivery to support clients entering new markets.

By managing the whole property and facilities scope and integrating lifecycle planning with daily operations, Clarity has enabled Zip World to focus entirely on its core business — creating exceptional guest experiences — while ensuring its London flagship attraction operates safely, efficiently, and strategically for the long term.