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Opinion

PERSONAL COMMENTARIES OF PLACEMAKING EXPERTS

Many customers find it very pleasant when they see an area with a carefully selected product range where they can discover new products! Like online stores, which already make a pre-selection, department stores take up this idea and expand these specific areas enormously, says Anita Stampfl, Special Projects Managerin at HBB Centermanagement in this Q&A on Curated Spaces.

Mixed-use is the order of the day for the entire placemaking industry. As a result, shopping centers have increasingly become home to coworking and flex office solutions. While the flex office market in the US shows a growth rate of 25 percent, more and more European shopping center operators are taking advantage of this fresh source of revenue.

A close cooperation with the brands is the key for success. Fran Gutiérrez, Retail Director NEINVER, explains how this looks like in practice. NEINVER not only supports their brands with technological tools. The company has prioritized people and training as two main pillars in its retail strategy to support brands’ growth.

Inflation encourages consumers to go in search of even greater value for money, states Giles Membrey, Managing Director of Rioja Estates. Therefore, he argues, Outlets are becoming more attractive to costumers. Furthermore, also internet sales are a driver of Outlets.

When it comes to shaping the future in a positive way, it is impossible to overstate the influence retailers can have. Retail and shopping centers should become much stronger communicators of a positive consumer vision, especially with regard to sustainability, says Andreas Steinle, CEO and founder of Zukunftsinstitut Workshop. The crisis year of 2023 must be a year in which retailers recapitulate their understanding of their role.

“In terms of energy management, technological applications will become a critical success factor when it comes to using lighting, cooling, and air conditioning efficiently and in a customer-oriented way,” states Silvio W. Kirchmair, CEO of umdasch The Store Makers and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board.

“We believe in making the most of unused and underutilized spaces, ensuring that they can benefit and strengthen the entire fabric of the estate”, states Otto Ambagtsheer, CEO of VIA Outlets and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board.

“My recommendation is to seize any opportunity to take the next steps in digital evolution. For the placemaking industry, it is a transformation and not a situation where digital is outcompeting physical as many other industries have experienced”, states Peter Tonstad, CEO of Placewise Group and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board.

“The opportunities lie in the direct and sensual engagement of the customers, guests, and visitors via multifunctional spaces which do not just serve one particular purpose, but moreover offer a colorful range of themes, topics, and experiences related to the brand itself or beyond,” states Jonathan A. Calverley, Head of Retail Leasing at Art-Invest Real Estate Management.

“The revitalization of shopping centers, retail parks, and our city centers will become increasingly important. For many locations and properties, new retail and mixed-use concepts offer significant potential for enhancement”, states Angelus Bernreuther, Head of Investor Relationship Management at Kaufland.

“The forecast calls, such as a crystal ball reading, for bold personas that are willing to set a clear strategy and implement it even through stormy waters”, states Denis Cupic, Managing Partner at Redserve and F.O./Group.