PERSONAL COMMENTARIES OF RETAIL REAL ESTATE EXPERTS
“We have found that people who feel at home and receive genuine attention from attentive staff are prepared to stay longer and spend more. Attention is our secret ingredient for success.”
“Lord Wolfson, chief executive of British retailer Next, has called for lower rents and shorter leases on the 240 Next stores due for renewal over the next three years.”
Ken Hughes presented the industry meeting in the Catalan capital and captivated the auditorium with his keynote speech about Generation Z.
Commentary by Nelson Blackley, Retail Research Associate at Nottingham Trent University.
“Artificial intelligence, for example, already enables the personalization of consumer relations and facilitates fast and efficient vehicle parking.”
Currently, studies say that more than 50% of all purchases at brick-and-mortar stores are prepared online in advance.
With 2019 heralded as the coming-of-age for PropTech, owners and managers of real estate are under increasing pressure to understand the value of technology when making key tech investment decisions.
In a time-poor working week, we may find ourselves wondering how we can justify the expense and time away from the office that inevitably come with attending industry events. ICSC Europe Managing Director, Bill Kistler, interviews leading consumer behaviouralist, Ken Hughes, to ask “Are conferences really worth it?”
An important judgement clarifying European rules on retail establishment; a very strict EU data protection regime; a binding number of charging points for e-vehicles for buildings with more than 10 parking spaces. These are a few examples of important, new rules for the retail property industry adopted by the EU in recent years — and together, they’re a good example of why European policymaking is increasingly important for our sector.
The department store is in crisis. European department store chains close one store after the other. If the format wants to survive it needs to reinvent itself completely.
It was only five years ago that VIA Outlets was launched. In an interview with ACROSS, COO Otto Ambagtsheer talks about consolidating the current portfolio of 11 assets, expanding the Fashion Club loyalty program, and debuting hot local brands like BALR. and Nikkie.
In recent years, fashion retail has proven that there is a fine line between whether fashion and lifestyle brands are successful or become insolvent. These days, celebrity endorsements, collection collaborations, new “it” pieces, retail and e-commerce presence, as well as retail excellence and customer loyalty determine whether fashion and lifestyle brands are in or out.
Opinions tend to be very much divided when it comes to the big e-commerce players.
In Romania, repeated and unplanned changes in legislation hinder the process of building authorization, as well as the legal steps required at the time of completion.
Coworking spaces have potential – also in shopping centers. The first symbioses already enhance the European retail real estate market.
Since the liberalization of opening hours – determined by the “Salva Italia2” decree passed in 2011, during Mario Monti’s legislature – retailers in Italy have been free to open on Sundays and festive days, according to their own commercial strategies.
In order to survive, shopping centers are beginning to adapt retail, housing cultural, educational, and leisure facilities all under one roof. Since 80% of those visiting malls are Millennials or Gen Z, leisure is a hot topic within retail development.
The Polish real estate segment is changing. What we are seeing, apart from traditional real estate investments in office and retail, is there has been growth in new formats, including mixed-use projects with multifunctional concepts, and a growing potential for small-convenience schemes and retail parks.
Real estate investors both in and out of Germany rely on specialist retailers and specialist retail parks: They offer constant pulling power, stable revenues, and solid customer footfall – all of which require clearly positioned product and sector concepts, which signal to investors that their investment is both solid and sustainable.
Outlet Centers are still a niche market in the international retail real estate business and an asset class of its own. Today, there are more than 200 outlet centers spread over Europe but there are significant differences regarding the degree of saturation and maturity levels.
