Written by David Fuller-Watts
As the holiday season approaches, Europe’s retail sector gears up for a period marked by both high opportunity and high stakes. For many retailers, the final quarter of the year accounts for a significant portion of annual revenue, often as much as 40%. For landlords, property managers, and investors, this period is not only commercially critical but also strategically valuable. It offers a chance to gather meaningful performance data, assess tenant health, and fine-tune operational and leasing models going into the new year.
Sales data becomes particularly important during the holiday period, when market volatility is high and consumer behaviors shift rapidly. While the festive season is an important time for brand building and customer loyalty, tenants can deprioritize sales reporting during busy periods, which is especially relevant during the holiday season, which can see an increase of 20-30% in footfall. Relying on delayed or incomplete reporting during this crucial time can obscure early signs of tenant distress, undercut potential revenue from turnover rent clauses, slow reporting cycles, and cloud performance attribution.
David Fuller-Watts
CEO of Kinexio
Throughout and following the holiday season, it is important for property and asset managers to understand retail performance, who the winners were, whether campaigns were successful, whether retail hours were optimized, and what can be improved. In order to do that, the use of automated sales collection as well as real-time aggregation and dissemination of performance data is imperative to gaining a strategic advantage. The ability to offer real-time visibility into store-level performance enables operators to identify which tenants are thriving, which are underperforming, and where targeted support or operational adjustments might be needed should be a priority. This data-driven agility is especially valuable as holiday retail patterns can shift overnight due to weather events, online competition, or changing promotional trends.
The role of automation goes beyond simply streamlining data input. By effectively collecting sales data and engaging the tenant, automated platforms can consolidate vast volumes of information into a centralized, standardized format. This not only improves the accuracy of reporting, but also enhances the quality of decision-making. Landlords and property managers can evaluate tenant performance without needing to chase reports, interpret inconsistent formats, or manually reconcile figures generated by multiple systems.
At the same time, automated reporting helps to build stronger, more transparent relationships with tenants. When the burden of manual reporting is removed, tenants can focus on retail, knowing that their data is being securely and efficiently collected, and easily reported on. This shift fosters a more collaborative dynamic, where conversations can center on mutual growth rather than administrative compliance. Moreover, automation ensures that lease terms, particularly those involving turnover rent, are executed with accuracy, minimizing the risk of disputes and ensuring revenue is captured appropriately during the peak season.
Institutional stakeholders also demand greater transparency and timeliness in retail performance data.
Asset managers, investors, and financial partners increasingly expect detailed, real-time insights into how properties are performing. During the holiday season, when retail outcomes can significantly impact year-end evaluations, access to high-quality sales data becomes crucial. Our customers use our AI-powered sales collection and insights platform to really understand retailer performance and how tech automation can help property professionals to operate with ease, strengthen reporting, and boost confidence with all of their stakeholders.
Europe’s unique retail environment, with its cultural diversity and varied holiday calendars, presents both a challenge and an opportunity for operators. In some countries, the holiday shopping period peaks in early December, while in others it extends well into January, encompassing events like the Epiphany or post-holiday sales. Automated systems can adapt to these local differences while maintaining a unified reporting framework across a portfolio, providing a level of operational clarity that would be nearly impossible to achieve manually.
The shift toward automation also aligns with the broader strategic goals of many commercial real estate portfolios across Europe. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities, digital transformation agendas, and the push for tenant experience enhancement all benefit from the integration of smart technologies. Automated data collection supports these goals by reducing reliance on paper-based reporting, cutting administrative overheads, and allowing landlords to proactively respond to tenant needs with precision and speed.
Looking ahead to the 2025 holiday season, retailers and landlords alike will be navigating an environment shaped by continued inflationary pressures, evolving consumer habits, and growing demand for experience-led retail. In this climate, the ability to adapt quickly and make decisions based on real-time performance data will be a key differentiator. Those who have invested in sales automation will be better positioned to manage risk, capture revenue opportunities, and deliver value across the retail ecosystem.
Ultimately, success during the holiday season will not solely be achieved by those who attract the most footfall. It will also be achieved by those with the clearest, most timely understanding of what’s happening across their assets. Tech-enabled sales collection offers that visibility, transforming data from a logistical burden to a strategic asset.
