Resilient local community centres pave the way for strong June figures

The results suggest the portfolio has outperformed the UK shopping centre trend for June by 41%, compared to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Sensoramatic IQ national benchmark. 

Community shopping centres on local high streets, away from major urban areas benefited from localised shopping behaviours changing less during lockdown. Under the government’s restrictions, these shopping centres have proven more resilient to closures than the wider market, due to many providing local essential amenity. Ellandi’s annual Intercept Survey findings from 10,000 shoppers across the UK also suggest these centres have faced less competition from increased online shopper purchases, as shoppers in these catchments only report a 4% increase in their online retail activity compared to pre-pandemic levels. At a national level, online retail sales fell by 4.7% in June when compared with May but remain 6.8% above February 2020 prior to the first UK lockdown. Assets in the portfolio anchored with a grocery retailer showed an average footfall increase of 13% in June compared to non-grocery assets, 8% above the Ellandi portfolio average that month.

Even as footfall increases in shopping destinations across the UK, Ellandi’s portfolio footfall still continues to outperform, with 95% of locations showing footfall above the BRC’s UK shopping centre benchmark in June. 

“As Covid restrictions are relaxed it is becoming easier to differentiate between successful and struggling retail locations. These figures support our long-held view that community locations offering essential retail and services have a sustainable role and purpose. We expect that as the investment market becomes more active this will start to be illustrated in differentiated and improved pricing for strong community shopping places.” says Ellandi’s Co-founder Morgan Garfield.