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Retail warehousing in Europe has evolved rapidly as a trading format over the last 30+ years and now accounts for a significant share of both retail floor space and sales volumes. Although retail warehouses were initially developed to service the needs of “bulky goods” retailers, the attraction to shoppers of easy access and convenient free parking soon registered with other retailer groups. Increasingly, fashion, footwear, sports, and household goods retailers have committed to out-of-town formats where planning conditions permit.

The concept of what constitutes a good “brand” is not always clear in a retail context, let alone within the shopping center world. It is tempting, and indeed quite common, simply to refer to a brand by name – the world’s great brands such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Louis Vuitton etc. are instantly recognized by name. But what’s in a name and what makes a great brand?

The United Nations has designated 2015 as the International Year of Light, a global initiative to raise awareness of the importance of light and light–based technologies. The campaign (www.light2015.org) aims to highlight how dependent we are on light for our very existence and human development and to explore how science and lighting technology have combined to create solutions in energy, education, and health.

At the recent opening of a shopping center that I attended, one of the guests remarked: “Let’s be honest, it’s turned out beautifully, but no one here needed the center!” Conversation came to a brief stop, followed by a rapid return, owing to the joyous occasion and the presence of the owner, to the small talk that is usual at such events.

These days, there has been a large debate about the crises of the bricks-and-mortar trade and the threat from e-commerce.

New projects always involve necessary preparations: We investigate which cities might make sense for us and our customers, look at purchasing power, traffic, development, and infrastructure plans for each region, etc., and define the most appropriate place for a potential retail or logistics property on the basis of the parameters analyzed.

Not a day goes by in which we aren’t warned by crystal-ball-gazing apologists of every type about the demise of over-the-counter retail in general and of shopping centers in particular. Our only experiences of the world will be virtual ones or – at the very least – we will produce everything at home on our own 3-D printers.

Despite an upturn in the UK shopping center market, few UK towns still warrant retail investment and landlords are looking to refurbishment to drive value. With core retailers still focused on larger hubs, secondtier assets need to ensure they are not left behind.