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placemaking

“We are firmly committed to continuously raising the level of our malls,” says Christoph Andexlinger. The SES CEO explains why reliability and the continuous development of quality and offers are the best paths forward and why the industry urgently needs to work together to present shopping centers as places that provide attractive working conditions and benefits, which, in fact, they are.

“There is a unique opportunity for those who stand out, pioneer innovative concepts and set trends,” states Romina Jenei, CEO of RegioPlan Consulting, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

In historical comparison, 2024 may be another relatively quiet year for transactions, says Steffen Hofmann, Managing Partner at ambas. However, the prospect of more moderate interest rates means that a number of players are taking a much more positive view of the future. It will also be a year of clarity: Motivated sellers will place highly interesting properties on the market and apply a deal-oriented negotiation approach. For investors, the entry price is not the only thing that matters – the ability to invest in sustainable properties does as well.

ambas Real Estate GmbH is celebrating its tenth anniversary on March 1, 2024. Since launching its market activities in 2014, the Mainz-based company has developed into an internationally active market player in the retail and mixed-use real estate sector as an independent consulting boutique. “We are delighted with the great projects that we have been able to successfully complete during this time and the trusting business partnerships that we can continue to rely on in the future!” says Managing Partner Klaus Mennickheim.

How can shopping places become “future ready” by responding to the rapidly changing retail landscape and the future behaviors and expectations of their audiences? An analysis by Ibrahim Ibrahim, Managing Director of Portland Design.

“Support smaller, local operators and artisan producers with more flexible spaces,” states Paulina Herrmann, Director at Coverpoint Foodservice Consulting, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

Consumer criticism of shopping centers is nothing new, states Ken Gunn, Managing Director of Ken Gunn Consulting. As a retail business consultant, advising investors and asset managers, he has reported survey-based dissatisfaction with the proposition, branding, and management of shopping centers for 30 years.

Originally developed solely to meet the daily needs of consumers, shopping centers quickly became an asset class. The model worked very well for a long time, but as consumer behavior has changed, so have the requirements of tenants, operators and investors. The obvious task to satisfy customers, business partners and stakeholders is: Get your customers to return to your locations. Clear differentiation and positioning as well as a clear focus on people are crucial.

It is time to reveal the secret of success in retail real estate, or rather to remind those who may have forgotten it, says Klaus Striebich, Managing Director of RaRE Advise and Head of the ACROSS Advisory Board. As in many other areas, we sometimes lose the right focus or simply have a different perspective as we become more and more specialized or individualized in our daily work. Let’s hit the reset button!

Reinventing the high street: With the redevelopment projects of two iconic assets in Paris, one on Boulevard Haussmann and one on Rue de Rivoli, Redevco not only shows how historic buildings can be transformed into innovative multi-functional destinations, but, in the case of Boulevard Haussmann also how space can be showcased even during a redevelopment.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) currently operates 21 assets in the German and Austrian region: 19 in Germany, eight of which are in the Group’s own portfolio, and two in Austria. Last year, a total of 714 rental contracts were closed for these 21 assets. The average vacancy rate for the core locations in the portfolio around Westfield Centro in Oberhausen, Ruhr Park in Bochum, as well as Westfield Shopping City Süd in Vösendorf in Greater Vienna and Westfield Donau Zentrum in Vienna, is less than two percent.

Why has our industry been so willing to settle for boring? Asks Cindy Andersen, Managing Director at Ingka Centres. The endless rows of identical stores, the predictability of a food court’s menu, the steady drone of escalators… These conventions have been the traditional hallmarks of shopping center decline for decades. To stay relevant, we must evolve as an industry.

“Placemaking is the art of shaping a special destination and making an emotional connection with the visitor during his on-site experience,” states Steffen Hofmann, Managing Partner at ambas Real Estate GmbH, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

NEPI Rockcastle generated the highest distributable earnings per share in its history in 2023, exceeding the previous record set in 2019. This marks not only a complete recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also a sustainable step-up in performance determined by continuing investments in its portfolio. Throughout the year, the Company updated its earnings guidance to the upside as management took note of the strong results coming in. Even so, the 17.1% increase in recurring DEPS achieved (9.3% on a nominal basis) exceeded its latest update.