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ACROSS

Retail

Giles Membrey is Managing Director at Rioja Estates. /// credit: Rioja Estates

MEASURING SUCCESS IN THE OUTLET BUSINESS: “CONSUMERS WANT MORE THAN JUST GOODS”

When it comes to measuring success, outlets are undergoing a noticeable change, with a gradual shift away from traditional KPIs – such as sales per square meter – and towards a more comprehensive assessment. These days, the critical metric for success is no longer how much revenue a store generates, but how much of an “experience” it provides per square meter, explains Giles Membrey, Managing Director, Rioja Estates.

Justyna Bartosz is the Head of Leasing at NEPI Rockcastle. /// credit: NEPI Rockcastle

“CREATING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ENJOY MEMORABLE MOMENTS TOGETHER – THAT IS THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE FOR ALL CHANGE AND INNOVATION.”

NEPI Rockcastle’s strong net operating income (NOI) growth of 13.5% in the first half of 2024 allowed the company to raise its forecast for full-year distributable earnings per share. Justyna Bartosz, the Group’s Head of Leasing, explains what makes the CEE’s retail and consumer world tick and why it is that NEPI Rockcastle and its tenants can’t pay enough attention to the buzzwords: experience, community building, and authenticity.

Bernd Albl is Managing Director Digital Solutions at umdasch The Store Makers. /// credit: umdasch

SUCCESS AT THE POINT OF SALE: MORE THAN JUST NUMBERS

Imagine walking into a store that plays your favorite music, makes personalized product recommendations based on your needs and desires, and even lets you try on products. Welcome to a new shopping experience. Bernd Albl, Managing Director Digital Solutions at umdasch The Store Makers, explains what these new possibilities look like.

Sebastian Guth is the Managing Director of 21Media. /// credit: 21Media

MARKETING CAN REDEFINE THE ROLE OF SHOPPING CENTERS IN A CHANGING RETAIL LANDSCAPE

The challenge is to transform the shopping center from a place of consumption to a world of experience that seamlessly combines leisure, entertainment, and shopping. In his guest article, Sebastian Guth, Managing Director of 21Media, explains the role of B2B and B2C marketing in the transition of brick-and-mortar retail and shopping centers.

With this store, P&C* Düsseldorf wants to create awareness for more sustainable fashion and positively influence the industry. /// credit: P&C* Düsseldorf

P&C DÜSSELDORF’S FIRST CONSCIOUS STORE: “NOT PERFECT, BUT BETTER EVERY DAY.”

Fashion company Peek & Cloppenburg* Düsseldorf opened the Conscious Fashion Store at The Playce Berlin in 2023. With this store, P&C* Düsseldorf wants to create awareness for more sustainable fashion and positively influence the industry. The company focuses on the corresponding design and direct exchange via panel discussions, workshops, or even on making the plants in the store particularly green. P&C’s Conscious Fashion Store exemplifies how even a large, international fashion chain can develop and integrate individual concepts that focus on experience. ACROSS spoke to Thimo Schwenzfeier, General Sales Manager of the Conscious Fashion Store at Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf, about the idea.

credit: Rioja Estate/McArthurGlen/Hammerson

EUROPE HAS BECOME SATURATED, SO WHERE NEXT FOR OUTLETS?

In recent years, Europe has seen a proliferation of designer outlet malls, catering to savvy shoppers seeking luxury brands at discounted prices. However, the market in Europe is now showing signs of saturation, prompting developers and investors to look beyond traditional borders for new opportunities, says Giles Membrey, Managing Director, Rioja Estates. This shift is driven by various factors, including market maturity, consumer saturation, and the quest for untapped potential in emerging regions.

credit: Ken Gunn

European Outlet Review

The number of stores operating at European outlet centres increased by 0.5% to 15,748 in the twelve months to August 2024. This is the greatest number ever recorded. The number of brands operating at European outlet centres also increased 1.4% to 4,536. This is 0.7% greater than in 2019.

Indoor Skydiving at Rhein-Neckar Zentrum in Viernheim, Germany. /// credit: ECE

PERFECT MATCH: SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT

Thanks to their diverse mix of tenants and sectors, today’s shopping centers are more than just places to go shopping: They’re experience destinations and community hubs that enjoy a great deal of popularity – as illustrated by ECE Marketplaces’ latest success figures. Entertainment concepts have increasingly become attractive complements to and additional drawing cards for the respective locations, as current ECE center portfolio examples show.

Yurdaer Kahraman, CEO and Board Member of FİBA Commercial Properties. /// credit: FİBA CP

“YOU DON’T WANT TO RUIN YOUR FUTURE BY MAKING THE WRONG LEASING DECISIONS.”

“Commercial Real Estate is not a short-term project,” says Yurdaer Kahraman. The CEO and Board Member of Fiba Commercial Properties has dedicated his career to the retail real estate industry. He is familiar with the international and German markets and, through Fiba Commercial Properties, now operates some of the most innovative centers in Türkiye, Southeastern Europe, and the Far East. In the ACROSS interview, he critically examines the management of the European retail real estate industry and concludes that only quality will prevail. In today’s competitive environment, it is not a matter of being the largest in the number of assets and area. The winners are those who are fast, innovative, and sustainable.

Will Odwarka is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting. /// credit: Will Odwarka, ACROSS

Will’s F&B Insights: Opening A Restaurant In Western Europe – Are You Insane?

“It’s a fair question these days in lots of Western countries, Europe first and foremost. Running a restaurant in Europe requires a more nuanced approach than simply focusing on high revenue figures,” shares Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting in his latest “F&B Insights” column. “The notion that success is guaranteed by sheer volume is misleading, as the current challenges facing the industry demand a deeper understanding and strategic planning,” he explains. Opening a restaurant in Western Europe may seem daunting to some, but it is essential to address the underlying issues that have been exacerbated by the recent global pandemic.

Redevelopment: Elisen Palais in Hamburg, Germany (left), Chris Fleetwood, Deputy COO Real Estate at Redevco (right). /// credit: Redevco

TECHNICAL INNOVATION BY BRANDS AND CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH LANDLORDS WILL DETERMINE WINNERS AND LOSERS IN RETAIL’S “SECULAR SHIFT”

“We are all aware of the seismic changes in the retail landscape in recent years that have affected both owners and occupiers”, says Chris Fleetwood, Deputy COO Real Estate at Redevco. Therefore, a combination of macroeconomic events, higher-for-longer interest rates and inflation, increased consumer awareness of their own environmental footprints and values, and the emergence of transformative technologies have created an ever more competitive environment.

Promenada Novi Sad, Serbia. /// credit: BIG CEE

BIG CEE Acquires Promenada Shopping Mall In Serbia

The acquisition of the leading shopping mall in Novi Sad for 177 million euros by BIG CEE marked Serbia´s largest retail transaction ever. Promenada, one of the strongest malls in the country, features many international brands, a 100% occupancy rate, and more than 10 million visitors annually.

Expo Real 2024. /// credit: HyperIn

EMPOWERING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE WITH INNOVATION: INSIGHTS FROM EXPO REAL 2024 WITH HYPERIN

Expo Real, Europe’s largest property and investment trade fair, concluded with a strong focus on digital transformation in the real estate sector. Among the key exhibitors, HyperIn stood out for its contributions to discussions on the evolving landscape of commercial real estate technology. The event served as an important platform for HyperIn to showcase their all-in-one platform, engaging industry leaders and sharing insights on how technology is shaping the future of property management.

Disposal of shopping center Espai Gironès in Spain

Espai Gironès is sold! The retail specialist advisor ambas Real Estate GmbH successfully advised Commerz Real AG in the sales process. The shopping center is a popular shopping and lifestyle destination located in the greater Barcelona area in the Province of Girona in northern Spain. With a total lettable space of approximately 40,000 sq m of retail, leisure and gastronomy spaces, the center is attracting more than 6 million visitors per annum and displays a positive KPI evolution compared to pre-Covid periods.

credit: Simon Hoffmann

ANSON’S new anchor partner in the fashion segment of Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier

Multi-brand menswear retailer ANSON’S is opening a new store covering around 2,600 square meters of rental area at Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity. A special highlight of the new ANSON’S store will be the highlight façade, which is over 100 meters long. The new anchor partner will further differentiate the brand and product mix and strengthen the fashion and lifestyle profile of the destination directly at river Elbe. The store is scheduled to open for the 2025 fall season.

credit: Avannah van der Niet for CEE CEE CREATIVE HIGHRES

HOW POTSDAMER PLATZ ATTRACTED GLOBAL BRANDS

The secret to a thriving retail destination lies in the art of curating a unique combination of retailers set against aesthetic backdrops with a blend of loyal customers, brands, and events that consistently attract new visitors. This is no easy feat in the competitive European market. However, The Playce at Potsdamer Platz, located in central Berlin, has emerged as a place of “firsts” for the city, Germany, and Europe.

Roger Goyk, Director of Retail Brookfield Properties (left), Jonathan Doughty, Special Project Manager at ECE (right). /// credit: Brookfield Properties, ECE

THE PLAYCE IN BERLIN: THERE WAS NO NEED FOR “JUST ANOTHER” SHOPPING MALL

Like no other German shopping center, “The Playce” at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin is a shopping and cultural destination that focuses on food and beverage, leisure, and retail stores that are new to Berlin or unique in their concepts. One and a half years after its opening, The Playce is now 96 percent leased. ACROSS discusses why now is the best time to be part of the project with Roger Goyk, Director of Retail Brookfield Properties, and Jonathan Doughty, Special Project Manager at ECE.

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Retailtainment: How To Increase Experience Per Square Meter
Retailers who can always find answers to consumer needs will survive. We have dedicated this “Special” to these locations: retail concepts and locations that stage themselves for the customer, appeal to all their senses, create a holistic experience, and whose success can no longer be measured in mere sales figures.
Go to Special