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Opinion

PERSONAL COMMENTARIES OF PLACEMAKING EXPERTS

Concepts like L’Osteria, BigMama, and Vapiano continue to thrive in the ever-evolving dining landscape. These establishments have profoundly influenced the fast-casual sector. Yet, amidst these recognizable names, there is a burgeoning number of Italian food and beverage chains emerging on the global stage, shares Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest article of his “F&B Insights” column.

“The greatest challenge for our industry in the following years will be to stay in the minds of customers on a permanent basis,” states Klaus Striebich, Managing Director of RaRE Advise, and Head of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the new “Outlook 2025” edition.

How are you doing with your resolutions? Still going strong, or already planning for the resolutions for next year? Its customary to look into my glass bowl at the beginning of a new year and predict the future of hospitality, new trends and what else is cooking in our industry and how it might impact the leasing and development efforts.

As the year draws to a close, Reinhard Winiwarter, founder and publisher of ACROSS Magazine, and Klaus Striebich, Managing Director of RaRE Advise and Head of the ACROSS Advisory Board, pause to reflect on the retail real estate industry’s current state. Although 2024 has shown many positives, the two industry experts are concerned about one thing: the possibility that many industry players will not be able to keep up with the speed of change.

Hamburg’s iconic Mönckebergstrasse is set to welcome a transformative development project: Elisen Palais will breathe new life into a historic site once home to the renowned C&A building. This ambitious project seeks to create a climate-neutral, mixed-use property while paying homage to the architectural history of the area, as Nikolas Bosnić, Head of Development Redevco DACH, explains.

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.

“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.

“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.

Retail is and always will be about four things – recruitment, transaction, fulfillment, and retention. The interesting thing is that transaction and fulfilment are increasingly migrating to the online sector. “Even though I am generalizing, and I suppose I am being slightly provocative, it seems that brands will increasingly occupy physical space for the purpose of recruiting and retaining customers,” states Ibrahim Ibrahim, Managing Director of Portland Design.