According to Wikipedia, empathy is “the capacity and willingness to recognize and understand the thoughts, emotions, motives and personality traits of another person. Empathy also includes the reaction to the emotions of other persons […]. The basis of empathy is the sense of self, the more open one is towards one’s own feelings, the better one can interpret the emotions of others.”

“Brands have to touch every step of the customer journey and online shopping must be part of a 360° digital environment that fully integrates new digital tools into all aspects of the ‘traditional’ business model.”

“If we analyze the Romanian market, we can see that especially in Bucharest the current status does not favor proximity shopping centers.”

Big brand names are unavoidable. Their stores dominate retail now more than ever.

“The principle of the short-term lease offers the opportunity to prove oneself in retail stores without having to lock oneself in over years in a long-term lease.”

“We can expect to see online continue to influence retailer store requirements globally, complementing the physical store network to access a global consumer base.”

Consumer and retailer demands for mixed environments, interconnected usages, and greater flexibility require new or, at the very least, reimagined real estate objects and locations.

For the premium retailer, globalization has brought choice, improved opportunities, and greater influence while simultaneously creating highly competitive markets.

For the premium retailer, globalization has brought choice, improved opportunities, and greater influence while simultaneously creating highly competitive markets.

For the premium retailer, globalization has brought choice, improved opportunities, and greater influence while simultaneously creating highly competitive markets.

In the last two years, I have outlined in several articles the advantages and disadvantages of refurbishing retail properties and evaluated such drives from the retailers’ perspective.

In recent years, the appointment of senior advisors in Europe has increased.

Well, it certainly has been an eventful start to 2016.

Entering 2016, we find ourselves in a new phase of change in the pan-European shopping center sector.

In John Hegarty’s book on Advertising he refers to a favourite quote of mine “A brand is the most valuable real estate in the world – a corner of a consumer’s mind.” I believe the shopping centers we build and manage today are brands in their own right.

The retail property industry is missing a trick when it comes to marketing. Ironically, marketing has an image problem.

…or does Christmas come around faster and faster each year!?

With 93% of UK adults using a mobile phone in 2014, according to Ofcom, and a wealth of evidence showing our rising emotional dependence on mobile devices, it is becoming increasingly important for retail property owners and retailers to recognize mobile device usage in store and adapt accordingly.

I had the privilege of taking part in several select industry events and expert discussions over the last few weeks. Again and again, my interlocutors engaged in lively discussions about the future of retail and the shopping center industry. Rightly so: The technologization and digitization of retail in the last decade has been a quantum leap.

Once again, Germany has come out on top as the country where brands are most eager to find outlet space, according to a report released at Mapic by ecostra. Its annual survey of mainly fashion brand manufacturers put Germany as their No. 1 destination, with 59% of all responses.

In the planning and implementation of sustainable building, the objective of a balanced project to profit environment, people, and economy is in the foreground.

In an article for the textile industry entitled “The party is over,” which appeared after Expo Real in Munich, Jörg Nowicki described the reluctance of retailers to rent new spaces. As it turns out, there is, in fact, a significant imbalance between the bullish investment market in commercial real estate and the slowing desire for expansion among retailers.

The media are currently full of reports on VoD, (“video on demand”) services. These reports hardly distinguish between pay-per-view and subscription services or between these and the streaming of live events. Nevertheless, this trend, combined with the ever-improving quality of normal smart TV devices – never mind that of integrated home entertainment systems – would seem to suggest that cinema is in grave danger.

The retail sector is once again on the move and this can be seen in many megatrends in the retail market. Many of these megatrends are driven by the successful online market.