During the corona crisis, the retail brand proved its competitive advantages. Even though STOP SHOPs were originally affected by the decreed temporary close downs, they were able to reopen quickly, and swiftly increased their visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels. “We have always emphasized that the focus on the convenience segment and therefore products that are also in demand in economically difficult times, and de-centrality are important USPs of our STOP SHOP brand. It is not just about being independent from online retail. The corona crisis has proved that fact yet again,” says COO Dietmar Reindl. “In the current environment it is also highly advantageous that customers can walk into the respective shop directly from the parking lot – without any detours. Therefore, there are fewer contact points with other customers in comparison to other retail formats,” says Reindl.
It is therefore hardly surprising that IMMOFINANZ intends to further accelerate the growth of its “crisis-resistant” STOP SHOPs in Europe. To achieve this goal, further acquisitions as well as in-house developments come into consideration. “Soon, we will have achieved our goal of 100 STOP SHOPs. Now we set our sights on 200,” says Reindl regarding the company’s approach. It is entirely possible that the STOP SHOP brand could be expanded to further, new countries. “We are already looking at quite a few things in this regard and we are open to offers,” says Reindl.
The STOP SHOPs high degree of standardization makes it possible to offer very attractive lease and operating costs. As a result, retailers can develop additional market capacities with high space-productivity. “We always keep an eye on the ideal tenant mix in our retail properties. The right combination of brands is an important success factor for our long-standing partnership with Europe’s most important retailers,” says Reindl. The performance of individual STOP SHOPs is measured with state-of-the-art frequency measurement and provides direct feedback for tenants regarding their respective visitor numbers. The vast portfolio of comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage, playgrounds, and cafés attracts further customers and makes this retail brand even more attractive. “Our current success with STOP SHOP shows that we are on the right path. We will seize this momentum and quickly realize further projects,” says Reindl in regards to the future course of IMMOFINANZ.
