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placemaking

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.

NEPI Rockcastle, Europe’s third-largest listed retail real estate company and the biggest owner and operator of shopping centers across CEE markets by value, is to invest around 600 million Euro in its development and asset refurbishment pipeline to meet strong demand from retailers aiming to tap into the region’s increasingly affluent consumer base.

“The outlet sector has demonstrated it has its eye firmly on the ball, as well as the capacity to anticipate, be agile, flexible and ready to meet whatever changes come next,” states Daniel Losantos, CEO of NEINVER, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

“The fundamental change awaiting the Placemaking Industry is a shift towards exceptional agility and adaptability, driven by AI and ML,” states Markus Porvari, President and CEO at HyperIn, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

Honfleur Normandy Outlet welcomed 1.2 million visitors this year, generating a 4.9% growth in revenue. These results were driven by a successful shopping experience and the promise of discounted prices.

“Opportunities will come if we develop strategies to change the rhythm of our assets, from a ‘shopping rhythm’ to a ‘community rhythm’,” states Ibrahim Ibrahim, Managing Director of Portland Design, and Member of the ACROSS Advisory Board, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.