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Retail

It was time, once again, in mid-November, for the annual ACSP Congress. The congress holds a valuable spot in a long tradition, yet much has changed compared to previous years: New topic, new location, new chairman, new, and younger, participants, and a new moderator.

Now, more than ever, consumers want to reduce their overall expenditure, lower their consumption, and adopt sustainable practices. As a result, retail destinations must incorporate sustainability to meet growing customer expectations and nurture their customer relationships. That is why Coniq has created this list of top tips to help start any mall’s sustainability journey.

London Designer Outlet (LDO) has announced two new high-profile deals, with Carvela and The Cosmetics Company Store taking 155 sq m and 128 sq m of space respectively. The new stores will strengthen the womenswear and beauty offer at London’s leading fashion and lifestyle outlet destination, an offering that has recently been reinforced through lettings and expansions by world-renowned brands such as Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

After last year’s huge success, the second trade fair for D2C brands will take place from November 14th until December 10th, 2022, at Berlin’s ALEXA shopping and leisure center. 12 Direct Brands will present their products offline at ALEXA. A shopping experience for all the senses that even the best online store cannot offer will be created in the innovatively designed showroom with the help of art installations and a lounge area, food tastings and cosmetics workshops. A win-win-win for the brands, the customers and for ALEXA.

While the pandemic inevitably slowed the growth of the outlet market last year, most centers are performing surprisingly well, as a report by Ken Gunn Consulting for MAPIC also notes. The industry is proving that experience and flexibility are key to a successful retail formula. As a result, key players, in particular, are confident that the current challenges can be overcome.

Better Spaces, Better Communities, and Better Together – those are the pillars upon which Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s sustainability strategy is based. URW is committed to playing a key role in the environmental and energy transition. As such, the company has been implementing its “Better Places 2030” sustainability strategy since 2016.

A new attraction for the HBB shopping center: The Dutch department store chain HEMA is opening up a new branch in Rathaus Galerie Essen, Germany.

Greenman OPEN sets the course for the digital future. Last weekend, the management teamed up with Karlsruhe-based metaverse infrastructure provider Mapstar AG for a Halloween event to show how digitalization can change the retail landscape. With its Metaverse for the real world, Mapstar made it possible for the visitors of the Biesdorf Center to use their own smartphones to merge the boundaries of reality with those of the digital world.

Never before has the retail sector faced so many challenges at the same time – and shopping center operators alike. Joanna Fisher, CEO at ECE Marketplaces, and Steffen Friedlein, Managing Director Leasing Services at ECE Marketplaces, explain why there are still grounds for optimism, and why flexibility is key – both when setting own priorities and in relation with tenants and investors.

Sonae Sierra accelerates the future-proofing of its real estate portfolio. Christine Hager, Sonae Sierra Director, responsible for property management in Germany, describes what being future proof means in today’s business world. There is one thing or particular note: Knowing how energy is being consumed is key to understanding and identifying where the most effective changes should be made.

OUT NOW – LATEST ISSUE! +++ RE-THINK! – How to reassess development, invention and communication in retail real estate. The real estate industry has been in a state of change for a few years now: increasing online retail, the move to multi-channel, changing logistics requirements, a strong emphasis on entertainment, a much higher level of diversity in retail, and last but not least, the big issue of ESG. “Re-think” – is the order of the day.

From 26 February to 2 March 2023, the “who’s who” of the global retail industry will meet at EuroShop in Düsseldorf. umdasch The Store Makers will present a wide range of possibilities for a unique customer journey in Hall 12 under the motto “Sustainable Together”.

The Spanish fashion company Zara will open a new store with a flagship format in Minto in Mönchengladbach in the first quarter of 2023 on around 3,000 sq m of rental area. Zara will realise the brand’s latest design concept. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, owner and operator of Minto, and Inditex are once again strengthening their strategic partnership in Germany through the new cooperation in Mönchengladbach.

As Festival Place is due to turn 20 later this year, now seems to be an opportune moment to reflect upon what defines it as a shopping center, a leisure destination, and a community amenity. Neil Churchill, Center Director of Festival Place, one of the UK’s Top 22 shopping centers, shares his view on the importance of community investment.