ACROSS: UNIBAIL-RODAMCO INCREASED ITS STAKE IN THE MFI AG TO MORE THAN 91% THIS PAST SUMMER. HOW DOES THAT AFFECT MFI’S STRATEGY? HAS THIS CHANGED ANYTHING IN ITS BUSINESS MODEL? KARL REINITZHUBER: There are three main points that have guided … Continue reading
BY ALICE BREHENY The evolution of the sector has resulted in the creation of several very distinct retail warehouse property types, representing the different generations of development. These include: “first generation” industrial units converted for retail use; “second generation” purpose-built … Continue reading
BY JAMES TURNER I started contemplating this in the late 1990s when I was asked to move to London from Sydney, Australia to help establish the European platform for the global shopping center giant Westfield. As many readers will know, … Continue reading
BY THOMAS MARK On a personal level, we can all identify with light as something that affects our well-being. It is well documented that people in Northern Europe, for instance, can be adversely affected by the limited daylight hours in … Continue reading
BY JÖRG F. BITZER A strong presence on all channels increases retailers’ sales and awareness of their brands, while also offering the opportunity to understand customers better and align individual advertisements and promotions. Although the latest study by the Austrian … Continue reading
BY RAINER KUNDÖRFER SATURATED MARKETS The comment was not so misguided. From an economic perspective, after all, some facts speak for the thesis that we have enough retail space, especially in saturated markets: stagnant or even declining disposable income among … Continue reading
BY JORGE MORGADINHO Successful shopping centers require continuous modernization and not just a few local changes in tenant mixes or the integration of digital channels. Modern retail formats must accommodate tenant and customer needs, keeping today’s wishes in mind and … Continue reading
BY ALEXANDER OTTO Maybe it would help to look back at the unparalleled success story of shopping centers, especially on the occasion of a great anniversary. 50 years ago, in 1964, the opening of the Main-Taunus-Zentrum near Frankfurt marked the … Continue reading
BY DIETMAR REINDL We place a strong focus on brand building in our real estate portfolio. This has proved to be an advantage in all areas of our business – both in development and asset management – and not least … Continue reading
BY CHRISTOPH M. ACHAMMER Of course we will witness such developments, but will this mean the end for one of the world’s oldest professions? When one considers facilities that only operate in order to meet people’s needs for certain goods, … Continue reading
BY NEIL HOCKIN A shift in retail requirements and the need to introduce complementary leisure and catering uses leaves many landlords striving to strike a difficult balance. Although some proposed developments are hard to justify, they may maximize returns. The … Continue reading
BY RAINER KUNDÖRFER Key barriers to refurbishment as a real factor in center development are an unwillingness among owners and banks to write down the current value of centers, constructional limitations, poor reputations, and a lack of “sex appeal.” It … Continue reading
BY JOHAN HUGUES Shopping centers are following the example of town centers, where each light-based event attracts an average of three to four times more visitors than the number of inhabitants (even if major disparities exist), regardless of the chosen … Continue reading
BY JORIS DE VAN DER SCHUEREN Modern retail is omnipresent with a (digital) channel always at our disposal. As a result, what retailers need from physical retail is changing. Modern consumers have higher expectations and need to be given a … Continue reading
BY REINHARD WINIWARTER Although there is little doubt that many of the show’s participants seriously and critically examine their own actions and key industry themes and trends, others will stride through the Palais de Cinéma betraying a high level of … Continue reading
BY ALICE BREHENY The outlet mall sector is one of the few parts of the property market to deliver consistent positive rental growth over the last few years. The key contributor to this growth is increasing demand from retailers – … Continue reading
BY JEAN-MARC JESTIN The quality of the retail offer presented by a shopping center is the route to leveraging customer preference. It is therefore key to retailer success. The art of leasing is central to our business. Every center must … Continue reading
BY CHRISTOPH M. ACHAMMER Cardinal errors in matters of orientation, sector mix, and customer circulation have just about disappeared. On the other hand, however, the tendency towards absolute interchangeability has increased strongly. This, in parallel with the successful creation of … Continue reading
BY JULIAN LONG Building a successful property business is a significant challenge, no matter what the economic climate. Steering one through difficult times – as many ACROSS readers will have done over the last five and more years – is … Continue reading
A boom is spilling merrily across the globe: Online retail continued its worldwide growth trend last year. Sales rose by a fifth to over $800 billion, according to the current edition of the “A.T. Kearney Global Retail E-Commerce Index.” The … Continue reading
