WAREHOUSING
The move out of town B
right spots may be hard to fi nd in the retail sector at the moment, but those involved in retail parks can claim that this is one of them. Out-of-town, alas
often at the expense of the health of the high streets, is where it’s at in terms of many retailers’ expansion plans – be it all-singing, all-dancing shopping malls or the more straightforward practical retail park. For some retailers,
their out-of-town growth is staggering. Next, for instance, has increased its out-of-town presence in terms of square footage by 887% since 2002. A plethora of space and tempting property deals continue to fuel this
trend, but retail parks are not threat-free. One risk is the relentless advance- ment of multichannel (page V). Could continued online sales reduce the need for physical bricks-and-mortar space not only on the high street but also out of town? Possibly. And like any retail destination, retail parks must adapt to meet changing consumer needs. But they also hold a distinct advantage, and that is around click-and-collect. Where better to site a store for shoppers to collect online purchases with minimum hassle? Retail parks’ offer continues to change. Once the domain of big-ticket
retailers, they are now places where you might fi nd a Costa, a gym, a pub, or a health centre (page XIX). They’re not the functional, often soulless, places they once were. The fact they are luring fashion retailers signals just how much the out-of-town sector has evolved (page XIII). Young fashion brands such as New Look, H&M and Arcadia have all realised the benefi ts. This might not necessarily spell good news for the high street. Mary
Portas, for one, has put forward the view that life be made tougher for out-of-town. But gaining customer loyalty and market share in this trading environment is all about giving customers what they want. And for many, what they want can be provided all within the confi nes of the rapidly evolving retail park.
Charlotte Hardie, Supplement Editor
The future pXIX Will the tenant mix continue to evolve?
Fashion pXIII Will fashion retailers continue to be lured out of town?
Multichannel pV How online is affecting retail parks
CONTENTS
WAREHOUSING SUPPLEMENT
Supplement Editor Charlotte Hardie 020 7728 3590 Acting Retail Week Editor George MacDonald 020 7728 3589 Production Editor Adam Richmond 020 7728 3616 Supplements and Projects Production Editor Tracey Gardner 020 7728 4129
www.retail-week.com
Group Designer Jon Hart 020 7728 3519 Contributors Ben Cooper, Mark Faithfull Rebecca Thomson Production Manager Paddy Orchard 020 7728 4111 Display Account Manager Jennifer Saunders 020 7728 3849
November 2011 Retail Week III
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