that “with time and systems, kiosks and RMUs, specialty leasing will create a vibrant atmosphere with new trends and products available for the customer.”


What’s different Since German specialty leasing programs are in their infancy, the developer and the operator have lots of flexibility and a chance to learn from others’ mistakes. In many German shopping centers, specialty leasing has


actually a long history as seasonal merchandising events catering to holidays such as Christmas and Easter; the products have been limited to candles and seasonal products. The leases also tend to be short term, but some retailers are successful enough to warrant longer-term leases. “We see a development towards long-term merchants changing seasonal product, or merchants with multiple short term bookings within the year,” Lange says. Lange adds that merchants appreciate the constant change


of products in the common areas. She contrasts this against the United States where “people treat RMUs more like shops.” For specialty retailers looking to expand into Germany, the


language barrier is challenging to overcome. Staffing is not easy. Most Germans speak English fluently because it is taught in high schools. However, North American retailers attempting to start a specialty retail business in Germany, are advised to hire German-speaking employees because the many dialects in Germany can be tricky. “We always recommend to the operators to work with a German-speaking staff,” Lange says.


80 Specialty Retail Report n Winter 2012


Lange and her leasing team offer retailers information about recruitment companies and staffing websites. Operators’ needs are published on the center’s websites. Lange says the U.S. specialty leasing industry serves as guide


in Germany for many reasons. “We still look a lot to the U.S. market due to its maturity in specialty retail and also look for trend products there as it seems these products will come to the European market and succeed with a certain time delay.” It appears Germany is poised for sustained retail opportunities. The country’s powerhouse economy that has so far weathered the economic crisis relatively well ensures that specialty retail is set for rapid growth.


Duffy Weir is the former vice president and director of Specialty Retail and Marketing at The Rouse Company in Columbia, Maryland. She is now an independent retail marketing and sponsorship consultant, Director of Education and a senior writer for Specialty Retail Report. Weir travels the world searching for what she says “makes marketplaces tick.” She can be reached at Duffyllc@comcast.net or her office 410.252.8885.


Article Resources Franka Lange


Director of Retail Operations Retail Profile Europe retailprofile.de retailprofile.com


Julia Langkraehr Founder Retail Profile retailprofile.com


SpecialtyRetail.com


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