12 ANALYSIS


Stockholm’s in the Mood for shopping


Stockholm’s latest shopping centre has set new standards for in-town retail


MOOD Stockholm, the Swedish capital’s first new retail destination for over 20 years, opened on Friday 23 March. The development, owned and managed by AMF Fastigheter, one of Sweden’s largest investment and development companies, is billed as the antidote to the traditional shopping centre, steering away from the anchor-led format and combining quirky features with world-class dining and a young, edgy feel. The scheme offers around 60 shops (each unit is circa 1,000 sq ft) over three levels in the neighbourhood of Norrlandsgatan and Regeringsgatan, and combines established international and Swedish brands with new, contemporary concepts while reserving a handful of cutting-edge ‘pop-up’ shops to keep its retail offer fresh. The tenant mix is


SHOPPING CENTRE April 2012 www.shopping-centre.co.uk


overwhelmingly fashion and accessories orientated with a sprinkling of homeware shops. Brands recognisible in the UK market include Timberland, Scotch & Soda, G-Star, Ralph Lauren Children and Samsung. According to Karolin Forsling, head


of retail at AMF Fastigheter, which owns three other shopping centres in Stockholm including Gallerian, one of Scandinavia’s most successful malls, MOOD is seen as as good a location as any premium high street, pulling in brands that would normally opt for a street location. “We are delivering a truly exceptional


and progressive scheme to meet demand for prime Stockholm retail space, and respond to the new way of life for people shopping, working, visiting and living in Stockholm,” says Forsling. “At MOOD we are presenting different


definitions and interpretations of premium in one unique location – yes we will be delivering exclusive and established brands, but we are also very strong on the sophistication of design and materials, presenting the luxury of time through frictionless retail, as well as the luxury of ambience and welcome surroundings – all conducive to a successful retail destination. “MOOD Stockholm will redefine shopping: to us true premium shopping is not about the price point, it is about meeting modern consumers’ needs.” Forsling’s vision behind MOOD Stockholm centres around convenience and efficiency, a place where customers will be able to get everything they need or desire. This is reinforced by the centre’s concierge desk, the staff at which will organise an almost endless range of services from ordering flowers, laundry and car wash services to booking a personal chef. Parallels can be drawn between MOOD Stockholm and One New Change in the City of London, a compact centre in the capital’s financial district (MOOD is in an area densely populated with offices in the law and financial arenas) where the restaurants – Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen and Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa – act, in many ways, as the anchors. Similarly, MOOD has restaurants by no less than three of Sweden’s top chefs – Kristofer Sandström, Michelin star decorated Henrik Norström and Melker Andersson – all of which are booked up weeks in advance. There are also similarities in parts of the interior, especially the escalator atriums, which are clad, in both schemes, in shiny black paneling. Aside from these cursory observations, MOOD is in many ways different to any shopping centre most of us will have seen. The whole concept, dreamed up by Forsling, focuses on a tapestry of three increasingly aspirational zones – Everyday for affordable brands, Wishing for high-end brands and Desire for exclusive, luxury brands – each


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52