Experts told how to work the shopping center after the easing of restrictions.
1 June in Moscow will earn shops selling non-food goods, and owners of shopping centers do not hide their hopes for the restoration of consumer traffic. However, without entertainment continues to expect an influx of customers is not worth it, experts say. Also, the market can expect increased competition.
From the beginning of June in the capital will earn a non-food stores, and organizations that provide domestic services without long-term contact with customers — dry cleaning, repair shops, and so on. The owners of shopping centers, in which the business leases space, do not hide optimism: they expect that gradually consumer traffic will recover to pre-crisis levels.
“We’ve been waiting for this news, and as the market perceived them positively. I hope that the second and third stages as quickly to be introduced, and we finally, begin to work normally”, — said “Газете.Ru” the Director of leasing at the shopping center “Aviapark” Yulia Dyakova.
the Fear to be infected by the coronavirus among Russians and an uncertain Outlook hurt the entire industry. According to analysts, Watcom, prior to the imposition of restrictions on free movement in Moscow and the General isolation attendance of shopping centers in the capital started to fall sharply. Already on 19 March it fell by 20% in comparison with last year.
In other cities of Russia of non-food shops was introduced and starred as well — depending on the decision of the local authorities relied on the epidemiological situation. And major Federal networks are completely dependent on these decisions.
“IKEA decides on the date to open new stores in each region after the release of relevant orders from the regional authorities. Decisions are made individually for each store,” explained “Газете.Ru” in the press service company.
But in this sense will still remain a benchmark for other regions, as the capital of the trade is much stronger.
“All this waiting and realized that while Moscow will not open, no development and growth of consumer demand will not. Because one way or another, but the lion’s share of the turnover of tenants formed in the Moscow region. All eyes will be focused on how open Moscow how active buyers are returning to the Mall and spend,” — said “Газете.Ru” the Director of Department of trading real estate Knight Frank Eugene Akberdieva.
“Shopping centers are not fully closed, operated supermarkets and some stores, which do not fall under action of the introduced due��pandemic restrictions — explained “Газете.Ru” Director of projects development Department of real estate Department of the Crocus Group Catherine Belolipetskii. — The gradual opening of a growing number of stores in the shopping center in the current situation is reasonable from the point of view of conservation of the danger of the spread of the virus”.
With that, the big players are unlikely to encounter serious difficulties. In an interview with “Газетой.Ru” former head of maintenance of the shopping center RIO Michael Petkevich said that all the necessary systems, including by sweeping the air in these areas it has long been established
All interviewed heads of the capital’s shopping centres are confident that with the opening of non-retail buyers will return to the stores to realize pent-up demand.
“pent-up demand is certainly there: people quite a long time spent in isolation. Perhaps in compliance with all the requirements of Rospotrebnadzor, people will want to come and just unwind,” says Julia Dyakova of “the Fleet”.
Eugene Akberdieva of real estate Agency Knight Frank also relies on shopping. In her opinion, the people behind two and a half months simply sat up, and they need somewhere exit.
“If we look at the opening of the shopping centres in the regions, for example, “MEGA” in St. Petersburg, the results show us that the demand is there, and people just skipping the spring, needs to buy a something in the summer,” she said.
to help the tenants to gradually regain its activity, many shopping centers are ready to provide them with the vacation rentals or to reduce the burden some otherwise.
Catherine Belolipetskii of Crocus Group also said that the company’s approach to each landlord individually and try to find solutions business as tenants, and developers found themselves in the same difficult situation. This position was voiced by Yulia Dyakova of “the Fleet”.
pent-up demand is really the place to be, and some people somehow again pulled in the shopping center, despite the rather serious drop in income, who failed to recover since the crisis of 2014 year, told the “Газете.Ru” General Director “Infoline-Analytics” Mikhail Burmistrov.
But not all shopping malls will be able to compete in current conditions, because they are waiting for a major consolidation of consumer demand around the larger shopping centers.
“the Number of shopping centers, which do not differ some a clear and modern concept, will continue rapidly to empty, — said the analyst. Even if their landlords will provide something rent-free period, but traffic still ��e will, shops will be closed”.
Mikhail Burmistrov noted that the significant reduction in traffic waiting and reward shops that were targeted at foreign tourists, the same as GUM and TSUM. And their recovery will be inhibited, while tourists will not return to Russia.
the Expert highlighted that serious problems with tenants, regardless of rent holidays, there will be those who sell goods with minimal pent-up demand.
“a Number of non-food shops just will not open and we will see how some shopping centres will rapidly empty. This sharp drop we will likely see among sellers of jewelry, clothes and accessories. A better situation will have a cosmetic industry, household goods, decorative materials and mobile electronics”, — said the head of Infoline — Analitika.
From the point of view of security, according to Michael Burmistrova, no problems only major players in the market. After all, they will continue to strive to improve the purchasing experience, and that means investing into an existing security system and will complement its automated systems measure the temperature of visitors.
Less popular shopping centers will not be able to afford such investments, and will be forced to restrict the distribution of non-contact thermometers guards.
Considering all the disadvantages associated with such “manual test” of visitors, for them it will mean the loss of buyers who will continue to visit only the big shopping centres. And it’s not all the problems faced by small market participants.
“the Largest and most attractive shopping centers will feel good and they quickly recover. But 70-75% of shopping centers will face a strong decline in traffic. Because they still need to invest in advertising, but not all know how to do it right”, — concluded the expert.
