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ePaper created 2015-05-08, 10:57:20 | version 1.38.0
29Deutsche EuroShopANNUAL REPORT 2014 CENTER ars of shopping centers often play a key role in attracting cus- tomers for local retailers as a whole. Shopping centers, however, only ac- count for part of the stationary retail revenue and have to position them- selves successfully, as do all retail stores in light of the growth of on- line shopping. Fair competition conditions? 24/7 vs. restrictions Increasing digitalisation will drive structuralchangeinretail.Theupheaval taking place in the retail sector is ex- pectedtocontinue.Asaresult,thesec- tor will have to focus more on chang- ing consumer habits to become more customer-oriented in every respect. The call for fair competition con- ditions between the online, offline and multichannel sales channels is therefore the subject of intense dis- cussions. It must be acknowledged that online and offline are two com- peting sales channels that currently still operate under completely differ- ent conditions. There are many regulations that apply to opening and operating a sta- tionary shop, including the initial permit process, fire safety require- ments, workplace ordinances, build- ing regulations, evidence of parking places and much more. An online shop, on the other hand, can open right away without any restrictions or extensive addi- tional costs and can then be operat- ed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Store opening hours in particu- lar are a key factor in the appeal for city centers. But in recent years they have come under increasing compe- tition from online retailers that op- erate under much more competitive conditions, with logistics centers on “greenfield sites”, often more than 100,000m2 in size, with no limits on the variety of goods in stock and offering no professional advice from trained staff paid according to the re- tail trade pay scale. It remains to be seen how this disparity will be addressed by poli- ticians and what the consequences will be for equal opportunity in the next few years. Stationary retail can offer real emotions In light of these factors, stationary re- tail will be particularly dependent on an appealing environment, attractive city centers, a broad range of services andleisureactivitiesaswellasconven- ientaccess.Shoppingcenteroperators willneedtofocusondifferentaspects: an attractive mix of tenants, more cu- linaryofferings,convenience,service, experienceandappealingarchitecture are considered the most important sources for optimising facilities. One way to increase the amount of time visitors spend in shopping centers is to add more restaurants – this often results in a double-digit percentage increase. This can also be successfully achieved in combination with entertainment and exciting ac- tivities, but the aspect of “conveni- ence” should not be underestimated: in today’s world, it is simply a must to provide an adequate number of park- ing spots, free of charge if possible (at least for a certain amount of time). Lo- cations that are easily accessible by car have proven particularly successful. Efforts to improve the quality of service and the experience will inten- sify noticeably in the future. Current- ly, concepts such as four-star hotels are being successfully implemented and online services are being tested with customers in extensive “Future Labs” and developed for the market. But stationary retail also needs to keep working on its image and offer customers shopping experiences that are not possible in the online world. Online goes offline More and more customers and re- tailers have come to expect WLAN throughout a shopping center as standard. In addition, pure online re- tailers such as Apple and Microsoft are opening large bricks-and-mor- tar stores with increasing frequency. This will be a growing trend as cus- tomers want to experience their “on- line brands” live. Shopping centers and city centres can be strengthened over the long run if traditional retail- ers are replaced by online retailers. The importance of a well-functioning shopping center for the attractiveness of a city and its retail sector will con- tinue to be high as urbanisation ad- vances and demographics change. C von Ingmar Behrens, German Council of Shopping Centers e. V. (GCSC) Mo - Sa 9.30 bis 20 Uhr geöffnet Schon wieder geblitzt worden.