If there is a positive signal that comes from Phase 2 and Phase 3, it is that of the shopping centres. Not only have they reopened, but according to data from the first two weeks, analyzed and disclosed by CBRE, a global group specializing in real estate and shopping center consultancy, it emerges that turnover saw a strong recovery during the second week of reopening , especially thanks to the significant growth in average spend per visitor. In fact, while the number of visitors is still very low (62,5% compared to the same period of the previous year, since in the week between 18 and 24 May, with travel between regions still blocked and 18% of shops still closed), the good news is that those few who do exist spend more.
CBRE's Re-opening Flash Survey includes a sample of 40 nationwide managed malls, representing over 955 sq m of GLA and over 2147 stores. And it indicates that consumption habits have changed a lot, with multiple purchases made by each customer and an increase in the average receipt. XL receipts are seen above all in the purchase of food, services and para-commercial. By force of circumstances: once you decide to leave the house, armed with masks and protections, running the risk of being infected, you might as well optimize and buy as much as possible, rather than limiting yourself to the classic "walk" to look at the shop windows and that's it .
"The data show - confirms Franco Rinaldi, Head of Property Management of CBRE Italy - how, at the end of the lockdown, consumers had the need to make purchases, recording a higher conversion rate than in the pre-lockdown period, demonstrating the fact that the current trend is to go to shopping centers to buy and not to take a walk in the gallery. However, it should be noted that the food court and entertainment spaces are not yet fully operational. It will be interesting to monitor the trends of the coming months to understand the impact that the limitations of the lockdown have had on the target and on consumption habits".
Italians are therefore slowly returning to normality, albeit with new paradigms. For example, compared to large centres, the recovery is more marked in smaller centres, probably because they are potentially less crowded, or in any case less dispersive. But the phenomenon can also be explained – given that the period analyzed is at the end of May – with the contraction of the catchment areas of regional formats, caused by the blocking travel between regions still in place in the first weeks of opening, by the lack of contribution from tourism and the ability of smaller centers to respond effectively to the demand for proximity. In terms of attendance, in fact, the best results came from the commercial parks, as could be expected, with outdoor spaces that were certainly more reassuring than the indoor galleries.
The recovery is even more surprising if we consider that in these months of quarantine, Italians have used and appreciated e-commerce more and more. In reality, however, the CBRE analysis shows that the line between physical and online stores is becoming increasingly blurred, given that while not giving up the shopping experience in the physical store, for 35% of Italians the most requested service is Click&Collect ( i.e. the possibility of ordering a product online and picking it up in the store) and that new consumer habits are dictating the need for more
Take Away (for 21% of those interviewed) and Food Delivery (18%). The first reason for choosing the mall, however, is hope to find discounts and promotions.
