Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/122387
178 SCT / m a y 2 0 1 3 pho to : Mart in Moos was robust in the past and is currently in quite good shape," said Karsten Burbach, CBRE's managing director and head of Germany retail. "In Germany there are seven metropolises with vital High Street markets. The city centers try to incorporate shopping centers, so the High Street business is much more important than any suburban shopping area." There are approximately 400 shopping centers in Germany, many of them built in the past 10 years in or near city centers. "There is a serious discussion about each shopping center development, and city authorities try to balance High Street retail and shopping centers," Burbach said. "It is quite uncommon for city authorities to give permission for shopping centers in out-of-town districts, and this then strengthens the High Street retail areas." Ukrainian-born Berlin resident Olga Grabovsky says that in the five years she has been living in Germany, she has rarely shopped anywhere outside the High Street. "It's so convenient, and, to be honest, who wants to travel to get to some faceless mall? I'd rather stay close to home and go to unique stores." Frankfurt's main shopping area, the Zeil, boasts upwards of 13,000 visitors per hour at peak times. This makes the Zeil Germany's busiest shopping street, according to Jones Lang LaSalle, putting it ahead of the Schildergasse, in Cologne; and the Kaufingerstrasse, in Munich. But the number of shoppers visiting Germany's 170 most important High Streets declined by 6 percent last year, from the year before, a statistic that is attributed to increased online shopping and to a younger generation less inclined to stroll High Streets. Mom-and-pop retailers are particularly pressed, finding themselves unable to compete with the likes of H&M.; But for all this, observers remain hopeful that Germany's High Streets will continue to thrive. "I'm Shopping complex in the Zeil — FrankFurt, heSSe very optimistic that High Street retail will continue to be successful, and I believe that there is a consensus on this in Germany," said Burbach. Even in England, where the High Street has been less protected than in Germany, analysts are confident that it will not disappear into the history books. "Both the U.K. and Germany have a strong High Street culture," said Brown. "I think they will survive, because they will adapt. With the maturity of online shopping, retailers will have to respond, and there are plenty of indications that they are doing precisely that. I'm confident that the physical space as represented by the High Street will always remain the dominant channel for retail." Burbach concurs. "Ultimately, people want to have an interesting shopping experience; it's what they're looking for when they're not shopping on the Internet," he said. "And for an interesting shopping experience, nothing is going to beat the High Street." SCT