Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/231459
Jessica Bruner, Vice President of Leasing As the job market begins to finally approach equilibrium in the coming months, the demand for top talent will become a key component to a company's growth trajectory. —David Poline, Poline associates vestors become priced out of "prime" countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France. An aging population in regions such as southwest England or Bavaria puts increasing importance on customer service. For many older consumers, meanwhile, fashion is less of a priority, and new technology is anathema. And so it will be critical to expand the traditional shopping center offer to better serve these customers. That means more housewares, leisure goods, personal care, and food and beverage. Indeed, the growth of food and beverage, which is associated with most other forms of leisure, but especially cinemas, clearly has injected life into the retail economy. FSP expects this to continue in 2014 and beyond, and it would not be surprising to see this sector expand at 5 percent per annum over the next three years. Edens Bethesda, Md. Years ago the shopping center industry did just fine with commoditydriven retail properties. But as we move into 2014, the leasing teams at Edens will maintain their focus on transcending the traditional retail model. The goal is to drive traffic to our centers by offering highquality, unique tenants. Given the continuing pressures of online sales in an already over-retailed nation, there is clearly an ever-increasing need to give consumers a point of unique distinction — one of experience, quality and personalization, to fill their overprogrammed and hectic lives. On the restaurant front, one approach toward that end would be to sign the latest chain branded with the face and name of a celebrity chef. A more challenging task, though, is There is an ever-increasing need to give consumers a point of unique distinction to fill their overprogrammed and hectic lives. —Jessica Bruner, Edens to get ahead of the curve by curating new restaurants and retailers that have the power to enrich the communities in which you do business. Typically, this means taking the time and effort to consult with newer operators to help them maximize design, merchandising and marketing. In 2012, when nationally recognized foodie favorite and oysterman Travis Croxton opened Rappahannock Oyster Bar in a 300-square-foot space at Union Market, in Washington, D.C., he worked with our director of culinary strategy, Richie Brandenburg, on design, menu and presentation. Rappahannock was a huge success. Today Travis is working with us again to open additional locations in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Charlottesville, Virginia. The like-mindedness of our local restaurateurs creates an environment and quality that is hard to duplicate on a national level. A similar success story can be found with tastemaker and national food writer Amanda McClements, who opened her first store, Salt & Sundry, at our Union Market development a little over a year ago. Prior to opening the store, Amanda worked with us to refine and develop her business plan, store design and overall operations. The award-winning boutique, which offers a beautiful selection of housewares, linens, gifts, artisanal foods, handmade furniture and vintage items, keeps shoppers engaged by hosting special events as well as demonstrations with local chefs, mixologists and food personalities. The integration of Amanda's merchandise and programming provides a unique experience not found in D.C. and presents Amanda with future opportunities for growth in the region. All of these efforts require a commitment from the top down as well as cross-disciplinary collaboration; our leasing, development and design-construction teams collaborate closely to make sure our projects reflect the J an uar y 201 4 / SCT 39