Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/390025
e n t - u p c o n s u m e r d e m a n d a L o n G W I t H favorable demographics in Iran suggest that the country of 75 million is on the cusp of a retail revolution. "only around 10 regional shopping malls exist in tehran, and there is no super-regional shopping mall in the whole coun- try," said ali amiri, ceo of maad retailing studies centre, an Iran-based consulting firm. But that is about to change dramatically both in tehran, the capital city, and the country as a whole — even without the lifting of economic sanctions the international community has imposed on Iran for refusing to halt its nuclear program. roughly between 300 and 350 shopping centers are under construction in Iran, including three tehran super-regional malls whose completion is expected within two years, according to amiri. P Iran's retaIL reVoLutIon developers and retailers are racing to meet consUmers' growing demand For modern sHopping By Spencer Rumsey o c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 / S C T 67 p H o t o c o p y r I G H t © t H o m a s c r I s t o f o L e t t I / r u o m currently, serving tehran's 12 million people are some 50 malls, most of them neighborhood centers and measuring between 22,000 and 54,000 square feet of gross leasable area, says amiri, who has been providing consulting services in the city since 2008. "the retail market in Iran is moving from the streets toward the shopping centers," amiri said. this transition from the tradi- tional bazaar is being hastened by the Westernized tastes of the country's young people, he says. english-language signs in the malls reveal the preferences for casual dining: "pizza," read some signs; "coffee shop," announce others; and there are even some that say "Kentucky House" — for a fast-food chicken chain that reportedly has no relationship to Louisville, Ky.–based Kfc corp. five years ago majid al futtaim, of dubai, united arab emirates, opened its first Hyperstar supermarket in tehran, through its venture with carrefour, of france. By the end of this year, four