Shopping Centers Today

MAR 2015

Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

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"It's a boutique with trendy clothing and accessories for girls and teens," Young said. "They opened in October 2014 and have attracted quite a following, with sales that exceeded expec- tations. Now the owners are talking to us about expanding into a larger space for a long-term deal." In addition to a balanced approach, it is also important to make sure the marketing team has enough resources and experience to support budding concepts, Young says. "We have deep bench strength in our marketing department, with knowledge of how to promote retail locations to con- sumers," she said. "Our team will help them put together a marketing plan that builds business, from the direct-mail programs, digital marketing and social media that we offer, to advising tenants on growing their loyalty programs. Our marketing group functions as in-house consultants that of- fer expertise for no charge." Educating newbies Cultivating creative tenant lineups often involves working closely with total newcomers to retail real estate. When young Austrian chef Didi Maier wanted to open a 60-seat restaurant at Europark, Salzburg's largest shopping center, landlord SES Spar European Shopping Centers was happy to accommo- date. "He's the youngest son of Johanna Maier, one of Aus- tria's most famous chefs, and is a bit like our Jamie Oliver," said Marcus Wild, the firm's CEO, referring to the English celebrity chef. "We helped Didi with certain real-estate-related decisions — translating his ideas into actual concrete via archi- tecture, layout and that sort of thing — but we left the four-star kitchen in his capable hands. It has been a big success." DIDIlicious, as the restaurant is called, serves healthy fare rooted in Austrian culinary traditions. DIDIlicious also op- erates a kiosk where guests can look over Maier's shoulder as he whips up pasta and other dishes. Its take-home products, which enable Europark shoppers to enjoy gourmet meals at home, bring additional convenience, Wild says. "In Austria we already have a saying: 'The way to the heart is through the stomach,' " Wild said. "But in general, food is becoming even more important here, with a strong focus on catering, quality and good value. Working with a young entrepreneur like Didi is well worth the investment. Such tenants, which mirror the surrounding local culture, can certainly influence customers' choice of shopping destinations." But incubating relationships with larger, more experienced retail operators is important too. Over the years, SES Spar has put a priority on forging ties with established chains that have yet to enter the company's core markets of Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. Wild cites Norwegian fashion group Varner, which will commence a multistore rollout in Aus- tria this spring, with SES Spar as its primary development part- ner. Varner generates upwards of €1 billion (about $1.1 billion) in annual sales and operates 1,350 shops and distribution chan- nels across Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Ger- many and Poland. And yet its brands — such concepts as Dress- man and Carlings — are novel for most Austrian shoppers, Wild says. SES Spar has helped the likes of H&M;, Hollister, Primark and Zara to open their first Austria stores. In all, Varner is set to open as many as 15 stores in Aus- tria over the next 12 months. As northern Europe's second- largest textile operator, after H&M;, Varner clearly needs no 46 S C T / M a r c h 2 0 1 5 W e s t p o r t V i l l a g e , l o U i s V i l l e ,

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