Mapic has without doubt become a major fixture for the global retail and property sector, drawing crowds from more than 70 countries to the south of France.
This year sees the spotlight on the US, a country in which the shopping mall has undergone a major transformation.
This year sees a record number of our CBRE retail team attending from the US. We have our CBRE Global retail conference the day before the Mapic conference and the 150 or so attending are looking forward to sharing knowledge about what new concepts and territories retailers are looking for. It will be good to catch up with them all again.
CBRE will also be launching the latest of our research, which this year focuses on the luxury market; getting to grips with the latest from London, Paris, New York and Milan, four cities recognised as leading the way in terms of brand heritage and retailer presence and examining the emerging luxury hot spots.
Our research suggests there is now the greatest-ever international retailer demand for London that we have seen both in terms of numbers and floor-space needs. The global retail economy in full flow!
I am also fascinated by some of our other recent research into people’s eating and drinking habits across shopping centres in EMEA. When we questioned 22,000 consumers over 45% wanted more healthy options in our centres compared with less than 20% seeking more fast-food outlets. We can see clearly where our food offering should be targeted.
From a London perspective and the hectic year we have all seen, it will be good to take a breath before launching in to 2016. Bring it on!
Hugh Radford is chairman - central London retail at CBRE
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