Page 58 - May2021

Moscow
Moscow thrills visitors with its artistry, history and majesty. It is the capital city
of Russia and the biggest consumer and retail market in the country. Moscow’s size,
reputation and Soviet architecture has given it a fairly intimidating reputation. But
there is much more to the Russian capital than its central role in the Cold War. In
fact, the capital has a fascinating history that dates back over 800 years, and while
it doesn’t have the dreamy canals and European glamour of its northern counterpart
St. Petersburg, it’s no slouch in terms of culture, hosting some of the country’s most
renowned art and history collections, theatres and film studios—not to mention some
extremely luxurious shops, glamorous restaurants and slick bars. Most of the action can
be found within the Garden Ring, where a thoroughly contemporary, if not downright
ostentatious, buzz prevails. Retail turnover is more than three times more than in St.
Petersburg and 20 times more than in other cities with over a million inhabitants. Aside
from retail, Moscow is the most actively developing F&B market in Russia with all new
trends seemingly starting in the city. The major sites in Moscow for retail are the City
Centre and Tverskaya Street.

MuMBai
India’s largest metropolitan and the world’s fifth most populous city, Mumbai is
known as the commercial and financial capital of India. The presence of Bollywood,
one of the world’s leading movie industries, has fuelled the growth of organised
retail in Mumbai, with many stars endorsing both local and global brands alike. The
epicentre of the Indian fashion industry, Mumbai is the best place on the subcontinent
to pick up contemporary Indian designer wear and accessories. Mumbai’s retail market
is characterised by smaller disorganised retailers or corner shops retailing various
commodities ranging from food to clothes and other household items, as is the
case across most cities and towns in India. Over the years, several large organised
developments have sprung up across the city, ranging from mass to premium and luxury.
Several local and international luxury brands have opened stores in Mumbai and many
consider the city a launch pad for their brand. Mumbai’s important retail sites include
Colaba, Fort, Kemps Corner, Chembur, Bandra, Andheri and Powai and new entrants are
Nappa Dori, Raw Mango, Kalyan Jewellers, Croma, Starbucks Pepperfry, Dior fragrance,
Sephora, Tods, Tumi, Zara and American Eagle.

MunicH
The capital and most populous city of Bavaria, it is the third-largest city in
Germany after Berlin and Hamburg, whilst the city’s metropolitan region is home to
over six million people. Munich is one of the retail hot spots in Germany which is
unsurprising considering the affluent clientele in Munich and its surroundings. The city
is often the first choice of international retailers when it comes to expanding into the
German retail market. The extremely attractive Munich market draws in all market
players. Despite high prices, spaces and business premises in the traditional prime
locations of Munich are in high demand among tenants, investors and developers alike.
Furthermore, Munich is an absolute hot spot for tourism: 17.1 million overnight stays
with a particularly high amount of foreign visitors (nearly 50 per cent) strengthen the
location further. The compact urban design of the city centre and the clearly defined
sales locations are extremely user - friendly which has a definite positive impact on
sales figures. The most important parts of Munich are Neuhauser Strasse/Kaufingerstrasse
and Marienplatz, Maximilianstrasse/Perusastrasse, Sendlinger Strasse, Brienner Strasse,
Tal and Leopoldstasse/Hohenzollernstrasse, whilst new entrants are Andechser, Sandro,
Meisterwerk, Saint Laurent, Berluti, Love Stones and Kate Spade.

58 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL MAY 2021