Page 36 - June 2021

RLI LEISURE INSIGHT

Landlord to

Curator of Spaces

With parts of the world putting forward action plans to reopen their doors again, landlords
must now start focusing on transforming the rising areas of vacant retail spaces to meet the
newly evolved social and experiential needs of their consumers…. Alan Robertson, CEO of Air
Design discusses further below.
Over the course of the pandemic, its adverse effects within the retail DIY carpentry workshop with multi-level classes, crafts workshop to
sector have become apparent with over 1,000 chain outlets closing create clothes and other handmade goods, and a terrarium workshop.
in the first six weeks of 2021 in the UK. Furthermore, as our homes They have developed a creative experiential hub to give customers
became the only location for dining, shopping and entertainment, the opportunity to try something new and socialise with others in a
the online shopping landscape became more enriched. With the rise creative and stimulating environment.
of digital retail surpassing physical retail and popular retail chains With the importance of community values and demand for unique
closing, landlords must now start thinking of curating unique leisure experiences outside our houses increasing among consumers, it is
destinations which cater to the changing demands of customers as therefore important to bring in these local leisure activities for a fresh,
they re-enter these places. Although the number of vacant spaces tailored and authentic offering. This will in turn bring in a higher and
has increased, the demand for authentic social experiences within a more diverse demographic as you are bringing in local flavour in a mix
multi-faceted and enriched leisure space has simultaneously increased of standard chains.
alongside it.
Food Halls and Markets
The Era of Entertainment and Leisure With the retail industry becoming more digitised and our “big plans”
We are now seeing shopping centres rebranding and repositioning previously consisting of ordering food in, consumers want to visit
themselves from prime fashion destinations to being the best in class places for experiential leisure and dining experiences rather than just
for leisure, entertainment and F&B offerings. For example, Respublika for shopping.
Park, a mall in Ukraine, has designated 30,000sq m of space to a new Consumers now reject the traditional retail experience of working
age Entertainment Park with cutting-edge virtual, augmented and their way through the same big box retail stores; they want a varied
mixed reality experiences. They have further integrated the digital sensory palette of choice and experience – something which can be
world with the physical by having over 15 party rooms, 50 dining spots, achieved by injecting unique leisure and dining offerings into the space.
Instagrammable areas and the country’s first indoor theme park with a Therefore, landlords should offer opportunities for internationally
rollercoaster, ferris wheel, and indoor skydiving experience to provide inspired food start-ups and local businesses which provide a diverse
a next-generation entertainment and leisure experience which attracts mixture of locally sourced food and drinks offerings. Landlords can also
the new Gen-Z target audience and social groups of friends and family. adopt different leasing approaches to suit the needs of different tenants
Their primary focus when advertising this re-opening has been its to provide an ever-evolving, dynamic food market offering which you
entertainment offerings which are catered for all generations, ages, can regularly visit for a new experience each time. This provides
and personalities rather than solely emphasising their retail offerings. landlords the opportunity to transform unused retail spaces into
This shows how landlords and developers are altering their marketing vibrant experiential destinations which celebrates human connections,
and advertising strategies to make their focal attraction point of being culture and experimentality to thus regenerate footfall and revenue.
a varied leisure hub which provides the opportunity to reconnect We are social animals and miss the human interactions we have been
with the community and loved ones in a dynamic environment. Such deprived of for the past year. Curating a leisure hub which provides
diversity in leisure provisions increases revisitation rates as people a truly authentic and bespoke palette will attract and ultimately build
want to try the numerous offerings they haven’t experienced yet, upon the development of a dynamic community environment.
which in turn has a positive knock-off effect on footfall, revenue and Landlords curating vacant spaces in a thoughtful way will act as a
word of mouth visits. creative catalyst to reconnect communities, support smaller local
businesses and create authentic leisure experiences which meet our
Bringing in Local Businesses evolved social needs. These tailored plans will in turn branch out to
Rather than landlords renting spaces to a mass-market retail chain new and existing customers to increase footfall, revenue and ultimately
for a fixed number of years, landlords should take a more flexible asset value.
approach of having more short-term leases to suit smaller, local
businesses which offer unique leisure activities. After being in and out
of lockdowns and our main outings being your weekly grocery shop,
people now want inspiring and engaging experiences which stimulate
their social needs.
Research conducted in the UK showed that over the course of the
pandemic, people in the UK have found a new preference for using
local businesses and are actively seeking them out.
Landlords can thus bring in local businesses to provide exciting
leisure offerings from tasting and microbrewery experiences to pottery
and painting activities. For example, Joy City North Mall in Shanghai
has a large space dedicated to leisure workshops for customers to
experience including a painting studio, jewellery workshop,

36 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2021