Is the fight deadly?
Experts are convinced that in a situation where incomes and purchasing power continue to fall, and the consumer model has changed once and for all, retailers have entered into the "last battle" not so much with each other, but with all non-retail: from cinemas and entertainment parks to language courses and museums. Is it so?
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NOT JUST A BUYER
In Elisa Cavaletti they say that the drop in the average check and its depth in Russia is not always expressed in monetary terms. In addition, buyers of the "medium" and "medium +" segments are ready to give up the quality of clothing, provided that the products will be cheaper. "However, the consumer is not ready to save on accessories," believes Nilo Pacenza. And the need for the quality and efficiency of the services provided has increased quite a lot: fast delivery, the possibility of fitting, courtesy of the staff - all this plays an important role. The buyer has become more demanding and is looking for an individual approach. Customization is another trend that retailers need to adjust to.
The CBRE lists examples of "new cross-amenities" for buyers. So, tickets to «Masterslavl» can be purchased in the supermarket chain «Abc of Taste». And in the shopping mall "Summer" an action was held, according to which, having purchased services from one of the participating operators: Joki Joya, the cinema "Luxor", electric «Segwaydrome», Trampoline Park No. 1, desserts «Dragon's Breath», home cooking restaurant «Teremok», – it was possible to get bonuses from other partners of the promotion. "But the main problem is the quality of traffic, as well as the fact that in general the traffic of visitors to the shopping center in the country is falling," recalls Denis Kosachenko, Retail Director VFCIS (trademarks Vans, Wrangler, Lee, The North Face, NAPAPIJRI). Moscow is a key location for all retailers, but even here the drop in traffic has been going on for three years. In this situation, it is more difficult for us to compete with offers that entertain customers or feed them without requiring large investments. And right now we are again seeing a surge in cheap fast food.
However, according to Patrick Sjoberg, for family shoppers who come to the mall with the whole family with children, the question of what to do with the child during shopping is more acute than ever. "And here the entertainment industry helps rather than opposes traditional stores," the expert explains. – For example, in The Okhta Mall shopping center has tenants who allow you to leave a child under supervision for a couple of hours: "Legorod", a children's playroom with a light structure, "Brio", where you can play railway, children's interactive and multimedia center Polly-Jolly. Thanks to them, parents have free time that they can spend on themselves. In addition, such places act as anchors that attract families, and it is advantageous for children's stores to be located next to them.
In SRV they also note that today retail in Russia is changing as a phenomenon. «In October The shopping center "Pearl Plaza" for the 100th anniversary of the film studio "Lenfilm" organized free screenings of films, inviting famous actors and directors of the studio with lectures, "says Patrick Sjoberg. "This suggests that the concept of retail is being blurred and the buying process is becoming more complex and complex. In shopping malls, retailers unite with representatives of other segments for mutually beneficial cooperation. The task of the shopping center is to create an optimal ratio of shops, restaurants and entertainment format for the target audience, increase traffic with the help of promotions and promotional events, as retailers' offers are increasingly based on customer preferences and include an emotional component in the purchase process.
In addition to developing existing ones, shopping malls are actively hosting new, atypical formats. So, in the Okhta Mall, the first cultural and educational space Okhta Lab was created on the territory of the shopping center, combining a branch of the Mayakovsky City Library, a reading room, a coworking, lecture hall and meeting rooms. «Thanks to «Ohta Lab» the shopping center managed to find a unique shopping offer for a new public, – explains Patrick Sjoberg. Now it is an anchor for a young and active audience, representatives of the intellectual and creative environment who are ready to go to the other end of the city for unusual content.
The fact that there is no serious "format war" in Russia yet, is also reported by Daria Kaneva, Deputy Director of the Asset Management Department NAI Becar. "The fact is that shops and museums themselves have ceased to be of interest to anyone. But this is the normal dynamics of changing consumer preferences," the expert reflects. And those who are able to catch such changes in a timely manner and integrate them into their business win. Entertainment does not take away "bread" from children's or family stores, but helps them sell. The main trend of new formats is integration, strengthening of different formats with each other in order to provide the consumer with an interesting complex product. To get the maximum in one place and thus stimulate interest in the shopping center – that's what's behind it ».
Alyona Marinicheva from Adamant supports: it is not entirely true to say that retail is in a state of serious confrontation with the entertainment industry, catering, and the educational sphere. "For example, in our complexes, the share of entertainment players averages about 20%," says Ms. Marinicheva. "Today, when time is the main and one of the most scarce resources, it is extremely important for citizens that the entire list of necessary services be concentrated in one location. And even if visitors come to the complex exclusively for shopping, they count on the opportunity to have a quick snack and drink coffee. Or, on the contrary, going to the cinema or fitness club, the visitor plans to go to any particular store for the necessary goods. It can be said that, in addition to the levels of service, comfort, variety of choice, the main criterion for visitors to shopping and entertainment complexes has become multifunctionality.
Technological comfort is also important for generation Y customers: the availability of a free high-speed wi-fi network, sockets and charging racks, recreation areas with comfortable benches and armchairs, as well as the opportunity to participate in seminars, lectures and meetings with interesting and fashionable speakers. While generation Y has a negligible impact on the development of shopping and entertainment complexes, however, it is impossible not to take into account its needs.
< span style="font-size: 12px;">Author: Ekaterina Reutskaya
