Effectively interpret the changing consumer trends in order to maintain a high volume of footfalls and occupancy

The world of retail and shopping is constantly changing, as are the layouts, role and content of the shopping centers. We believe that in the coming years finding ways to promote interaction and personalized relationships with visitors, as well as the greater integration between online and offline, will be key.

Shopping centers will increasingly be more experience and shopping media oriented

For these reasons we developed a plan focused on innovation, designed to improve and personalize the visitors’ customer journey, the plan is developed based on the specific features of each asset and is divided into different areas of action: merchandising mix, layout, digital marketing/CRM and events.

Merchandising mix: scalable and replicable models

With regard to the merchandising and tenant mix, our goal is to make some models, which have already proved successful in some of our shopping centers, scalable/replicable across the portfolio and continue scouting for new emerging tenants and new formats.

 

Best practice in placeTargets
HEALTH AND WELLBEING- 21 dental clinics opened from 2013 and 1 medical center in 2021- Medical centers and fitness centers
- Services for citizens and families
- New tenants and formats
- Healthcare facilities
HOUSEHOLD GOODS- 5,500 sqm shops (house furnishing, accessories and monobrand) opened in the last 2 years- Scouting of new tenants and new format to extend the offer
FOOD COURT- >1,000 sqm of restaurants opened in 2021- Ethnic/bio/healthy restaurants
- High quality restaurants
- Food truck in the external areas and family restaurants with playground areas
TECH- 15 new shops opened in the last 2 years- New brands and focus on emerging brands
- Specialized shops for gamers
- Shops of remanufactored high tech products
SPORT- 3,000 sqm of shops opened in the last 2 years- Specialized retailers complementary to the sports areas developed outside and shops specialized in motorcycle accessories
FAMILY STORE- 8 Pepco opened in the last 2 years equal to 4,900 sqm- Shops and services dedicated to children
- Leisure areas dedicated to children

 

Find out more on the retailers of our shopping centers

Layouts

In terms of layouts, IGD will focus on creating new piazzas and food courts, areas dedicated to sports, entertainment and smart-working, taking advantage of outdoor areas, also (parking lots, rooftops) and increasing green areas.

Events

In response to the greater need for experiences and socialization, as well as the greater presence of digital, over the next three years events will increasingly be exploited to bring more people together. It is our intention:

  • to give precedence to events involving both tenants and visitors at the same time;
  • to set up temporary leisure areas for multimedia and immersive exhibitions and “virtual” areas with interactive games, sports simulators;
  • coupling “drive to store” activities with initiatives that will allow the visitor to have an on- and off-line experience of the shopping center. Such solutions will be deployed also using the tools already recalled in the Digital Plan to be developed (reserved areas on websites, influencer marketing program).

 

Find out more on our events
area plus+

Digital marketing and development of the omnichannel

As regards to digital marketing, in 2021 we implemented a centralized CRM/data-lake system, linked to the “AreaPlus” initiative, a reserved area on the shopping centers’ websites where visitors can access increasingly personalized offers for shopping and leisure.

The goal over the next three years is to transform the data gathered into strategic information that can be used:

  • in the in-depth analysis of each center’s catchment area,
  • to support targeted commercial actions, including by working together with the different tenants (“tenant engagement”) and using social media and digital strategies to develop the community,
  • to enhance customer loyalty (customer engagement”).

As part of the multi-channel approach, digital tools connected to the CRM system will allow to order from restaurants, reserve fields or other spaces in the shopping center.

In this way we intend to expand the range of services offered to our visitors and offer them an experience increasingly tailored to their needs and interests.

Main results achieved in 2021

Our commitment to increasing the commercial offer con tinued: in 2021 we introduced 34 new tenants in the Italian Shopping Malls and the first medical clinic was added to an IGD Shopping Center.

Compared to 2020, a year in which all types of events were suspended in the Shopping Centres (with the partial exception of commercial ones), in 2021, particularly from the second half onwards, greater social interaction was demanded following the lockdown period, and a significant spread of digital formats was witnessed. During the year, 338 events were organized in Italy and 90 in Romania.

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