Business centres and corporate real estate gradually emerging as a lifeline for retailers

According to Ecooffice, the overwhelming majority of retail chains big and small are currently opting to open new stores in existing large office buildings or business centres. That said, retail chains’ traditional enthusiasm for the classic shopping-mall format is gradually waning.

This trend primarily concerns those companies whose operations have suffered the most from the ongoing economic crisis, which is why, when looking for the most stable audience possible, retailers are turning to office centres and corporate real estate as a top-priority concern. It’s at these types of properties that retail chains are trying to open their new outlets, in an effort to get as close as possible to the consumer.

Ecooffice experts point out that office workers are a pretty stable target audience for retailers across a wide spectrum of specialisations. That said, it’s service-based companies that are expressing the most pronounced interest in opening outlets in office centres.

Despite the significant increase in demand, experts are not expecting rental rates to climb; otherwise, such a move could lead to business unprofitability. A rate hike could lead to a situation in which, instead of relatively-stable rental income and the arrangement of high-end infrastructure for their own tenants, management companies wind up with nothing more than an increase in vacant space.