Are mixed-use retail and leisure schemes becoming the norm in the UK?
Many UK towns and cities are currently planning huge retail and leisure schemes. Developers are now creating complex retail led mixed-use schemes and ignoring shopping-only developments. Retail alone seems to no longer be enough for the public and mixed-use schemes including shops, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and workplaces are becoming more popular and the norm for thousands around the UK.
People no longer want to go out and just shop; they see it as more of a “day out.” This means that providing a development where people can gather within a shopping area or district and also have access to an entertainment facility is becoming increasingly important.
Research from JLL this week found that over the past ten years, the amount of floor space that food and beverage operators take up has gone from 7% to 15%. Across Europe, foodservice in shopping centres currently accounts for 15% of the total gross leasable area. This is predicted to rise to at least 20% in total over the next decade. Across Europe, foodservice in shopping centres currently accounts for 15% of the total gross leasable area. This is predicted to rise to at least 20% in total over the next decade.
The figures showed that people who ate during their shopping trip spent an average of 27 minutes more in the shopping area and also spent 18% more on overall transactions. Jonathan Doughty, MD of Coverpoint, a food consulting business said: “The rise in online sales means that consumers are looking for leisure and culinary experiences from their shopping centre visits as this is something that is still impossible to do online. Well-configured and complementary dining and drinking provision can add real diversity and vitality to major city markets worldwide, and can often boost consumers’ shopping experience and dwell time, as well as giving consumers a reason to keep coming back. This is only set to rise.”
JLL have predicted that future “malls” will allocate 20% of space to food and beverage within the next 10 years. It is clear that these mixed-use schemes are on the rise.
Do you regularly visit food and beverage outlets when using a shopping centre? Please leave your comments below.
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[…] keen eye of the developer has shown an increase in mixed-use retail and leisure schemes becoming ever more popular in the UK. Many offline shoppers are looking for further experience and turning their shop into more of a day […]