Central and Eastern Europe is Target for Cross Border Retailer Movement

 

2007 and 2008 saw the emergence of Turkey and Russia as the key target destinations for retailers expanding internationally, according to new retail research from real estate advisor Jones Lang LaSalle. Turkey accounted for 11.3% of the total cross border movements, whilst 10.6% of retailers entered Russia. Central and Eastern Europe dominated the ranking of most popular locations, accounting for the top five destinations. The UK was ranked at number seven and attracted 6.6% of international retailer movements.

Top 10 Cross Border Retailer destinations 2007-2008

 

              Source: Jones Lang LaSalle

Neville Moss, Head of European Retail Research at Jones Lang LaSalle commented: “Although the current economic slowdown has impacted upon demand, retailers are still showing an interest to enter Central & Eastern Europe, although many are now only considering franchise partners to minimise risk.”

Looking ahead, James Dolphin, Head of pan European Retail Agency at Jones Lang LaSalle said: “2009 is set to be a year of opportunity. Deals are likely to be very favourable for tenants even in prime locations, with the best lease terms available for the best brands with strong covenants. Although retailers’ confidence remains reasonably strong in the Central European markets, they will now be more selective in terms of prime high streets and projects in those countries with large development pipelines, prioritising quality in terms of location, concept and tenant mix. Western and Southern Europe will become more attractive to North American brands in 2009 and we forecast a range of retailers such as Forever 21, Anthropologie, Hollister and Crate & Barrel to take advantage of the favourable deals that will be available.”

In Turkey, some 1 million sq m of shopping centre space has opened between January 2007 and December 2008, helping fuel the rise in international retailer demand. Global retailers such as Gap, Muji and Banana Republic all made the move into Turkey during 2007/2008, as did luxury brands such as Calvin Klein, Chanel and YSL (although several of these were as concessions in Department stores).

Romania now has the largest spectrum of brands in Central Europe and has attracted active retailers such as Peek & Cloppenburg, Karen Millen, Reserved and Hervis. Expansion via both direct and franchise routes are increasingly common, with Poland, Romania and Russia in particular seeing a notable increase in franchise businesses. In Western Europe, Westfield London accounted for almost half of new entrants to the UK retail market, with Ugg (Australia), Hue (USA) and David Mayer (France) seizing the opportunity for representation in the capital without paying the high rents of the West End.

In Southern Europe, Portugal remains an important target for international retailers, offering good rental values and a modern shopping centre stock. Due to a lower exposure to the credit crisis and a limited supply of home grown retail, the Belgian market is a high priority for retailers looking to move cross border.

In recent years, the USA has been the dominant origin of cross border retailers, though in 2007 & 2008 Italy headed the list with 16.6% of all movements originating here. The USA has dropped to second with 14.2%, followed by the UK at 13.3%. France also featured highly with 11.7% of all cross border movements originating there, whilst domestic retailers in Sweden and the Netherlands tend to look abroad, often to larger nearby countries given the small size of the home markets.

 

About Jones Lang LaSalle

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2008 global revenue of $2.7 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle serves clients in 60 countries from 750 locations worldwide, including 180 corporate offices. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.3 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company’s investment management business, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse in real estate with more than $46 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit our Web site, http://www.joneslanglasalle.ru

In Russia and CIS Jones Lang LaSalle have offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Almaty. Jones Lang LaSalle, Russia was voted Consultant of the Year in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 at the Commercial Real Estate Awards (Russia).

 

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