The Must-Haves for Modern Shopping Centres

Shopping Centres now have to do so much more than just offer a variety of products.

They must also provide a unique, engaging, and often tech experiences to customers. Technological change has been with us for some time, now and in the future, it will include significant AR and VR advancements, including virtual try-ons, new-age wayfinding, click-and-collect, smart leases, and automated parking, alongside data and predictive analysis.

Landlords are increasingly reconsidering their tenant mix strategies and introducing new, exciting food and entertainment concepts. However, we should be under no illusion that one size fits all, and future proposals will depend entirely on what the individual community needs in that particular location.

Retailers are now much more sophisticated in their real estate analysis, meaning that owners and their leasing agents need to be more connected based on customer-orientated strategy. In our scheme leasing, bf has agreed on transactions with a wide variety of new tenants, including flexible workspaces, medical centres, doctors, dentists, community hubs, children’s play venues, job centres, citizens advice bureaus, all alongside innovative independent occupiers.

These hybrid destinations are proving very successful in attracting a wide range of visitors with different requirements, often from an extended catchment.

Our current shopping centre projects.

Put simply, bf adds value by adopting a people-first approach.

Written by Damian Sumner