Shopping centres look beyond footfall as consumer expectations evolve

Dominik Uhe, Head of Investor Relationship Management at Kaufland International, argued that the fundamentals of successful retail remain unchanged: location, quality and competitive pricing. Grocery-anchored destinations benefit from regular customer visits, but must increasingly offer convenience and services that complement the core shopping experience. Uhe sees retail properties evolving into community hubs that bring together different generations and provide opportunities for social interaction. Digital integration will also play a growing role, with apps, personalised offers and retail media connecting physical stores with customers more effectively. Kaufland's own retail media platform already combines digital advertising, in-store screens and personalised promotions across its markets. However, Uhe stressed that technology must support the customer experience rather than distract from the basic requirements of accessibility, convenience and value.

Dana Anghelescu, Specialty Leasing Manager at Nhood, highlighted the transformation of short-term leasing from a way to fill vacant retail space into a tool for testing new concepts and supporting emerging brands. Pop-up stores and kiosks allow shopping centres to experiment with new products, measure customer responses, and potentially develop successful concepts into permanent tenants. She cited the example of local chocolatier Luado, which began with seasonal retail space at Coresi in Brașov and subsequently developed into an established business. Anghelescu believes that local brands and regularly changing experiences can give consumers additional reasons to return. She also sees opportunities for shopping centres to generate revenue through retail media, moving beyond selling advertising space towards offering brands access to measurable audiences. However, this requires reliable data and a clear understanding of how campaigns translate into customer engagement and purchases.

Gábor Hajdu, Regional Growth Manager at Access4you, argued that accessibility should be recognised as a commercial opportunity rather than simply a regulatory obligation. People with disabilities represent approximately 16% of the population, while the proportion of consumers with accessibility-related needs becomes significantly larger when older people, families with pushchairs and others are included. Shopping destinations that fail to accommodate these groups risk excluding potential customers and their families. Hajdu emphasised that accessibility is not limited to physical infrastructure. Reliable, detailed information about entrances, lifts, routes and facilities is equally important, allowing visitors to plan their journeys with confidence. Digital tools and AI can make this information easier to access, provided property owners collect and publish accurate data. He encouraged developers and operators to adopt universal design principles and treat accessibility as an essential part of customer service.

Doinița Ilie MRICS, Business Development Manager at Activ Property Services, member of TCN Worldwide, said the future of retail depends on creating reasons for consumers to visit, spend time and return, rather than focusing exclusively on increasing footfall. She identified the growing popularity of retail parks, mixed-use developments and data analytics as important trends in Romania. Better information about visitors, including where they come from, how frequently they visit and how they use retail spaces, can help operators optimise tenant mixes and make more informed investment decisions. AI could further support these processes by identifying customer patterns and forecasting demand. However, Ilie cautioned that technology cannot replace local market knowledge and real estate expertise. She also called for a broader definition of retail success, taking into account a destination's relevance to its catchment area, the value it creates for tenants and its ability to encourage repeat visits.

The discussion, chaired by Răzvan Marincoi, Product Manager at Generatik, highlighted the growing commercial value of understanding the people who use retail spaces. Shopping centres are no longer simply collections of stores, but increasingly function as community destinations, testing grounds for new brands and platforms for reaching consumers. While location remains fundamental, the ability to combine physical experiences with useful data, inclusive design and relevant services will play an increasingly important role in determining which destinations remain competitive. As Marincoi concluded, the audience is becoming the new currency of physical retail.