Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn I recommend visiting cushmanwakefield.com to read:%0A%0A {0} %0A%0A {1}

The Phoenix Awakes: Retail & Leisure Trends In Europe

Yvonne Court • 22/06/2020

While a month ago, we looked to Asia for indications as to what to expect once Europe moved towards a post-covid ‘new normal’ in retail and leisure, there is now an increasing body of experience from across Europe from which to draw, as non-essential stores in UK re-open this week. Shopping and leisure habits and culture are more similar across Europe than arguably they are in Asia, where there remain huge variations between countries. It must be remembered though that the context and outcome still vary by country in Europe, largely dependent on the government’s approach to the dealing with the spread of the virus. Some countries have had very strict quarantines/lockdowns (Italy, Spain, Greece and France) and others have continued to operate pretty much business as usual (notably Sweden).  

The retail and leisure landscape across Europe has however seen much change in a relatively short period of time (see Figure 1). Just one month ago most of Europe’s non-essential retail, leisure and entertainment venues were closed, and had been for some time. Some were closed by decree and others in response to a dramatic decline in footfall, even in those markets which did not enter ‘lockdown’ as shown by the dark dots. 

european retail trends matrix post covid19

Fig 1

In early June the landscape is rather different as indicated by the array of bright blue dots for most countries. With the notable exception of the UK, Ireland and Russia, most countries had lifted many of the earlier restrictions. These have generally been lifted in a phased way. Most countries have seen first the re-opening of specific categories of stores e.g. DIY and garden centres, hair dressing salons, followed by the opening of other retail sectors. Some countries have stipulated size restrictions (e.g. initially in Germany it was only stores of under 800 sq m that could open); and in others it has varied by region of the country. There are only a few countries in Europe now where non-essential shops have not opened again, though the infection situation will be monitored, even where stores have re-opened. Compared to much of the rest of the world (see Figure 2) it could be argued that Europe is ahead in terms of having most of its non-essential retail open.  

european retail opening trends post covid-19

Fig 2

There are many guidelines surrounding how stores are to re-open including social distancing varying between one and two metres; opening hours restrictions, limitations on the number of people allowed in a store at a time, one-way systems in stores, wearing of face masks and increased use of hand sanitisers. There will also be restrictions on the use of changing rooms and handling of products, including quarantined returns. It remains to be seen how this will impact on consumer behaviour, though the visibility of such measures is likely to have a bearing on consumer confidence levels and by extension their willingness to shop. Consumer confidence will be critical to return to ‘normal’ albeit under a different guise to pre-covid. 

In most markets, shopping centres are in the later phases of lifting restrictions. In several countries, shopping centres have now re-opened or are in the process of opening again. Initially in France there were size restrictions, only shopping centres under 40,000 sqm could open, though almost all have now re-opened. 

Many food and beverage outlets/restaurants which are closed to in-house customers have been able to provide takeaway and home delivery services (a trend being observed globally - and one which could be a lifeline for many such operators, though this will not necessarily compensate for the loss of dine-in revenue). Some restaurants with outdoor seating on terraces etc. have been able to re-open subject to the necessary social distancing being applied.  

The impact on the future physical retail and leisure landscape remains to be seen, but it is likely to be very different from that seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. It is still too soon to assess the impact on footfall and sales, and both will take time to get back close to pre-covid levels. Anecdotal feedback is that there are improvements week on week both in terms of footfall and turnover. In most countries, footfall appears to be showing a decrease on the same period last year, though it is slowly improving and largely depends on the type of retail and leisure destination.  

The sectors that appear to be rebounding most quickly are out of town parks and outlets, likely because they are more open to the elements, as shown by preliminary findings of consumer surveys. Major city centres where tourism is a driver of footfall and spending are likely to recover more slowly until national borders are re-opened and travel restrictions are lifted.  

Across the retail and leisure sectors there will also be variations in the speed of recovery, as consumers decide how they spend their money and what has become more important to them. Again, anecdotally the retail categories that have performed well since opening are sports and electronics. The return to pre-covid sales levels among retailers with smaller stores is more of a challenge, because of the necessary social distancing measures, though conversion rates are anecdotally higher.  

Even as restrictions are lifted it could take time for people to go out again and shop in physical stores. Consumer behaviour has changed drastically and although online retail is likely to remain higher than pre-covid levels, the importance of physical retail is evident as countries begin to recover/rebound. It will take some time for consumers to get back to the same mindset that they once had just 3 months ago, but they will. We are facing a new normal, where the whole retail landscape has changed forever – even the definition of retail has evolved and is now less clear.  

Latest articles in this series

Big Ben
Insights • Economy

Unpacking The 2023 Autumn Statement

We unpack the 2023 Autumn Statement and what it means for real estate & infrastructure, housing, business rates, consumers, the environment, devolution & investment zones.
Daryl Perry • 23/11/2023
main streets across the world 2023
Research

Main Streets Across the World 2023

In this 33rd edition of Main Streets Across the World, we’ll explore the near-term outlook for the retail sector; headline rent and ranking changes for best-in-class urban locations across the world; key indicators and global main street rankings; and key trends to watch such as the cost-of-living crunch, e-commerce and more.
21/11/2023
Data-Center-Update_EMEA_web-card-q32022
Research

EMEA Data Centre Market Update

The EMEA region is experiencing continued growth in demand as well as investments in digital infrastructure. The region currently has 6.9GW of operational capacity, with 2GW under construction and a massive 5.4GW in planned stages.
Andrew Fray • 30/10/2023
pillows on hotel double bed
Research

Hospitality Market Trends & Data

The latest hospitality market insights are based on the in-depth analysis of our extensive data sets, surveys of investors, operators and lenders and up-to-date market intelligence from our team members on-the-ground in all major European markets.

Bořivoj Vokřínek • 30/10/2023
Beach Chairs by Ocean
Insights

Operator Beat – Europe 2023

The Operator Beat surveys were conducted among over 195 senior executives of leading hotel operators active in Europe.
30/10/2023
Life Sciences Golden Triangle Report
Research

Life Sciences: Golden Triangle Lab Report

Inside our latest Life Sciences Lab Report you’ll find insight on investment volumes, leasing take up, lab supply and pipeline, and investment into life sciences real estate across Cambridge, London, and Oxford.
Jamie Renison • 27/10/2023
Build to rent
Research

Build To Rent Quarterly Report

We are pleased to share with you the latest edition of our quarterly residential insights for the UK. 
Mark Clegg • 10/10/2023
Changing Attitudes Towards Greener Homes
Article • Sustainability / ESG

Changing Attitudes Towards Greener Homes in the Face of the 'Cost of Living Crisis'

The residential sector accounted for approximately 17% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the UK in 2021, meaning our homes are key to cutting emissions and reducing our chance of hitting the 1.5℃ global warming threshold. 
Ellie Healy • 04/10/2023
residential-building
Insights

BtR and The Big Plastic Count

This week is The Big Plastic Count, a collaboration between Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic to create the UK’s biggest investigation into household plastic waste. 
17/05/2022
Ship with shipping containers
Insights

Retail & Supply Chain

2021 will continue to see growth in e-commerce and logistics demand and new retail supply chain models will be required to capitalise on the structural shifts in the sector.
04/11/2020
George Roberts Cushman & Wakefield
Insights • Economy

How 2021 Might Reshape The Real Estate Industry

We will look back at 2020 as the year in which COVID-19 accelerated forces of change. These forces will shape the industry for many years to come and for those that are able to interpret and take advantage of them, the opportunities are enormous. 
04/11/2020

Our Services

Retail and Leisure

A great retail proposition is only the beginning.

Learn More
Places

Urban places are the powerhouse of the UK economy, presenting both challenges and opportunities for those undertaking or planning property development and regeneration.

Learn More
Retail Leasing

With in-depth market knowledge spanning all types of retail property, our Retail Leasing team provides a tailored service to investors, developers, occupiers and public sector clients across the UK and Ireland.

Learn More

CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?

Get in touch with one of our professionals.
With your permission we and our partners would like to use cookies in order to access and record information and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device to ensure our website performs as expected, to develop and improve our products, and for advertising and insight purposes.

Alternatively click on More Options and select your preferences before providing or refusing consent. Some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing.

You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or clicking on Cookies.
MORE OPTIONS
Agree and Close
These cookies ensure that our website performs as expected,for example website traffic load is balanced across our servers to prevent our website from crashing during particularly high usage.
These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remember where you have been on the internet.
These cookies allow us to work with our marketing partners to understand which ads or links you have clicked on before arriving on our website or to help us make our advertising more relevant to you.
Agree All
Reject All
SAVE SETTINGS