Retail industry and beyond

2 February 2023 Off By Facto Edizioni

/ The future of retail and its possible synergies with the leisure sector took center stage at MAPIC and LeisurUp 2022 trade show in Cannes /

The 2022 edition of MAPIC, Europe’s reference trade show for the retail real estate industry, was held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from 29 November to 1 December. The atmosphere at the event was positive, with attendees not only happy to meet again and interact without having to wear face masks or follow other Covid restrictions, but also very proactive and therefore with new releases, services and ideas that draw an optimistic picture for the future of the retail industry, including physical stores.

The attendance was strong: this year’s MAPIC hosted over 5,000 attendees, including exhibitors and visitors from 75 countries. Whilst European exhibitors maintained a strong presence, the booming importance of the Middle East and Asia was reflected in the growing number of exhibitors and participants from these regions, including those from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Uzbekistan.

A good presence of exhibiting companies from the rides&attractions industry in the LeisureUp area of the expo – among them, Mack Rides, Polin, Intamin, Dutch Wheels, Playmart, KCC Entertainment Design, Walltopia, Dedem, ECA2, QubicaAMF – combined with strong attendance at the conference entitled ‘New trends in leisure’ highlighted the crucial and growing role of leisure in the retail sector. Attractions and entertainment experiences can be key elements of offering diversification and guest appeal for shopping centers, thus giving visitors extra reasons to stay longer, spend more money and come back again, with highly positive impact for in-person retail too. Attractive to younger generations and families, leisure can help to bring physical commerce back to consumers who strayed from it during COVID. Yet, for leisure and commerce to be mutually beneficial for each other, it is necessary to define a clear strategy, taking into account the objectives of the project, as well as the competition and the site itself. In this regard, keynote speaker Marie Marks, Senior Vice President, Themed Entertainment, Paramount Global underlined the importance of “choosing the right brand license, with the right format in the right place, without chasing after the latest innovation” whilst also highlighting the emotional attachment that many consumers and visitors have with certain IPs (intellectual properties).

A key topic at MAPIC 2022 was also sustainability. The “Green means go: Accelerating environmental transition for retail destinations” panel, in particular, offered a refreshingly frank and pragmatic approach to how retail can reduce its environmental impact. Antoine Frey, CEO of the French real estate investment company Frey Group and Elisabeth Laville, founder of Utopies consultancy for sustainability strategies reflected on the retail sector’s top priorities. Elisabeth Laville stated that “we need to address the biggest problems: construction and consumption.” Antoine Frey explained that Frey aims to reduce its carbon footprint by using cross-laminated timber instead of steel in the construction of some buildings, while Elisabeth made the case for the importance of physical retail for and by the local. Elisabeth concluded the session with the reflection that “Physical places must look to creating social interactions and bonds with local communities. This is what physical retail needs to do, and what e-commerce can never do.”

MAPIC 2023 will be held November 28 to 30, again at Palais des Festivals in Cannes. MAPIC Italy 2023, a ‘spin-off’ of the French event, will take place in Milan next May.

Continue reading Games & Parks Industry February 2023, page 50