Innovative retail concepts
- In Innovation
- 11:04, 04 December 2019
- 6055 Views
The development of urban districts and neighbourhoods is an activity that SES has been intensively engaged in for a long time. SES operates approximately 30 shopping centres across six European countries and the first managed shopping street in Austria in a joint venture with Wien 3420 aspern Development AG in Vienna.
The project is a successful example of innovative retail space concepts. Vienna’s aspern Seestadt is one of Europe’s largest urban development projects, covering an area of 2.4 million m2. Construction work began in 2009 and the scheme has since developed into a diverse and lively district where residents feel at home, thanks to an attractive mix of employment, housing, education, leisure, and local amenities.
Currently, 7,500 people reside in the Seestadt area and more than 2,000 people work there. By 2028, more than 20,000 people are expected to live
in the district and thousands will be employed.
INNOVATIVE RETAIL MANAGEMENT
The City of Vienna has set a good example in terms of integrating innovative retail space concepts from the outset. At an early stage, SES Spar European Shopping Centers was commissioned to develop a local supply concept for the aspern project. Local supply and variety in the sector mix have been integrated into the overall Seestadt masterplanning process.
A central shopping street is being implemented, which encompasses all quarters and is centrally managed like a shopping centre. In 2012 a shopping street company was founded between Wien3420 aspern Development AG and SES in order to execute Austria’s first managed shopping street in the new Vienna district of Aspern.
One important factor of the retail concept is that the shopping street operator leases the centrally located ground floor zones from the property developers and assigns them to suitable shop partners. Since 2015, sensible and demand-oriented local supply at Seestadt has been successfully implemented. The branch mix of the current project phase includes, for example, a SPAR supermarket, restaurants, bakeries, groceries, drugstores, travel agencies, hairdressers, and a discount store.
Areas that can be individually leased and serve special segments are also available and ensure variety. Another contributing factor to the success of the concept is its day-to-day management. This includes uniform opening hours, joint advertising, shopping street parties and gift vouchers, Christmas decorations, markets, and much more. Starting in 2019, the offering in the managed shopping street will be expanded to 28 shops, restaurants, and service outlets.
LIFELINE FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH
The expansion of the northern section will bring even more retail business to Seestadt. By 2028, the shopping street’s range will have grown considerably and will have exceeded daily demand.
‘CITY OF SHORT DISTANCES’
The primary requirement for a functioning shopping street is pedestrian footfall. From the outset, Wien 3420 aspern Development AG has been committed to a well thought-out mobility concept that attaches more importance to pedestrians than to automobile traffic and offers two railway stations.
