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Shopping centers in Switzerland are about to open. At the Glattzentrum, potential buyers already speculate that competitors have to close.
Final preparations: the shopping malls will be operational again starting Monday.
The Glattzentrum is still a meeting place. “Many just want to stay here and meet other people,” says Managing Director Rageth Clavadetscher. Around 20,000 visitors arrived at the largest shopping center in Switzerland last week, although only about a quarter of the stores are open. Customer frequency was still around 60% lower than in a normal sales week.
For the grand opening on Monday, Clavadetscher does not expect an avalanche of customers, but rather a “moderate approach.” Clients are sensitive and careful, he says. But they also wanted to do something good for themselves again and experience things that would have been lost in isolation.
Discipline between clients
Each of the 130 stores in Glattzentrum implements the branch security concept. Hairdressers wear masks, in restaurants the distance between groups of guests should be at least two meters, and fashion chains close every second wardrobe. The operator of the shopping center guarantees safety in public spaces. The Glatt creates waiting areas in front of the stores and prevents large crowds from forming. So far, this has worked well, says Clavadetscher. “Clients are very disciplined.”
Not only have questions about security been clarified, but also about opening hours and discounts in recent weeks. Starting Monday, all stores in Glatt must meet the mall’s opening hours. Attracting discounts the first day does not recommend Clavadetscher: “That would be an incorrect signal.”
Lower rents
In fashion stores, however, spring collections are stuck, which can no longer sell well. Since social life is limited, customers should not buy clothing on a large scale. Barbara Auer, Mode Keller’s sales manager, anticipates a normal or sometimes smaller number of customers at first. The McDonald’s team at Glatt, on the other hand, is preparing for great customer interest. Only the carry area will be open.
The nearly eight-week shutdown has left deep traces in many stores and restaurants. During this time, the focus was on securing liquidity, saving measures, or boosting online business. Business in Glatt has led to reduced rent. Migros, the owner of the mall, who is currently looking for a buyer, forgoes half the rent and all-over costs for all tenants who are fully affected by the blockade.
The circle of vultures
“We have no holdings or bankruptcies,” says Clavadetscher. However, in recent weeks, he received numerous inquiries from potential new tenants who were speculating about the store closings and who wanted to secure the appropriate retail space in due course. For example, interest in Esprit spaces increased after the German fashion chain slipped under the protective shield. “The vultures are circling,” says Clavadetscher. Most of these are companies from the same industries that see themselves as winners of the crisis.
The waiting list is long anyway, and the Glatt sets his own priorities. The main objective is to bring brands to Wallisellen that sell exclusively in Switzerland. One of them is the Japanese lifestyle chain Muji, which guarantees high frequencies from customers in Glatt. Swiss manager Hensley Chen expects 400 clients on Monday, that would be double the day before the forced shutdown. Expect the Glatt to be quite busy.
A meeting and leisure place.
At Shoppi Tivoli, the oldest shopping center in Switzerland, less than a tenth of the 150 shops and restaurants have opened in recent weeks. Some stores were only open for a few hours at a time. According to Patrick Stäuble, head of the mall, developments in other countries have shown that customers are reluctant at first. In stores, shelves are currently being filled and all measures are taken to comply with safety concepts. Restaurants can expand seats to the mall area to maintain safe distances. For a time, shopping will be characterized by space, hygiene rules and queues.
In recent years, the Spreitenbach shopping center has expanded the restaurant and service sector, and the range of leisure activities has been further strengthened. In the next ten years, shopping malls would develop further into hangouts and entertainment venues, says Stäuble. Experiences played an increasingly important role in stationary retail.
The mall is going digital
This applies above all to the trend towards online retail, which has been accentuated by the Corona crisis and which particularly affects shopping malls. The ten largest online stores in Switzerland now generate more sales than the ten largest shopping malls. Regardless of whether it’s stationary or online, anyone who can spark and inspire customer emotions has a chance even in these tough times, Clavadetscher is convinced.
Shopping centers also have to pick up their customers in the digital world. On social media, they particularly target a younger target group. The Glatt, for example, enters into cooperation with influential people. Earlier this year, the mall was “mugged” because many young fans wanted to participate in an influential event on the Tiktok platform.
