About 45% of the representatives of the shopping centre industry attending the first day of the International Council of Shopping Centers Europe conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday are optimistic about the short-term prospects of the sector. This emerged from a survey carried out during the first session of the conference. The survey showed that 38% of the participants are uncertain about prospects for the next 12 months while only 17% are pessimistic.
About 45% of the representatives of the shopping centre industry attending the first day of the International Council of Shopping Centers Europe conference in Amsterdam on Wednesday are optimistic about the short-term prospects of the sector. This emerged from a survey carried out during the first session of the conference. The survey showed that 38% of the participants are uncertain about prospects for the next 12 months while only 17% are pessimistic.
A much larger percentage of participants - 71% - expressed optimism about long-term prospects for the sector while a mere 11% was pessimistic. The survey also revealed that 38% of the participants is attending the ICSC conference for the first time ever. Topics high on participants’ agenda this year are sustainability and emerging markets, with networking viewed as the most vital aspect of this year's conference.
According to Jaap Gillis, chairman of ICSC's European board and COO of Redevco, a total of 6.5 million m2 of retail space was developed in Europe last year. For the next two years, the pipeline of retail space scheduled to open in Europe amounts to some 26 million m2.
