Mapic 2016 is dedicating a 1,000 m2 area in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes to a new Trends Hub which will showcase innovative concepts and services in the retailing sector.
Every year seems to spawn a new buzzword (or two) in the retailing sector, and 2016 is no different. After multichannel, omnichannel and phygital, Mapic will this year get to grips with retailtainment and O2O (Online to Offline).
The impact of O2O retail - whereby consumers increasingly embark on a ‘hybrid client journey’, combining websites and physical sales outlets for their shopping – will be explored at a dedicated Trends Hub. New this year, the 1,000 m2 hub will be split into three zones: exhibition, conferences, and a pitching area. The constant interchange between the online and offline worlds forms the basis of O2O retail.
Research carried out by PwC last year found that 70% of consumers search for products online before buying them in stores. At the same time, 68% of consumers search for products in stores before buying them online. Lower prices is the main reason for buying online, while being able to see, touch and try goods is the top reason for purchasing at a physical store, or offline. The research (Total Retail: Retailers and the Age of Disruption) also found that 90% of Chinese smartphone users have already used their phones to search for information at the point of sale.
The 22nd edition of Mapic, which expects to draw over 8,000 participants from 74 countries, will see several UK companies attending for the first time, including supermarket chain Tesco, property adviser Savills, fund manager Meyer Bergman, New West End Company and the UK’s largest omni-channel retailer John Lewis Partnership with 46 John Lewis stores and 350 Waitrose supermarkets.
Retailtainment and F&B
The importance of adding entertainment and ‘experience’ - including food & beverage - to the retail mix as a way of attracting consumers to shopping centres is another key trend that will be highlighted during the two-day retail property fair. Reflecting the increased importance of retailtainment, five UK brands from this sector will also make their debut including Merlin Entertainment, the largest European entertainments company operating in Europe; All Star Lanes, which offers food, drinks and bowling in a timeless American classic style setting; Ai Solve, a virtual reality simulations and game-based specialist; Global Attractions; and Paragon Creative, a themed model-making and fit-out facility specialist.
The recent surge in demand for food & beverage offers in the retail landscape is reflected in the strong increase of F&B brands signing up to attend Mapic this year. UK F&B first-timers such as Yo! Sushi, T2 Tea, Chopstix Noodle Bar and Drake & Morgan will join returning UK retailers Marks and Spencer, Leon Restaurants, Pret a Manger and Wagamama.
Projects on show
As always, Mapic will showcase a selection of retail real estate projects - 60 this year from 20 countries involving more than 2,000 developers and shopping centre owners. Among the European schemes on show are Mall of the Netherlands near The Hague in the Netherlands, a Unibail-Rodamco project which involves the extension and renovation of an outmoded 1960s shopping centre into a 117,000 m2 modern mall with 250 stores, restaurants and leisure facilities.
In Moscow, Regions Group is working on the Dream Island indoor theme park, designed to give visitors the opportunity to plunge into the ‘fascinating atmosphere of famous animation blockbusters with maximum comfort’, while in Valmontone, Italy, Arcotecnica Group is developing Bee4kids, a leisure centre for families which encompasses entertainment and learning areas as well as refreshment and child services areas under one roof.
