City centres have always had to adapt to new economic and social conditions. Demographic change, online retail, structural change and the consequences of global crises are currently among the challenges facing city centre development. They are a key driver of the general decline in footfall. Many retail locations in structurally weak towns and regions have now even entered a downward spiral that can hardly be halted, even with marketing measures. As a result, the red zone – and with it, site closures – is drawing ever closer. To gain new scope for action, high-street retailers and all other stakeholders must make town centres more attractive and revitalise footfall.
New ways of using property in city centres
Retailers will, of course, continue to play a vital role in town centres. After all, only retailers are able to consistently attract footfall to these areas. However, there is a trend in retail property towards mixed-use developments and the downsizing of large retail spaces. The introduction of alternative uses is therefore essential for maintaining the appeal of town centres and ensuring their sustainable development. Mixed-use developments incorporating catering, culture, leisure and other activities enhance the appeal of retail locations and strengthen the experiential nature of shopping.
Furthermore, the integration of brick-and-mortar retail with online retail is crucial. Retailers can continue to stand out in the future by offering services such as click-and-collect, delivery services or in-store advice. Whilst the physical store should not be reduced to a mere collection point, closer integration between online and offline channels transforms the store even more into a showroom and thus a magnet for visitors.
Measuring and analysing footfall in city centres
Footfall figures vary from city to city and region to region, but have generally been on the decline in recent years. To halt this decline in footfall, city centres must be made attractive again and adapted to the changing needs of consumers. A professional footfall survey provides meaningful data on visitor numbers in a city centre.
This provides retailers, property owners, city managers and local government staff with an overview of current visitor numbers. But even more important is the analysis of this data over a longer period. This is because such analyses make it possible to track the success of marketing campaigns and events, as well as long-term trends.
Capture rate as a key metric for retailers
However, high footfall does not necessarily mean that passers-by will become visitors or customers. Retailers must always be attractive enough to draw in sufficient numbers of visitors. Modern sensor technologies can be used to collect further statistical visitor data, which is then primarily used to optimise footfall conversion.
The capture rate is therefore a meaningful indicator of the success of individual stores. This is because it shows the proportion of passers-by who were persuaded to visit a store. Only by measuring the capture rate is it possible to draw conclusions about how, for example, the season or operational measures affect the capture rate. In particular, analysing trends over time or comparing capture rates across different periods provides insight into changes in the attractiveness of a retail location.
Developing city centres sustainably using data
A thriving retail sector is essential for town centres. Reliable metrics are crucial for monitoring changes in town centres. Professional footfall surveys enable key metrics to be collected regularly and consistently throughout the year. They make it possible to document the impact of town centre regeneration through new usage concepts.
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