MAPIC 2015: Food & beverage operators have doubled the amount of floorspace they take in shopping centres over the past 10 years, from 7% to 15%, according to research from JLL released at MAPIC today.
Across Europe, food service in shopping centres currently accounts for 15% of the total gross leasable area. The research predicts this will rise to at least 20% over the next decade.
Figures show that customers who eat during a shopping centre trip spend on average 27 minutes longer across the shopping centre and spend 18% more in overall transactions.
The trend for new experiences is credited with the rise of F&B in retail. JLL also predicts there will be more demand for Asian food operators as malls cater for new customers from China and other Asian markets who have expanded their overseas travel footprint.
The UK, in particular, can expect additional Chinese travellers as a result of recent visa relaxation, which is likely to increase tourism.
Jonathan Doughty, managing director of Coverpoint, JLL’s food consulting business, said: “In a new online world experience is king and gastronomy will be the social glue that will hold retail spaces of the future together.”
Robert Bonwell, EMEA chief executive of retail at JLL, added: “The retail narrative at the moment is physical versus online, however the growth of food and beverage highlights the opportunity that exists for restaurants and food offerings that can tap into new eating and leisure trends.”
