According to the NF Group consulting company, in 2024, St. Petersburg shopping malls remain important fashion locations, where clothing and accessories stores occupy 26% of the leased space by the end of June. The recreation and entertainment category is in second place (19%), and hypermarkets are in third place. Despite the slowdown in the expansion of Russian fashion brands, the city continues to attract new domestic and international brands.
Over the past five years, despite the difficulties faced by shopping malls (the pandemic and the departure of international brands from Russia), the structure of tenants by activity profile has not changed significantly. The bulk of the space is still leased by clothing and accessories stores (24% in 2019 and 26% in 2024), and shopping malls remain primarily the main fashion locations of the city.
At the same time, in 2024, there is a slowdown in the expansion of Russian clothing and accessories brands compared to 2023. After the large-scale discoveries of last year, large network retailers are engaged in operational activities. At the same time, stores of new Russian brands that were not previously represented in the city are opening in St. Petersburg:
St. Petersburg outerwear brand Norppa opened in the Gallery shopping center
The first store of Izhevsk clothing brand Cult off opened in the shopping center “Zanevsky Cascade”
Mega Parnas has announced the opening of a new brand of women’s and children’s clothing Zimaletto from Kuchenland.
In second place in terms of occupied space in St. Petersburg shopping centers are various formats of recreation and entertainment (19%). Despite the fact that their share in the tenant structure has not changed over the past five years, entertainment in retail facilities looks different today. First of all, the area occupied by cinemas has decreased. According to the results of the first half of 2024, cinemas in St. Petersburg’s shopping centers occupy 6.2% of the area, which is 1.1 percentage points less than five years ago. In the shopping center “Peter Raduga”, the opening of “M.” was announced on part of the squares previously occupied by the cinema.Video”. In the RIO shopping center, as a result of partial reconstruction, the cinema area has decreased, due to which the shopping gallery has expanded.
Among the entertainment centers, there is an enlargement of amusement parks and a transition from a children’s to a family type of recreation, including in the quest format. Among the current entertainment formats that will appear in the shopping centers of St. Petersburg in 2024, one can also note drift karts, virtual reality, and aquathermal complexes.
The changes also affected the fitness industry in shopping malls. New DDX Fitness and Spirit Fitness network concepts (Gallery shopping center, Nevsky Center shopping Center) with monthly payment and aimed at the mass consumer due to the affordable subscription price have been opened in the Northern Capital. In addition, the World Class has closed in the Atlantic City shopping center, and the Fitness 24 sports club will open in the fall instead.
Over the past three years, food courts have been updated in shopping malls. In addition to federal chain catering establishments, local players with smaller formats but greater turnover become tenants. Thus, we are witnessing the emergence of gastronomy spaces in shopping malls with relevant cuisines and interesting restaurant concepts – not only fast food, but also healthy lifestyle concepts, cuisines of different peoples of the world. At the same time, there is no total replacement of food courts with food halls. These are different formats designed for different target audiences. They can coexist within the same shopping center, but must be spaced either in different parts of the facility or on different floors. Food halls are aimed at people between the ages of 25 and 40 with above-average incomes. First of all, these are tourists, employees of nearby business centers, and active youth. Therefore, food halls appear in those shopping malls where there is an appropriate audience. In the first half of 2024, a food hall was opened in the EcoPark shopping center, and the opening of food halls in the Park Mall and Nebo projects under construction was announced.
In the first half of 2024, two stores of foreign brands that were not previously represented in the city opened in shopping centers in St. Petersburg. Both retailers from China are Balabala (children’s goods, Gallery shopping center) and Candy (household appliances, Okhta Mall shopping center). For comparison, a total of 20 new brands have opened in Russia, most of which are represented in Moscow (17). By the end of the year, at least five new retailers are expected to be launched, which are already represented in the capital.
The main transformation of the market associated with the departure of international brands was completed in 2023. Since the beginning of 2024, only one foreign brand has left St. Petersburg – the Turkish Damat tween has closed in Outlet Village Pulkovo.
Starting from the second half of 2023, the area of opened retail outlets in the shopping center of St. Petersburg exceeds the volume of closures (156 thousand square meters against 64 thousand square meters in the first half of 2024). With a minimal increase in new supply, this, in turn, leads to a decrease in vacancy. Already in the second half of 2024, a decrease in rotation is expected due to a reduction in the amount of available space.
Evgenia Khakberdieva, Regional Director of the Retail Real Estate Department of NF Group:“The St. Petersburg real estate market remains one of the most dynamic in the retail real estate segment for new discoveries, both among Russian newcomer brands and among international brands that continue to enter our market. The fact that one of the largest shopping malls in the country is expected to open in the city encourages large chains to consider the region for new openings, and, as often happens, if a tenant decides to expand, then he is not limited to one store. We are confident that St. Petersburg will continue to be replenished with new names of the fashion industry and interesting concepts in the catering and entertainment segment.”
Источник: www.bsn.ru
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