Retailers are poised to rapidly expand their number of multichannel stores as they seek to meet customer demand, according to a report released this week.
Property agent Jones Lang LaSalle’s report – Retail 2020 – Too much space or simply not enough of the right space?, revealed at the BCSC conference this week – says stores including click-and-collect outlets will become more prevalent, particularly in out-of-town locations, due to the proximity of main roads and access to car parking. House of Fraser is to open its first click-and-collect store in Aberdeen’s Union Square shopping centre next month, and is understood to be opening a second at Liverpool One.
Meanwhile, etail giant Amazon has installed lockers for collection in office blocks and at One New Change shopping centre in the City.
The report also found that up to 30% of retail space is “potentially obsolete in its current form” due to the growth in mobile technology. It added: “Many vacancies will never be filled and we are looking at large scale numbers of units being classified not as voids but as obsolete.”
It concluded that a “truly multichannel retail market will emerge” by 2020, with the proportion of online sales expected to increase from just under 10% to in excess of 20% of total retail sales.
Jones Lang LaSalle head of UK retail Guy Grainger said: “Over the next 10 years, the whole global retail landscape looks set to experience a period of continued change due to changing customer habits and needs.”
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