Track2Realty: Emerging markets are offering interesting investment opportunities in terms of shopping center development, according to the latest Asia Pacific Retail Trends and Retail Hotspots reports released by CBRE. The Asia Pacific market in particular continued to see a steady flow of new retailer openings in 2013, amid steady economic growth and generally positive consumer sentiment.
Track2Realty: The overall vacancy levels in malls declined by 0.6 percentage to 14.51% on account of consistent leasing activities while supply has been only 0.77 msf gets added in Kolkata and Pune, says a retail report by Cushman & Wakefield. Healthy transaction activity led to reduction in overall mall vacancy of Pune and Kolkata despite the addition of fresh mall space in both the cities.
Track2Realty: Top eight major cities witnessed a total mall supply of 2.94 million square feet (msf) (3 malls) during the first half of 2013 with over 64% (13 malls) of the total expected supply deferred, says a report by Cushman & Wakefield.
Track2Realty Exclusive: Analysis of South Zone (Bangalore)
Retail leasing activity in Bangalore remained active through 2012 due to the opening of a few malls particularly in the Whitefield micro-market. Apart from the stable leasing activity seen through the year, space enquiries from retailers during the period point to the fact that a number of them remained bullish on their medium to long term prospects due to the increasing affluence of the growing middle class.
Track2Realty: Despite an 83% drop in supply of organised retail space across key cities in the country, 2012 continued to witness an increase in transaction activity and retailer expansion. According to the findings of CBRE’s latest report “Indian Retail Market View H2, 2012”, approximately 2.5 million sq.ft. of fresh retail space entered the market in 2012, mainly concentrated in Bangalore, Kolkata and Pune, as against over 15 million sq.ft. in 2011.
Track2Realty: The acceptance of FDI in multi-brand retail is likely to accelerate building of shopping centres in the country, says Cushman & Wakefield.
Track2Realty: In the annual report by global real estate consultants Cushman & Wakefield, “Main Streets across the world”, Mumbai witnessed the highest rental growth globally. Colaba Causeway in Mumbai recorded a rental increase of 75% over last year, on the back of strong retailer demand and continuous preference for prime high street properties in the city. Kolkata – Park Street (5th) at 53.8% and Chennai – Khader Niwaz Khan Road (10th) at 36.7% were among the global top ten cities to register highest annual rental growth.
Asia and Latin America’s economic resurgences have fueled an upturn in retail activity, with increasing rents reflecting high demand for the limited amount of prime retail opportunities in both regions, according to A Global Perspective on the Shopping Center Industry, a new global retail report from Cushman & Wakefield and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
The recent decision by the Government to allow foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail is understandably the talk of the town. There are various points of view regarding the impact it will have on the retail sector in specific and the Indian economy in general, but the decision is a big step in the direction of strengthening organized retail in the country. To get the complete picture, it is important to understand the situation which exists currently and how the new regulations are going to change the retail landscape.
The government’s decision to operationalise FDI in multi-brand retail would help the realty sector as the move would create demand for retail space and boost mall development in the country, real estate developers and property consultants said.