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Date line: May 2010
Welcome to Retail International® News.
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April 2010
Egypt Retail Report ~ Cairo ~ April 2010
The Cairo Retail Report from Retail International® is now available as a download from this site. Go to Home Page and press the Egyptian flag for a free PDF version.
February 2010
The Annual Report 2010
The Annual Report 2010 from Retail International® is now available as a download from this site. Covering more than 300 shopping centres across the MENA Region it predicts 20million sq.m GLA by 2015.
January 2010
Simon Thomson Principal of Retail International® will be a key note speaker at the upcoming City Marketing & Development Congress (CMDC) in Moscow to be held 28-29 April 2010.
Retail Blog
September 2009
Retail International® sets up its own Blog RETAIL BLOG at http://retailinternational.blog.com
Twitter
Retail International® now available on twitter.com
Recession or realism? The new reality
"Only time will tell. How well the Middle East can remain insulated from a major deterioration in the global economy is hard to predict, just as this author wrote in The Retail International annual report in December 2007 when the decline in international tourism arrivals and discretionary spending seemed likely possibilities."
More from http://www.retailme.com/?4/4/2009/1053/retail-analysis/recession-or-realism?-the-new-reality
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Retailers Urged To Cut Prices To Boost Tourism
"There is no justification for prices being higher in the Gulf than they are in Europe, and retailers need to rethink their pricing structures or tourism will be hit", according to Simon Thomson, owner of retail consultancy Retail International and a founding member of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres.
More from http://www.arabianbusiness.com
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Dow Jones News Plus-Global
Dubai Shoppers Get Bigger Mall Amid Global Retail Woe
by Stefania Bianchi of Zawya Dow Jones
"Now is the time for easing the foot off the accelerator for a while to allow the market to take stock until the outcome of the turmoil in the international banking and stock markets is more certain", says Simon Thomson, managing director of U.K based consultant Retail International®.
More from http://www.djnewsplus.com
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MECSC Annual Convention 2008
Dubai on target for 100 million sq.ft GLA
Simon Thomson, Principal of Retail International®, said “Obviously if all this space gets built it will represent more than a 100 per cent uplift. The dramatic growth in the population and economy of Dubai no doubt can be advanced as reasons to justify this extraordinary addition to the amount of retail space in Dubai”. He added, “it will be interesting, however, to see whether this increase in space will result in an equivalent increase in the number of new retail brands in Dubai. Failure to do so will result in yet more ‘clone malls’ and do little to add value to the Dubai retail experience”.
More from http://www.mecscconvention.com/marketreport.php
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Gulf retail space grows by 2 million sq m
Dubai: Mon, 10 Mar 2008: Trade Arabia
The Gross Leasable Area (GLA) of organised retail space in the Gulf increased 2.1 million sq m during 2007 to 7.75 million sq m, predicts Retail International®.
The additional supply represents about three times the average rate of economic inflation over the same period in most GCC countries, said the annual survey undertaken by Retail International of shopping malls across the Mena region.
The survey said a whopping 4.4 million sq m GLA is already under construction and due for delivery by 2011, with some 2.6 million sq m GLA expected during 2008-2009. This amounts to a combined growth of some 57 per cent, it said.
Looking further into the future towards 2020, current forecasts by Retail International predict a completed supply of organized retail “footage” in excess of 18.5 million sq m across the GCC nations.
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Simon Thomson, Principal Retail International®, interviewed by BI-ME on Dubai shopping centre market
Bigger follows big in Middle East retail
Author: Trevor Lloyd-Jones
Source: BI-ME
Published: 20 June 2007
Full interview at direct link to BI-ME alongside.
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Retail International named for The Lagoon Bahrain
'A leading retail consultant has been commissioned by Abu Dhabi Investment House (ADIH) the developers of the pioneering commercial freehold development, The Lagoon Bahrain, to help craft the retail mix at the landmark waterside project.
UK-based Retail International, one of the world's top retail consulting firms led by Simon Thomson has completed a blueprint plan to ensure that the retail offering at the Lagoon Bahrain is both balanced and sustainable'.
Michael Lawrence, ADIH's director of real estate, said "This is a very well considered report which will help ensure that we get the balance and mix right for the customer, a task which is always more complicated than it perhaps sounds".'
.....Quote Business Intelligence Middle East www.bi-me.com
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GCC Retail Rents rise 22% in 2006 with demands on space continuing.
Source: BI-ME
Date: 9 January 2007
"The organised retail space in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will top 6 million square metres by 2007........."
....Quote Business Intelligence Middle East www.bi-me.com
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MECSC Convention Dubai 2007
The organised retail space in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries will top six million square metres by 2007, says a study by Retail International, an independent retail consultancy offering specialist professional services to the industry.
The findings were published in Retail International’s Review of the Year from a pan-regional survey of 250 shopping centres.
Simon Thomson, an authority on the region’s retail and mall operations and owner of Retail International and a founding member of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC), said: “In the longer term, we project that organised retail footage across the GCC could reach 15 to 16 million sq m within the next 10 years.”
Full details from www.mecsc.org and from the attached link.
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Reports provided by Retail International. Available from Retail City website by clicking attached image link.
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Retail City Conference, Dubai, U.A.E
4 - 6 June 2006
Simon Thomson was a principal speaker at this ground breaking retail event on the following topics:
Exploring The Retail Property Development Boom In The Middle East
A look at the new project types evolving with an assessment of potential and cautionary issues for each.
§ Will there be enough demand to over take the supply of shopping malls?
§ Which are the most appealing growth areas for retail real estate development?
§ Which retail concepts and brands work best in the region, and should any be avoided?
§ The emergence of multi-use developments
§ How mature is the retail economy in the Middle East?
§ Analysing the current successes enjoyed by the retail sector and future outlook.
In particular Simon Thomson highlighted some of the challenges being posed by Macao, Singapore, South Africa and even the UK - where mega retail/gaming resorts have been legalised to provide Las Vegas style venues - to the likes of Dubai, where gaming is outlawed. 'To ensure the return year on year of such high spending tourists, Dubai would have to provide a superior offer', Thomson said, 'if it is to become a serious competitor with these other global destinations'.
RETAIL CITY AWARDS 2006 Simon Thomson was one of a select panel of four international retail experts to judge the Retail City Awards 2006. This was open to the following categories and the winner of each was announced on 4 June 2006 by TV presenter Shahnaz Pakravan:
§ Retail City Award for Mall of the Year -Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
§ Retail City Awards for Most Innovative Retailer of the Year - Better Life & Appliances, Dubai
§ Retail City Award for Corporate Social Responsibility - The ONE
§ Retail City Award for New Retailer of the Year - Biotherm (L'Oreal) Simon Thomson, Principal Retail International, presented the Most Innovative Retailer of the Year Award to 'Better Life' the specialist home appliance division of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Dubai. The award was received by Ajai Kumar Dayal, General Manager, retail and marketing of the Group, at a gala ceremony attended by top Middle East businesses and retailers at the inaugural Retail City Awards held at the Dubai International Exhibiton Centre on 4 June 2006.
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Retail Professional's Conference, Sharjah, U.A.E
18 April 2006
SIMON THOMSON Principal of RETAIL INTERNATIONAL® was a key note speaker at the Retail Professional's Conference, Sharjah held at the Expo Centre Sharjah on 18 April 2006.
Simon addressed the following issues:
"Retail Developments in the Middle East"
- A review of the current retail and
shopping centre market in the region. - Regional and international trends.
- An insight into the future.
The following is a report of his presentation published by BI-ME: Simon Thomson is Principal of Retail International®, the firm that conducts regular studies of Middle East trends and development, as well as consulting for many leading shopping mall developers. He is also a founding director of the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC). In his presentation Thomson said Dubai's organised retail sector represents about 23% of the total GCC US$65 billion retail investment value, as measured by the gross leaseable area of retail space currently. The Retail Survey by Retail International® tracks all the current and future developments in the GCC's 200-plus shopping malls as well as the 50-plus malls in North Africa and the Levant. This is published as an ongoing database.
"Dubai also represents about 30% of the projected retail development in the GCC with expected investments in shopping malls exceeding AED110 billion (US$30 billion) per annum in the period ended 2008, equivalent to about 5.5% of GCC GDP and 10.25% of GCC oil revenues." As the retail sector's growth outshines that of the rest, the region is likely to see a major upswing in hypermarket activities in the coming years, he said. "The GCC represents 9.2 million square metres of gross leasable area (GLA) or 83.7% of the Middle East's 10.7 million square metre GLA." "With five million square metres of gross leasable area completed and a further 4.2 million square metres currently under development, the GCC clearly dominates the retail landscape in the Middle East. The rest of the region lags well behind with 900,000 square metres completed and 600,000 square metres currently under development in the Levant." The size of potential uncommitted retail development in the GCC may reach nearly four million square metres, which means in five years the Gulf's retail development could reach a whopping 13.3 million square metres GLA. He said per capita retail spend in the GCC at about US$1,800 is well below the US level of more than $9,000 and about $7,000 in the UK. However, it is well above of India and China's per capita retail spend of about US$150 and US$300 respectively.
Simon Thomson, Principal Retail International® spoke on Conference Day Two.
Latest Global Trends In Retail Development And Investment And How They Translate To The Middle East.
A synopsis of his presentation follows:
GCC Malls worth $65 billion say Retail International® The investment value of the current stock of shopping malls in the GCC countries is $65 billion. This figure was suggested by Simon Thomson, Principal of Retail International® during his presentation about retailing in the Middle East at Cityscape 2005 in Dubai. This is based on Retail International’s regular survey of over 200 shopping malls in the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. By the year end Retail International® have identified some 4.9 million square metres of floor space as being completed in the GCC with a further 900,000 square metres in the Levant. Within 5 years the consultancy expect some 14 million square metres to have been completed across the region. The gross revenue that these malls generate is forecast to generate some $30 billion a year equivalent to about 5.5% of the combined Gross Domestic Product of the GCC countries. The total retail sales volume for the GCC said Thomson is about $55 billion but this is dwarfed by the likes of Russia, India and China, which are currently running at $200 billion, $300 billion and $675 billion respectively. Thomson said that the ME will remain small compared with the potential of China and India and that the threat of low prices and the huge size of these markets must not be allowed to overshadow smaller markets including the Middle East. To counter this situation Thomson suggested that developers and retailers in these smaller markets will need to formulate a superior offer and that cloning of architecture and retail formats from the west could not be relied upon to gain market superiority. He concluded that there are enormous opportunities for developers and retailers from the Gulf to take advantage of their experience and financial resources to exploit the potential of emerging markets such as China and India.
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