James is Head of EMEA Retail Research and Consulting at JLL. Working closely with Retail Research and Consulting colleagues across Europe, Middle East and Africa, James is responsible for coordinating and developing all retail research and client consulting needs, providing strategic advice on markets or retail real estate, for developers, investors, landlords and retailers.
Follow @JLLEuropeRetail on Twitter for more insights.
As the annual ICSC European conference kicks off in Istanbul this week, it is worth reflecting on one of the world’s great cities. Often described as being located at a crossroads between the east and west, Istanbul is a fascinating mix of two very different cultures. And this contrast is reflected in the retail market, […]
Whilst high unemployment, particularly in the southern Eurozone combined with historically high levels of consumer debt in many European economies and the impact of fiscal consolidation represent real risk, on balance, the positives currently outweigh the negatives. Sustained economic growth, job creation, low inflation and the prospect of real wage growth are all feeding through into […]
I am asked on a frequent basis about the growth of e-commerce and what the future holds for the physical space in an increasingly virtual world. The answer is that I don’t know what the future looks like, but having explored the impact of e-commerce on the UK retail market and the increasing evidence of […]
I had the pleasure of speaking at the UK Shopping Centre Management Conference 2013 yesterday on social media and e-commerce, and the implications for retail and real estate. The conference had a record 400+ attendees and had an excellent agenda of speaking and panel sessions, in addition to networking and knowledge sharing breaks. The theme of […]
Four days and four nights in Las Vegas for our JLL Global Retail Agency Board at ICSC RECon and I have made four observations. First, the US is an amazingly dynamic and innovative retail market, with a vast, untapped supply of retail and leisure brands and formats that have yet to explore new territories. Second, […]
Against the backdrop of structural change playing out in retail, there is a need to figure out what the future retail and retail property landscape will look like. Without a doubt there will be more retail casualties. Some of the retail failures will be overdue, in other words, they only lasted this long thanks to […]
Peter Lowry, CEO of Westfield and Sir Philip Green of Arcadia shared the platform this morning for the opening of the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Real Estate Conference 2012. This much anticipated and attended session, in my mind, set the tone for another day in a retail market that is facing significant structural change.
Summary: Clicks’ drive retail growth at expense of ‘bricks’– for some time to come Imminent lease expiries – a catalyst for swift change ‘Protecting rental values’ becomes the new ‘rental growth’ Valuation adjustments – coming soon Relative winners still emerging ‘Clicks’ drive retail growth at expense of ‘bricks’ Online retail to strengthen during 2012… Online […]
There are three stories in particular that have appeared in recent press that resonated with me. Unlocking the pipeline…. Firstly, Klepierre has said that it intends to sell €1bn of assets, to improve its financial position and to provide finance to support the development pipeline. As we suspected, developers will have to begin to sell […]
Last week started with the BCSC Annual Conference and Exhibition in Manchester. There was an air of optimism surrounding the event, and if anything, whilst not unaware of the risks, there was increased confidence that the economic recovery appears to have some traction and that the risk of a double dip is receding. Signs of […]
