MAPIC 2024: International expansion, retail investment and the importance of mixed-use destinations

From fashion favourites, to sports giants as well as food chains and beauty conglomerates - you name it, Mapic had it. With a 12% increase in retailers on show this year and 4,400 participants roaming the Palais des Festivals, there was a strong sense that the industry is determined to edge closer to a return to the glory days of retail.

With all eyes on the growth of ecommerce, innovation within AI and technology and a heartfelt focus on the customer experience and inclusivity – it would be fair to say there was an optimistic focus on change and the future at this year’s conference.

While there was a lot of noise around mixed-use retail developments and international logistical expansion in particular, Mapic director Francesco Pupillo was keen to emphasise that retailers and brands remain at the heart and purpose of the conference. 

He highlighted areas of focus as omnichannel business models, the customer experience, growth of technology and ecommerce and the impact of retail on the environment and society. With this in mind, Retail Week explores some of the main talking points from this year’s Mapic.

All eyes on expansion 

Something key to take away from this year’s conference is that the UK remains a key area of opportunity in terms of expansion for a number of retailers.

A space on the exhibition floor at Mapic dedicated to retailers eyeing expansion was the Observatory of Cross Border Retail section, and while concrete expansion plans are yet to be unveiled, this put the spotlight on brands to keep an eye on.

Krispy Kreme, Fat Phill’s, Fauchon, Sosandar, New Balance and Dune London were among those that included the UK in its list of target countries to expand further. And while Kripsy Kreme said it is eyeing “all types of locations”, Dune London is looking at designer outlets while Sosandar eyes high streets and shopping centres more specifically as it makes waves in the early stages of its bricks-and-mortar journey. 

Pupillo called the UK a “prime destination” for international and home retailers looking to broaden their consumer base and this was only reaffirmed by the number of participants in Cannes roaming the Observatory zone. 

And while players such as Deichmann and Miniso had respectively striking stalls on the expo floor, it was Japanese lifestyle retailer Daiso that garnered considerable attention.

Akin to Chinese global retailer Miniso, Daiso was founded in 1977 in Japan and offers a range of what it calls “unique and affordable products” across household items, toys, cosmetics, DIY and accessories among other categories. 

A spokesperson for Daiso at Mapic called the retailer a “one-stop shop” and told Retail Week that 90% of its products are sold at the same price which is equivalent to less than €1 (80p).

Daiso has two sub-brands under its umbrella - Threepy, being its more “feminie” and higher-end range, and Standard Products offering a range of home essentials with no gender or age demographic, so there really is something for every consumer. As the retailer eyed potential franchise partners at Mapic and said it “wouldn’t rule out” any markets, including the UK, we can be sure to see the arrival of Daiso in the UK and beyond in the not-too-distant future.

According to Savills, it’s Europe’s prime mass market high streets that are gaining momentum.

The latest data showed strong year-on-year rental growth at an average of 9.9% in mass market high streets which are “well located” and serve a “broad consumer base”.

Looking ahead to 2025 and with the commitment to physical retail being loud and clear across the globe at the moment, the future of bricks-and-mortar looks bright.

Blurring lines between retail and leisure

Another talking point at this year’s Mapic was the synergy between retail and leisure and how food and beverage, in particular, has been essential to the ongoing success of the shopping centres.

While Mapic has historically been laser-focused on retail and the retail property market, it’s increasingly shifted to look at building lifestyle and shopping destinations.

This year, Mapic’s LeisurUp zone was dedicated to companies offering experiential retail, family attractions and entertainment with the likes of TOCA Social, The Lane7Group and M6, hoping to show that experiences can transform retail destinations.

Pupillo highlighted this as one of two variables of change at Mapic over the years, emphasising the growing importance of customer experience.

“We have seen the growth of leisure, food, culture, and entertainment, and that’s why we launched leisure within Mapic for leisure operators that want to get into the retail destination,” he said. “The retail industry is an equation with lots of variables.”

Landsec’s head of brand account management Pablo Sueiras echoed this and told Mapic News: “A centre has to be as experienced-focused as it can be.

“We’re competing with everything that takes people’s time and spend away. The experience has to be compelling.”

Pablo Suerias, head of brand account management at Landsec

Investing for the future

Whether it’s the new Brent Cross Town investment in London, Diriyah Square in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, The Ellinikon Mall in Athens, Greece, or Avenue One in Nebraska, the US, there are several international projects which showcased at Mapic, offering a futuristic view of some of the recently completed or yet to be completed projects worldwide.

With mixed-use retail remaining at the forefront of conversation, these new developments emphasised not only vast investment and opportunity within the retail and leisure sector, but also the development in understanding and designing with customer retention and dwell time in mind.

In what was called “urban regeneration” at the conference, the new projects certainly sprinkled some optimism for the future of retail.

The investment market was also a hot topic, with retail estate investment in the UK having reached almost £4bn this year. Insight from BPCE Solutions Immobilières, discussed on a panel at Mapic, showed that retail has shown more resilience than sectors such as offices and logistics. With retail footfall up by 4% in total for 2024, this emphasises the vital role that both retail and leisure play in a shopping destination.

Technology is absolutely set to play a part in this moving forward as retail technology solutions platform Sensormatic’s vice-president and product general manager for shopper experience Nick Pompa says that new shopping habits are requiring new data tech moving forward.

He told Mapic News: “Landlords used to be more focused on volumes of shoppers but there’s been a shift towards understanding things like the age demographics and gender of visitors.”

Transactional data provider Spaycial echoed this and told Retail Week that its loyalty solution technology, which allows consumers to link their bank account to a loyalty scheme directly while also providing invaluable customer data to shopping centres, is the way forward.

Spaycial chief executive Dider Gasté says that its this kind of technological expertise that is needed to create value for both consumers and retailers alike when it comes to personalised shopping experiences.

So while technology seems to have only just scratched the surface, with bold expansion plans on the horizon across categories and with customers demanding more than ever from the retail destinations, Mapic 2024 was one which demonstrated the power of resilience, innovation and adaptability within the retail sector to date and for the future.