Johannesburg - Community shopping centres outgrew other retail centre types by boosting trading density by 8.7% year-on-year, MSCI’s latest IPD Retail Trading Density Index for the quarter to December 31 2015 shows.
The research was done in collaboration with the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC).
According to SACSC CEO Amanda Stops, small-regional centres showed trading density growth of 6.2% and regional shopping centres showed trading density growth 5.6%. At the same time mega-malls - also known as super-regional shopping centres - notched up trading density growth of 4.9% year-on-year.
Neighbourhood centres, on the other hand, lagged with the lowest trading density growing sales of 2.4% in 2015. Stops pointed out, however, that this increase still outstrips the SA’s economic growth for the year of 1.3%.
“Community centres achieved the highest average rand spend per square metre of retail space per month in the fourth quarter of 2015 for food and department stores,” said Stops. The food index includes grocers, liquor stores, sweets and speciality food stores.
“At the same time, we can see that community centres performed a close second place for food services, after super-regional malls.” Food services include restaurants, coffee shops and fast-food outlets.
Super-regional shopping centres came tops in three of the five retail trading categories measured in the research. Besides food services, they also achieved the highest trading density for apparel trading, comprising womenswear, menswear, children’s wear, unisex wear and accessories. Home décor stores, including retailers focused on furnishings, antiques, art and décor also achieved the highest trading densities in super-regional shopping centres.