Creating a retail and place making strategy for mixed use projects

In mixed-use developments, creating an appropriate retail strategy, overlaid with fundamental placemaking principles will ensure the best outcome and long term success of any project.

By early engagement of the retail strategist, a number of key development principles are established and potentially $millions saved by avoiding abortive design fees and redocumentation.  Having created the retail strategy for some of the most successful precincts in Australia we share our thoughts on the fundamentals of creating a great space and place.

·      Vision and concept – what type of retail and hospitably are going to best suit the project? What type of designed space do these businesses need to thrive?  Street facing, lane-way, outdoor dining, sun, basement, high traffic, destination – there are so many options that need consideration.

·      Customer profiling – what types of customers are going to use the building and what are their daily needs?  

·      Neighborhood and surrounding amenity– how do we add to the existing retail hierarchy and create a unique point of difference from our competitors?  Is it best suited to a 5 or 7 day environment?

·      Integration of retail – retail and public realm are the legacy most often remembered in large scale mixed use projects.  It is why it is so imperative to spend the time upfront in ensuring that the elements are well integrated from both a design perspective but also accessibility, intuitive wayfinding and beautifully crafted spaces.

·      Sustainable NLA – Determining the appropriate amount of retail and what is sustainable in the precinct – a much debated question as maximizing the GFA is not always aligned with what is sustainable in the short to medium term. Layout and configuration – ensuring that the integration of other project components does not result in design from the top down, rather the public realm and the retail be equally considered to ensure long term flexibility.

·      Servicing audit – often not focused on but a vital component of developing an appropriate retail strategy.  Imperative that sound practical advice is given to ensure that all space can be fit for the intended purpose and factoring longer term retail trends allows for in-built flexibility in the design. Sufficient power and mechanical kitchen exhaust are usually under specified resulting in very expensive upgrades and variations which could all be avoided with quality early advice. 

·      Precinct placement – ensuring that the project trades across all parts of the day and is activated and curated in such a way that consideration is given to suitable trading hours and sustainability.  Wine bars don’t open for breakfast and espresso bars don’t do dinner.

·      Pedestrian movement – Most projects have areas where fast flow pedestrian movement and slower streams coincide and precincts are often influenced in and around transport interchanges and highly populated CBD’s.  

·      Placemaking – great urban design with a social conscious is what great placemaking is all about.  How one feels when they walk through a space and the experience is determined by the design, the amount of natural light, feeling safe, high quality amenities, a highly curated approach to the selection of retail, places to meet, quality landscape and public realm and public opportunities for artwork and Instagram moments.

·      Curation – the curation and selection of retail which is really the glue of placemaking will determine the ultimate success of any retail strategy but without early consideration of the above factors, projects will fail to attract the best operators.