Nieuws uit Zweden
Some recovery for the trade: "Is there a craving"
15/10/2021, 10:30:33
The pandemic restrictions hit shopping malls hard last year. Sales decreased by 11.6 percent. But now people are starting to find their way back. - There is definitely a desire to go back to the physical store, says Monica Bruvik, at the Trade Investigation Institute.
City centers and shopping centers have had a tough time during the pandemic.
The shopping center was hit extra hard and sales decreased by 11.6 percent last year.
At the same time, trade areas, with a wider range such as food, performed better and increased by 0.1 per cent.
This is shown by a survey commissioned by the Trade Investigation Institute HUI.
Monica Bruvik is a senior trade analyst at HUI.
- Both city centers and shopping centers were affected.
No one escaped.
But we are already seeing a recovery since the restrictions were eased and the vaccine was rolled out.
The flows are coming back so there is definitely a desire to go back to the physical store, says Monica Bruvik to SVT Nyheter.
E-commerce boom
E-commerce increased 40% last year.
The question now is what will happen in the future.
To what extent will people go back to the physical store or continue shopping online.
Mats Hederos is the CEO of AMF Fastigheter, which operates several downtown facilities, including Gallerian in Stockholm's inner city.
He believes there is still a need for physical stores.
- People have found their way back to town.
We hope for a return but then if it will be like before the pandemic remains to be seen.
The transformation to start shopping digitally began long before the pandemic, but it has been greatly strengthened, says Mats Hederos to SVT Nyheter.
Wider selection
At Westfield Mall Of Scandinavia in Solna, they have also been affected by the restrictions during the pandemic.
But they have a wider range which means that their loss has been a bit smaller.
- It is clear that it has been challenging but we see that we have had a very nice recovery.
You do not visit Mall of Scandinavia just to shop, but you come here for a holistic experience, center manager at Mall Of Scandinavia to SVT News.