25 September, Mark Up
The works to build Westfield Milano (WM) will last about three years. The opening is expected by 2021. Westfield Milano is meant to be included in the “Shopping Centre 5.0” vision which was announced by Unibail-Rodamco (“Destination 2028”) anticipating the acquisition of Westfield. Diego Valazza, senior leasing manager for URW-Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, confirms this vision: “WM is included in the biggest retail development pipeline in the world, for a total value of around 13 billion euro. Among the main objectives of the group, there is the focus on the best assets in the most dynamic cities worldwide, participating at the development and improvement of these cities and have a positive influence on people’s lives: how people live, work, connect, shop and entertain themselves. Therefore, it’s essential for us to anticipate the trend, in order to offer a unique experience. Innovation is our spine”.
There is still little information concerning the tenant mix, namely which brands will be present in one of the biggest and most modern shopping centres in Italy and in Europe. “There’s a significant demand from brands. We’ll disclose the agreements in the upcoming months, which will join those already signed with Galeries Lafayette, Coin and the Inditex group”.
What is the URW mission and how are you building the tenant/retail mix in Westfield Milano?
The mission of URW is to create unique destinations where people can meet, discover innovative concepts and connect, according to our project philosophy. This mission is shaped by the awareness that each project should be characterised depending on its context. In the case of Westfield Milano, I have to admit that it was easy to place ourselves in the capital of fashion, design and food.
The dimension of Westfield Milano (Gla of 185,000 Sq m, an actual “village” dedicated to luxury, over 300 shops, 50 restaurants and 10,000 parking places) allow us to adopt an innovative approach in the marketing activity. Our goal is to provide customers with a new experience based on fashion, food, entertainment, events, leisure, and other services dedicated to many tourists visiting Milan. In Westfield Milano, the mix is evolving thanks to the ability to offer a complete experience of luxury and accessibility concerning fashion as well as entertainment, leisure and food.
For what concerns food, how the food court will be like?
Food&Beverage has always been one of the main pillars of our shopping centres. There will be at least four food courts in Milan to satisfy all the needs, including actual gourmet experiences. We look at our food court as an inclusive space, where people can relax and enjoy the best of the world cuisines.
Also in this case, the target is to normalise the capacity utilisation of the food court granting a quality service throughout the opening hours of the gallery.
In order to achieve that, we avail ourselves of an internal team of professionals specialised in the different matters concerning food& beverage.
What about entertainment?
In my opinion, the definition of entertainment is rather complex. In the case of Westfield Milano, we entered an agreement with Uci Cinemas to open a multiplex with 16 movie theatres, about 2,500 seats and last generation services. For URW, entertainment is an essential part, and our shopping centres all around the world are a demonstration of this. We offer the opportunity to experience first-hand concerts, movie premieres, and fashion shows. Artists like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and John Legend performed in our galleries. Moreover, we’ve hosted the European premieres of the Marvel movies and even surf competitions.
How do you deal with facilities, especially innovative facilities?
One of the main principles of URW is sustainability, in the design as well as in the implementation phase. This translates into the development of supporting infrastructures and the promotion of sustainable mobility. In Milan, we’ve budgeted about 200 million euro for the connecting infrastructure. I want to stress that Milan is already taken as an example in Europe concerning this matter, just think about the many car and bike providers. Hence, our project couldn’t ignore this aspect. Concerning sustainable mobility, we must include the promotion of rail transport. Regarding the marketing activity, the so-called “Athleisure” and, more in general, wellness, will be present in the project in different shapes, in the retail as well as in the service points of view. For instance, we are planning a network of cycling lanes that will link Segrate with the surrounding towns close to the mall.
What will be the role of luxury retailing?
Luxury retailing is one of the main innovations of Westfield Milano. Our view is the creation of a luxury village which will accommodate about 50 boutiques representing the most iconic global fashion and luxury brands.
What will be the impact of the national and international brands?
Our strategy is inspired by a “Glocal” approach where the commercial offer is strongly based on international brands, but it’s enriched by a more local/domestic component. Being in Milan places us in an advantageous position from an entrepreneurial point of view, and we’d like to contribute to the economic and social development of the territory.
Source: Mark Up
Translator: Cristina Ambrosi