In some respects, 2013 has been as tough as 2012 across much of Western Europe. Food retailers have been worrying that their largest hypermarkets are just too big and have worked on making them seem smaller. In fashion, there has been much to talk about, but customers have not been in quite as steady supply as many retailers expected.
That said, the green shoots of recovery have been mentioned, with both the U.K. and Germany heading the column inches in this respect, while France, Italy and Spain have remained in the doldrums. Practically, this has meant that food retailers such as U.K.-headquartered Tesco have been incorporating new elements in its biggest stores that might not have been previously expected. This can be seen at the Watford branch, just to the north of London, where the retailer’s Tesco Extra (its biggest footprint format) has had a family restaurant carved out of one of its corners that makes shoppers feel as if they have left the store. Internally, artisan bakeries and a café that wouldn’t look out of place in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg have been added to the mix – it’s all about making more of what’s already in place.
For the fashion crowd, 2013 has seen the arrival of J.Crew in Europe, with a London flagship on Regent Street and a standalone menswear store on fashionably offbeat Lambs Conduit Street. H&M has ushered in a new format called “& Other Stories,” with the first store being once more on Regent Street, while for those with more cash than dash, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Longchamp have all opened London flagships that seem to fly in the face of recessionary reason.
Finally, mention should be made of the Diesel Village pop-up that flourished for three months on Regent Street – a case of considerably more dash than cash. 2013 will go down as the year of the destination shop and the retail destination looks like London.