Bricks over clicks as shops come back into fashion across Europe

They also want to capitalise on people’s renewed appetite for visiting shops once covid lockdowns ended, which has made a Saturday afternoon shopping spree fashionable again.

“I come to stores as I want to see things live, try them out, and have them immediately available,” said Francesca Marini, 28, while browsing in a mall in Rome. She said the waiting involved in online shopping spoiled the experience.

The overall number of stores in Europe is slightly declining, down to 4.9m in 2023 from 4.92m the year before, data from market research firm Euromonitor shows. 

However, selling space measured in square meters edged up almost 1% and should increase to 2.7% in 2028 in comparison to 2022, the data showed.

Retailers realise that it is difficult to keep customers without some direct contact with them, said Thomas Joekel, a portfolio manager at Union Investment, which holds shares in LVMH and Adidas.

“This is easier to achieve if you have brick-and-mortar stores rather than just e-commerce,” he said.

“On the e-commerce side you can only see pictures but you don’t feel, you don’t smell, you don’t talk to somebody, so it’s much more difficult to be optimistic or enthusiastic about a brand,” he added.

Demand for products

Since the pandemic, sports retailers have seen increased demand for products such as running shoes and training kits as people make the most of going outdoors.

“You look at the success of Adidas or North Face and others. I think definitely there has been a trend towards more outdoor activities, partly during the pandemic,” said Deutsche Bank analyst Adam Cochrane.

I think people realised that they needed to get out and do things and some of that behaviour has stuck

French sports retailer Decathlon has added about 80 shops to its network this year, global chief customer officer Celine Del Genes said, taking its total number of outlets to about 1,700 globally.

Having a physical store can increase online sales by between 10% and 20% within a 20-minute drive of the outlet because more customers are multi-channel, according to data cited by Mr Cochrane.

“There is evidence, both ways, that opening up a store increases online sales in the vicinity of that store,” he said.

“And conversely, if you shut a store, there is evidence that you do not fully recover all of those sales, either online or transferring to another store.”

To attract shoppers, Decathlon has hubs dedicated to repairing or renting equipment and areas where customers can play sports.

“Stores offer new features such as showrooms and discovery stations to integrate physical and digital elements, facilitating the exploration, analysis, and comparison of products,” Ms Del Genes added.

Human touch

Spanish retailer Inditex, owner of the Zara brand, offers group fitting rooms where friends can try on clothes. The fitting rooms also have touchscreens so customers can request different sizes or styles.

Industry experts believe shoppers prefer the human touch and the convenience and immediacy of buying from a store.

“Consumers are choosing to return to stores as they’re rediscovering the leisure aspect of shopping,” RBC analysts said.

They also like the convenience of click-and-collect and, as people return to offices, it means they’re less certain of being at home for a delivery, they added.

“Some people just want to buy a T-shirt and to go to a party or school. If you have to wait two weeks, this is simply too long,” said Mr Joekel.