| 03/2009 | Bruchsal, March 19, 2009 |
RegioGraph is successfully used as a visualization instrument for the optimization and simulation of transport networks. A user report from V-Research and the Austria-based logistics company Gebrüder Weiss shows how. The planning and optimization of transport networks constitute quite a challenge given the global reach of Gebrüder Weiss' services... more Contact: Sonja Scharf, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295110
After years of steady increases, purchasing power in Germany will stagnate amidst the economically turbulent climate of 2009. Detailed, regional GfK purchasing power data is therefore more valuable than ever, allowing companies in the B2C sector to discover and actualize their regional potential... more Contact: Alexandra Deutsch, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295170
Russia’s numerous opportunities for growth make it an attractive option for companies looking to expand. GfK GeoMarketing's newly updated maps of this vast country provide a valuable basis for planning. Finding answers to place-related questions is the first and most crucial factor behind a successful expansion into a new market... more Contact: Nicole Lahr, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295160
In a white paper on the real estate investment scene, Manuel Jahn, a GfK real estate expert, indicates that well-known mutual and institutional funds plan to significantly increase their investment in retail real estate in the coming months. The shopping center segment is forecasted to develop in a positive direction despite the current financial crisis. Jahn, an expert on investors and financers in GfK GeoMarketing's Real Estate Consulting division, argues that the current financial crisis has not negatively affected all sectors. Certain areas of the retail real estate sector actually offer opportunities for growth. This is especially true in the case of shopping centers, according to Jahn: "Amidst the tumultuous waters of the present crisis, owners, banks and tenants can look to one particular investment area that continues to chart a steady course: the German shopping center." Manuel Jahn notes here that rental income and retail turnover have been growing by one to one-and-a-half percent in good shopping center portfolios. According to Jahn, the current theoretical fair values at six percent mean that investors can hold the course and wait for better times. However, Jahn issues a warning to bargain hunters: Because demand for core investments among financial groups is a top priority, the premium market continues to be characterized by scarcity. A price decline is not to be expected even despite the ongoing financial crisis. The real estate expert argues that good shopping centers represent sustainable, reliable investments in this time of crisis, given their relatively affordable monthly rent of around 20-25 euros/m² – particularly in comparison to prime retail locations in city centers, which can cost hundreds of euros per square meter. This is true not only for the companies who operate out of these locations, but also for the financers and investors for whom these properties generate a continual stream of capital. Jahn concludes that if certain location, concept and management criteria are met, shopping centers offer sustainable investment opportunities and reliable cash flows even amidst the currently plunging branch and market indices. He also issues a reminder regarding the cause of the current financial and real estate crisis: During the real estate boom, real estate objects with failing or outmoded concepts, poor location profiles or other problems were often inconspicuously "buried" in larger portfolios and then sold to inexperienced investors at inflated prices. To avoid repeating these mistakes, Jahn emphasizes the importance of arranging for a professional assessment of the relevant criteria that impact on the real value and future success of a given real estate object. Jahn is particularly optimistic with regard to the outlook for German shopping centers: While Spanish, Polish and Turkish shoppers spend between 35 and 56 percent of their disposable income in retail venues during prosperous periods, the notoriously frugal German consumers devote only around 28 percent of their disposable income to retail expenditures. "While these once enthusiastic About Manuel Jahn Contact: Doris Steffen, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295180
What percentage of Europeans' purchasing power goes toward point-of-sale (POS) retail expenditures? Our exclusive overview map illustrates retail purchasing power as a share of general purchasing power in Europe in 2007. Russia leads the way with 57%, followed by Turkey, Bulgaria and the Ukraine. Contact: Sonja Makilla, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295185
For questions related to GfK GeoMarketing e-News, please contact:
Management Board: Olaf Petersen, Wolfram Scholz, Dr. Eberhard Stegner To unsubscribe, click here. To change your e-mail address, click here. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Geomarketing applied: RegioGraph for transportation logistics
GfK Purchasing Power: More success for B2C companies 
New maps of Russia: Ideal basis for expansion planning
Outlook for 2009: Shopping centers are ‘pillars of strength’ 
shoppers abroad are now forced to tighten their belts, German consumers have long since already done so, meaning that further cuts in spending among Germans are not likely." Additionally, the substantial government benefits enjoyed by Germans – in contrast to many other European countries – help guard against a steep decline in consumption.
