Wide-ranging and rapid developments over the past 10 years have seen what was once a retail-focussed venue now become a destination for leisure and lifestyle.

Destination: Future – an interesting and continually relevant topic in our field as the spaces and environment we work in continue to evolve. Wide-ranging and rapid developments over the past 10 years have seen what was once a retail-focussed venue now become a destination for leisure and lifestyle.

The properties we work with weren’t originally designed as advertising platforms but their success and growth in attracting people as public destinations makes them ideal environments for brands to explore.

“A seismic shift is taking place in retail.” These are the words of Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, in Raconteur’s ‘Future of Retail’ report. This shift is a planned and purposeful one, which has been a pivotal part of our property partners’ plans for a long time. Millions have been and are still being invested into further developing these already popular spaces to make them appeal to even more people, with a broader demographic.

Creating environments that cater to a whole host of different leisure needs offers consumers the opportunity to use their time efficiently and combine multiple different activities during their visit.

Retail destinations might have been originally built for shopping but, according to our own consumer research, it’s only a quarter of visitors who are popping in and out. Visiting these spaces is about so much more than a shopping trip; they’re about experiences. Experiences like game centres, climbing walls and crazy golf or even new places to eat - bars, pop-up markets and street food stalls. You can now indulge in shopping, entertainment, amusement, exercise and much more under one roof.

The physical structure of these spaces is also changing in line with the rise of a more switched on and self-aware consumer. Where we spend time with friends, what our food looks like and even the former private activity of trying on clothes in a changing room all now have the potential to be snapped, shared and therefore stored in the digital history books.

The surroundings of the space are adapting to create a themed arena of entertainment that transports a consumer into a relaxed and receptive mind-set. Think chandeliers outside premium stores, palm trees and fountains inspired by history – all elements that are imported to further deepen the immersion into an experience, not just a visit.

As a media offering, we work to keep pace with these developments. We know that as the breadth of purpose grows, the audience size and diversity grows in synergy – making the space we operate within even more relevant than ever before.


Limited Space were proud sponsors of Raconteur's 'Future Of Advertising' report 2019: