Retail Spotlight – The changing face of leisure

Posted At: 19 January 2016 17:19 PM
Related Categories: Retail

As consumers shopping habits shift more and more online, consumers leisure habits also seem to be shifting, evidenced by the rise of concepts such as indoor climbing centre Clip n Climb and trampoline park operator Oxygen springing up around the UK.

Both concepts signal a change for the leisure sector as both are family-orientated activities that provide an entertaining way of keeping fit, and are a bit different to the type of ‘normal’ occupier you would find on a retail park or as part of a shopping centre’s mix.

Having quietly started out with the odd one or two operators in a similar fashion to that of the budget gym operators, indoor trampoline parks have become the latest craze to spread across the pond and have been met with enthusiasm by the British public, something landlords will be pleased to hear. Oxygen has now become the UK’s largest operator having acquired five sites at the beginning of the year to add to its existing two sites opened at the end of 2015.

Clip n Climb is also taking the country by storm having originated from New Zealand to bring climbing to the masses and a fun and enjoyable experience. There are now 12 centres in operation in the UK and centres worldwide.

Both operators are making the most of a niche market, although are not the sole players. Other operators exist, and as the activities continue to grow in popularity, more operators will come to light to compete in the sector.

This change in leisure spend will mean that shopping centres will have to do more to attract shoppers to their centres in order to buck the declining footfall patterns seen recently, and that building dining quarter extensions and revamping their food courts to capture increased eating-out spend just isn’t enough to satisfy consumers.
 

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