Once planet Earth was called the blue planet; now it’s green.
Everywhere there are environmentally conscious signs: recycle switch off think about your carbon footprint.
And the retail industry has inevitably been caught up in this green tidal wave.
But retailers and developers must beware.
Jumping on the green bandwagon might help you get your 15 minutes of PR fame, but it is sustainable ideas that the public will be watching out for.
Sustainable as in long-term changes, not flashes in the pan.
Ideas must be practical and work not only for the retailer or developer but for the person giving you the money – the customer.
For example, building shopping centres that incorporate natural ventilation mean freezing temperatures during the winter and over-heating in the summer.
It all has to be about balance, and small steps mean more than large leaps.
Invest in the best
Agents are reticent about admitting it on record, but there are sections of investors who are rejecting older shopping centres as they are not green enough.
The thinking is that years down the line, these older buildings will not make any money.
Why the reluctance to say this in public?
Surely it is common sense.
If anything, it would help aid the renovation of older centres to become more environmentally friendly – and that can only be a good thing.
