Bricks v. Clicks: a roundtable debate hosted by Mishcon de Reya and Property Week
Retailers are increasingly taking a multi-channel approach to customer engagement, often merging their online and offline customer experiences. Innovative thinking is needed for retailers to cope with the impact of internet sales.
With this in mind, Mishcon de Reya and Property Week hosted a high-level 'Bricks v Clicks' roundtable debate at the Firm's Holborn office on 14 October to look at the radical changes that will ultimately affect the requirements for retailers to have a high street presence, and to examine the ways that retailers and landlords can work together to mutual benefit to address these challenges.
Speakers at the event, which was introduced by Property Week's editor Giles Barrie and chaired by Retail Week's editor Tim Danaher, were:
- Richard Akers – MD of Retail Portfolio, Land Securities
- Mike Shearwood – Chief Executive, Aurora Fashions
- Mark Sebba – Chief Executive, Net-a-Porter.com
- Julia Reynolds – Chief Executive, Figleaves.com
- Richard Hyman – Strategic Retail Adviser, Deloitte
Susan Freeman, a Partner in Mishcon de Reya's Real Estate Group, said: "We put together this event to provoke a debate between landlords and their retailers who are calling for the property sector to take the lead in a radical rethink in the use of retail space. Bringing together the main retail landlords with a number of the retail sector's innovative thinkers - including clients such as NET-A-PORTER.COM - sparked an extremely interesting and animated discussion."
If you would like more information on the issues involved, please contact a member of Mishcon de Reya's Retail and Leisure Group.
To view Property Week's coverage of the debate, please download the pdf below. A number of photos from the event are available here.