
As the Capital TRC Aladdin in the full-scale war has reached stable increase in traffic, zero vacancy and is working on expanding the assortment of stores, in particular the fashion segment.
Capital TRC Aladdin is located next to St. m. “Poznyaki”. Rent area of the trading center more 11850 sq. m. In 2019 year it is acquired by company UCPIH Ltd, which is in the group of Dragon Capital. Management of the portfolio of commercial real estate is managed by management company Dragon Capital Property Management. In interview RAU Elena Tkachuk, commercial director of TRC Aladdin, discussed the changes in tenant-mix TRC in the full-scale war, vacancy, traffic and where the investments were directed in 2024 year.
– In 2024 year was significantly expanded the range of daily clothing for women. On the second floor new Feminista, Solmar and Temianni stores have opened. Why were these tenants chosen?
– We have strived to strengthen the fashion direction of our TRC with Ukrainian brands, in order to meet the expectations of our visitors. Feminista, Solmar and Temianni were selected through stylish and quality clothing in the middle price segment, which is especially important for our target audience.
And our visitors have more options to choose and can satisfy a variety of requests from basic clothing to relevant seasonal trends.
– In together, how has tenant-mix TRC changed into full-scale war?
– Despite all calls for full-scale war, we continued to actively work to improve our tenant-mix.was given to the fashion segment, because the demand for affordable and stylish clothing remained stable. In the fall of 2023 year in the TRC opened Obnova store over 500 sq. m. This is a true mini-anchor for our mall, which not only has expanded the assortment, but has become a magnet for new visitors.
So we continue to respond to the needs of the audience, creating a comfortable space for shopping and leisure.
– TRC operates from 10.00, and two pharmacy operators from 8.00. Is this decision driven by customers’ desires?
– Yes, the decision to change the schedule of tenant operations with the external entry is driven exactly by the demand of clients. A portion of our visitors are trying to access pharmacies, cafes and restaurants earlier, especially in the morning hours.
We have enabled tenants to adapt the schedule to their needs and to better respond to the demands of consumers and provide the services needed at convenient times.
– What vacancy, have reached the delivered visit rates and what prime time in the visit rate?
– In the end of 2023 year we have reached full full occupancy of rental space and steadily holding a level of zero vacancy. Now only point rotations of tenants are taking place to optimize their assortment and increase their popularity among visitors.stable growth of traffic and have already recovered full recovery of delayed levels of visitation.
The most active time for visitors is evening hours when families and office employees come to the TRC after work or study.
At the same time the difference between days and weekends in attendance is minimal, which indicates a stable flow of clients for the weekend.
– Did the long closure of McDonald’s next door affect traffic in the TRC?
– The closure of McDonald’s in no way affected our traffic. In fact we have not observed any relationship between the operation of this establishment in the neighborhood and the number of visitors to our TRC. This indicates that our clients have a clear target of visits, focused on shopping, entertainment and leisure at our shopping center.
– Despite the fact that both Aladdin and the nearby Piramida are part of the Dragon Capital portfolio, is there competition for customers?
Traffic, crossing between TRC Aladdin and TRC Piramida, is not more than 15%. Our objects work primarily with different audiences. And the same and the same tenants who have the stores in both TRCs demonstrate steadily high profitability in each of them. The location in a densely populated area allows both trade centers to meet the needs of the local residents, without creating competition between themselves.
– –– How to make a successful TRC without a product anchor?
– When Aladdin TRC entered the Dragon Capital portfolio the only anchor was the cinema.Directly next door to the TRC is already a Novus supermarket, which functions as a product anchor for the adjacent territory. To strengthen the pool of tenants we focused on alternative formats, ensuring stable development and growth of the TRC. Sinsay has become a significant step to increase the popularity of the TRC among the young audience.
The next significant addition was the opening of the Apollo Next Sports Space, providing a steady flow of customers and attracting an active part of the population.
– Aladdin Miromax Cinema operates in theater Miromax. Has its revenues dropped because of aggression Russia?
– Aggression of Russia has significantly affected the operation of cinemas in Ukraine, and Miromax in the TRC Aladdin is no exception. Permanent air alarms and forced interruptions at session times, and also cancellation of late and night sessions through recent hours have significantly affected attendance.
Added to the negative factors were and a deficit of new films. This problem has been during the pandemic Covid-19, when many films were postponed, And at the beginning of the war the film industry in Ukraine found additional difficulties. But the situation is gradually improving: the recent premieres, the demand for entertainment is increasing and the filming as much as possible more Ukrainian movies.
– Now the Aladdin TRC has a children’s room, are any plans to reinforce this segment of the DRC?
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– Yes, Aladdin TRC doesn’t have a separate children’s entertainment center, only a small entertainment room. A A All because of the compact size of the shopping center and the already existing set of large anchor tenants. Now we are focusing on those segments that maximally respond to the needs of our audience.
No changes or reinforcement of this direction are planned.
– Can you tell us about Apollo Next, is the space popular among the visitors?
– The Apollo Next Sports Space at Aladdin is one of the most successful of the every network. His attendance is steadily high, which positively affects the total traffic of our trading center. The space is actively used by neighborhood residents who come not only to exercise sports, but also combine this with shopping, visiting the cinema or restaurants.
This result indicates the correct choice of format anchor, responsive to the needs of our target audience.
– Because of the full-scale invasion in the TRC are there new people? How were they communicated in 2024 year ?
– Despite the large outflow of local residents at the beginning of the full-scale war and the large number of internal settlers chosen to the capital, we cannot say that the audience of TRC Aladdin has substantially changed, the majority of theOur visitors have been and remain customers. We focus on supporting the audience and creating a positive experience for all guests.
In 2024 year we continued to conduct regular activities for children, holiday activities, raffles, and charitable initiatives. These events not only help the needy, but also generate a sense of unity and loyalty among our visitors.
– A What changes in the behavior of visitors do you observe in the third year of the full-scale invasion?
– – In general the adaptation to the conditions of war has affected the behavior of shoppers not only in our TRC, but in the entire country. Customers understand that at any moment there could be an air alarm, so their approach to shopping has become more targeted. People come with a clear plan of shopping, try to save time and focus on the essentials.
But this trend is although individual. We also see that for many people visit the TRC as a part of leisure and an opportunity to spend time with family or friends. So or other business, the Ukrainians have adapted to the calls of war time and our visitors are not denying themselves these simple ple pleasures, like purchasing traditional gifts for holidays, visiting restaurants and theaters.
– If comparing 2023 and 2024, has increased?turnover?
– Yes, we are seeing sustainable growth in turnover. This is the result of a number of important factors: stable growth of traffic, zero vacancy, and the expansion of the assortment of stores.
Although exact figures can vary depending on categories, the biggest growth is in fashion, tech and children’s goods. The expansion of the assortment in these categories and skillful rotation of tenants have enabled us not only to attract new clients, but to satisfy the needs of the permanent audience.
– What will invest in in 2024 year?
– – In 2024 year we made a significant step to improve the convenience and accessibility for our visitors. A panoramic elevator has been installed, making it much easier to travel between floors, especially for parents with strollers and people with disabilities.
This investment is part of our strategy to provide the most comfortable environment for all categories of customers.
– Have were the budgets reduced in 2024 year, say, for marketing? May have optimized other expenses?
– On the contrary, the budget for marketing in 2024 year has increased. Doing more events, including particular, children’s events, to attract more visitors and provide our smaller guests the opportunity to enjoy pleasant events in asafespace.
With regard tocostoptimizationwe haveimplementedefficientsolutions,focusingontherationaluseofresources. Thisapproachallowedustomaintainahighlevelofserviceandat the same timetorespondtomoderncalls,withoutreducingthecomfortforourvisitors. -Share yourplansfor2025year. –Forthisyearwehavenotplannedmajorscalechanges,asmosttransformationshavealreadybeensuccessfullyrealized.Nevertheless, we are constantlyindialoguewiththemainrootplayersinthemarketandarereadytoconsiderinterestingproposals. Ourcoreeffortsarefocusedonmaintainingstablegrowth,introducingnewinitiativesandmaintaininghighstandardsofwork.Westrivetocontinuetopleaseourguestsandcreateacomfortablespaceforshoppingandleisure. Wehaveabetter.