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Research

october 2012
spanish Retail
investment market
report

highlights
The polarisation of the market continues: despite the economic situation, prime
and well-establised centres continue to perform well, whilst secondary schemes
and cities are su?ering.

International retailers continue to demand space in prime shopping centres.

The retail investment market remains static. There have been no high pro?le deals
completed so far this year.

Debt transactions are increasingly the focus of investors. Future investment sales
over the short term are likely to be in the hands of the banks.

Experienced investors continue to seek opportunities in Spain��s prime cities,
testimony to the belief that despite the economic climate, Spain o?ers the correct
fundamentals for retail investment. Those with a site-speci?c strategy, rather than
a country approach, will identify assets that meet their criteria through micro
analysis.

october 2012
spanish retail
investment market report

Economic Economic Indicators 2010 2011 2012 (*)

Outlook GDP Growth -0.1 0.4 -1.7

The challenging macroeconomic situation in Unemployment rate 20.1 21.6 24.5
Spain needs little introduction having been
the focus of many economic and political Consumer Price Index 1.8 3.2 2.5
debates in recent times.
Government Bond 10 yr 4.25 5.43 5.64
The Spanish economy, characterised by a loss
of competitiveness, high levels of Source: Savings Bank Foundation (*) Annual average forecasts
unemployment and falling consumption
rates, continues to contract. There are a
variety of GDP forecasts available but the
general consensus is that economy will when the real opportunities begin to expansion of international brands. However,
contract by around -1.7% in 2012, as a result reappear. It is di?cult to imagine how a a number of international retailers continue
of further upcoming ?scal reforms and country with a population of almost 50 to seek to increase their coverage in prime
continued low economic activity. million people, having experienced nearly 15 shopping centres in Spain and believe that
years of above average GDP growth before Spain offers the correct fundamentals for
Unemployment in Spain now stands at
the slowdown in 2007, will be not be able to retail business.
approximately 24.7%. However, this is spread
unevenly across the country, with the rate in turn itself around and ?nd the road to
Primark remains particularly active as does
Madrid being around 6 percentage points recovery. Investors recognise that the key to
the Sonae Group with Sport Zone and Zippy.
lower than the national average. the Spanish market is being prepared and
A relatively new operator to the market is JD
ready to act. The economy is unlikely to make
It goes without saying that factors such as the Sports, having opened several new stores
a recovery before 2015, however there will be
intensi?cation of ?nancial stress associated this year. Other international operators, such
some interesting opportunities to be had
with sovereign debt markets, restrictions on as Superdry, remain active in their expansion
along the way.
access to credit and increased uncertainty, but opt to reduce risk via franchising in non-
not only surrounding Spain but also the prime locations.

retail
future of Europe, do not create the healthiest
Generally, vacancy rates vary from 2.5% -
scenario for investment.
4.5% for prime centres and are 10+% in

market
Against this backdrop, the Spanish secondary schemes, depending on the
government continues to strive to steer Spain quality of the asset. Lease negotiations
out of the dark. Over the year, the Central continue to be difficult as operators are
Government has presented numerous ?scal The retail market remains characterised by the increasingly demanding. Landlords should
measures designed to achieve Spain��s de?cit polarisation between prime and secondary seriously consider fit out and financing stores
targets. These measures include: schemes. Some prime shopping centres are to maintain competiveness.
achieving 100% occupation and have in fact
? Increase in tax revenues, including VAT,
corporate income tax, personal income tax
seen an increase in the number of visitors, as Sales
well as sales. This is a quite a di?erent
and excise duties. scenario from the challenges some secondary Despite the economic situation, people do
? Changes to unemployment bene?t and centres are facing today. continue to shop, but consumers have
social security contributions. adjusted their budgets to match current
disposable income. On average, centres
? Improvement of public sector e?ciency Supply and Demand managed by Knight Frank registered a fall in
and reduction of the public sector wage bill. Operators remain selective when opening new sales of between 2% and 8% over the first
? Review of pension system. stores and many expansion plans are on hold. half of the year.

The fact remains that Spain's economy is the Spain is facing competition from other In general, leisure and restaurants have
12th largest in the world. Despite the current countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, particularly suffered over the last year, as
situation, investors remain keen to monitor where there is considered to be greater have household goods retailers in certain
the market and to have a foot in the door for potential for economic growth, attracting the centres. However, low cost concepts such as

2

www.knightfrank.es

Retail
McDonald��s or Burger King and those brands Debt transactions are increasingly the focus of
that have repositioned to adjust to the investors; even some of the more traditional
current situation have been able to maintain asset buyers are looking at ways to form new
their positions. Similarly, supermarkets and
low cost formats such as Lidl and Aldi, are
Investment vehicles for the purchase of securitised loans.
It should be remembered that the sale of the

market
now outperforming the traditional debt does not necessarily mean that the asset
hypermarket formats in many cases. is performing badly, but could be due to
problems the sponsor has elsewhere or simply
Some operators are finding efficiency by Despite speculation about distressed sales,
an attempt from the bank to reduce exposure.
increasing format size and are now moving the market has remained very static so far
this year. It would seem that future investment sales
from smaller units of 100-200 sq m to larger
over the short term are likely to be in the
formats of 600-700 sq m whilst maintaining Property owners that do not need cash have no
hands of the banks. However, despite their
very tight price margins. Smaller operators motive to sell in the current market. From both
eagerness to clean up balance sheets and
are most affected due to the lack of credit, an operational and transactional perspective,
reduce exposure, there is a general reluctance
whilst franchise and chain stores are many property investors continue to focus on
to accept o?ers entailing direct loss.
performing better. maximising the value of their current
Opportunistic funds interested in the purchase
portfolios, rather than considering rotation.
of debt or distressed assets are, of course,
New Openings This general lack of product, together with expecting signi?cant discounts in order to
restrictions on ?nance, lengthy decision achieve their returns, which the banks are
Only two schemes, Gran Plaza 2 in Madrid processes and overall uncertainty surrounding rejecting. The increasing distress in certain
and Serrallo Plaza in Granada, opened in the the Spanish economy, continues to make situations means that discounts not accepted
?rst half of 2012. However, three large new investment transactions extremely di?cult. today could lead to greater losses in the
shopping centres opened in September and future, as over time, these assets will have
Nevertheless, experienced investors remain
Puerto Venecia, belonging to British Land little or no capex invested in them. They will
positive and are opting to monitor the market
and Orion Capital, will open at the beginning eventually reach the market under managed
rather than remove Spain from their target list.
of October in Zaragoza. By the end of 2012, and out dated, and by that time, will be far
Emphasis is generally on prime cities,
we will have seen half a million square from meeting investment grade, even for
favouring Madrid, Barcelona and the Basque
metres of GLA come to the market, an opportunistic funds.
Country, as these areas have the most positive
indication of the con?dence key developers consumption and growth forecasts, and have Banks not willing to accept reasonable losses
have in Spanish retail. been less a?ected by the economic downturn, in the current situation should seriously
particularly if we refer to Madrid and consider how they will manage foreclosed and
Barcelona. problematic shopping centre assets. These

Main Shopping Centre Openings 2012

Scheme Location Developer GLA (sq m) Opening Date

Serrallo Plaza Granada Corporaci��n Garc��a Arrabal 24,000 March 2012

Gran Plaza 2 Majadahonda, Madrid LSGIE 57,000 April 2012

R��o Shopping Arroyo de la Encomienda, Valladolid Inter Ikea Centre Group 100,000 September 2012

Zenia Boulevard Orihuela, Alicante Immochan 80,000 September 2012

El Faro Badajoz Unibail-Rodamco 66,000 September 2012

Puerto Venecia Zaragoza British Land, Orion Capital 118,000 October 2012

Luz Shopping Lifestyle Center Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz Inter Ikea Centre Group 15,000 Novemeber 2012

As Cancelas Santiago de Compostela Carrefour Property Espa?a, Realia 50,500 Novemeber 2012

Source: Spanish Shopping Centre Association

3

october 2012
spanish retail
investment market report

properties require intense management in
order to avoid falling into situations which
allow the scheme to deteriorate and
generate costs to the extent that it simply
will not sell at any price.

Transactions
There have been no high profile deals on
the market so far this year.

The first half of the year saw the sale of the
Arambol Retail Park in Palencia to a family
office investment club from Barcelona. This
retail park opened last year and although it
has a good tenant mix of retail warehouse Arambol Retail Park, Palencia
operators, is considered secondary due to
its location. However, this is an example of
how family offices looking to diversify in the
processes currently underway, both on and with the necessary measures for successful
retail sector can obtain higher returns than
off market, which have generated noticeable management.
those offered by other asset classes. Private
interest from investors. These potential
investors can take advantage of the current Enterprising investors who are able to see
transactions could increase the overall
situation to invest in retail warehouses, which beyond Spain��s high risk country profile,
investment volume by the end of the year,
although they do require a certain degree of away from a general macro analysis to
however, their completion is uncertain and as
specialist knowledge, do not necessarily concentrate on the micro surroundings, will
ever, will greatly depend on finance options.
need the same intense management as find good products that still perform well in
shopping centres. We expect to see further debt portfolios and spite of the economic situation. Recent sales
individual cases come to the market over the processes have shown that experienced
It is also worth mentioning the sale of the
next 12 months. These will present good investors continue to seek opportunities in
Bahia Mar Retail Park in Cadiz to a local
opportunities, however in the case of Spain. This is testimony to the belief that
investor. With a tenant mix of local operators,
underperforming assets, investors would be despite the economic climate, Spain offers
high vacancy and short term leases, the
well advised to carry out intensive due the correct fundamentals for retail investment
transaction of Bahia Mar was driven by the
diligence in order to establish whether or not and those with a site-speci?c strategy, rather
financing bank.
the asset is likely to deteriorate further in the than a country approach, will identify assets
Despite the low level of investment current climate. In these situations, it is key that meet their criteria.
transactions, there are a number of sales to establish a sound post-acquisition strategy

Investment ? Knight Frank 2012. This report is published for general information only. Although high standards
have been used in the preparation of the information, analysis, views and projections presented in this
report, no legal responsibility can be accepted by Knight Frank Retail or Knight Frank Spain for any loss
or damage resultant from the contents of this document. As a general report, this material does not ne-
Humprey White. MRICS cessarily represent the view of Knight Frank Spain in relation to particular properties or projects. Repro-
Associate duction of this report in whole or in part is allowed with proper reference to Knight Frank Spain.
Head of Investment
humprey.white@es.knightfrank.com

www.knightfrank.es
Suero de Qui?ones, 34-36
Elaine Beachill. MRICS
Investment Retail 28002 - Madrid
elaine.beachill@es.knightfrank.com T: +34 91 59 59 000 F: +34 91 575 73 23

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Spanish Retailoct2012

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