Shopping Centers Advised To Barter More
President and CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers,
Michael Kercheval, suggests that owners of shopping centers and
malls would be wise to embrace barter to keep their retail tenants
in the game.
They could do so by taking a direct-equity interest in emerging
retailers. The owner would contribute rent in exchange for equity,
or some form of dividends later, as the retailer grows stronger.
The shopping center owner could expand their thinking and provide
back-office support for its tenants. (Given that the shopping center
has its own payroll department, why not let the tenants share it?)
Retailers should put on their barter hats too. A department store
that has a tailor on premises could trade on this service with other
retailers � thereby providing a value-add to the entire center.
A
shopping center that needs more traffic could look toward community
promotions, such as bringing in a Habitat for Humanity center to the
parking lot for added traffic.