A clear positioning strategy needs evidence of who the destination will serve and why those customers will visit. Market analysis, consumer research, competitor studies and retailer insight help the client assess that proposition and the role of different categories, experiences and brands.
Commercially informed retail planning translates these findings into choices about tenant mix, broad zoning and anchor strategy. The retail programme can then connect the intended offer with space requirements and operational practicality. Research gives the team a basis for testing assumptions and deciding what needs further development.
Our involvement can support the following situations, with the research scope agreed around the decisions the client needs to make.
Husband Retail provides the service, working alongside the client’s team, architects, planners and specialist consultants. Our professional profiles describe the experience behind the advice. Responsibilities are agreed for each appointment, including the boundaries of research, brand engagement and leasing.
The outputs depend on the brief, project stage and agreed scope. Examples include the following; they are not a fixed package. Research findings can inform wider planning and strategy outputs where these form part of the appointment.
| Example output | Decision it supports |
|---|---|
| Positioning statements | Agree the intended customers and a proposition supported by market evidence. |
| Concept proposals | Assess new retail concepts against demand, competition and retailer requirements. |
| Mix matrices | Review category balance, adjacencies and anchor roles against the research findings. |
| Target-brand recommendations | Prioritise suitable opportunities, including new-to-market brands where appropriate. |
| Annotated plans | Review how the proposed layout accommodates customer needs and retailer requirements. |
| Research findings | Test assumptions about demand, competition, retail scale and the proposed offer. |
| Roadmaps | Agree priorities, further evidence needed and the next decisions to progress. |
Market and demand analysis examines the conditions relevant to the destination. Consumer research considers the needs and behaviour of its intended customers. Competitor studies and benchmarks provide context for differentiation and the scale of the opportunity. The brief determines which inputs are needed and how they inform the next decision.
Where appointed, brand interviews bring retailer intentions and requirements into the assessment. Findings can inform shop sizes, adjacencies and technical provisions for discussion with the design team. Footfall and sales projections may support an assessment of retail scale within an agreed scope. Their implications depend on the evidence and assumptions used.
These examples show research within broader retail consultancy appointments. Each reflects a particular brief and scope.
For Taipei Twin Towers Limited, our work included macro-economic and demand analysis, competition analysis and consumer dynamics research. Footfall and sales projections informed supportable scale. Transport-hub retail benchmarks contributed to positioning, trade mix and zoning recommendations.
For Gree Real Estate, market analysis of Hainan focused on competition, supported by consumer, retailer and competitor studies. The work informed positioning, concepts, brand mixes, anchor strategy and broad zoning for the destination.
For Keyestone Group, brand interviews on Hainan informed the retail component of an integrated theme-park development. The consultancy covered zoning, shop sizes and adjacencies, with design reviews addressing their implications alongside the architects.
Timing and sequence vary with the brief, available evidence and project stage. The working approach provides a shared basis for decisions, with responsibilities agreed for each appointment.
Establish the brief and priorities. We agree the commercial objectives, decisions required, research questions and scope with the client.
Build the evidence base. We review relevant customer, market and retailer information alongside the proposition and physical plan to identify the assumptions that need testing.
Develop concepts and recommendations collaboratively where included in the scope. We discuss the findings with the client, considering their implications for positioning, new retail concepts, tenant mix and brand opportunities.
Agree direction and next steps. We set out priorities, responsibilities and further questions to resolve. Where appointed, brand engagement and leasing translate strategy into tenant opportunities.
The proposition, customer demand, retailer requirements and physical plan need to support one another. Research may indicate demand for a category whose operators need different unit sizes, adjacencies or servicing. This affects tenant suitability and operational practicality. We examine the implications with the client and design team, considering adjustments to the concept, mix or location, or further evidence before a decision.
New retail concept development and new-to-market brand introduction require a clear view of customer relevance and the opportunity within the destination. We assess their potential role in the balance of retail, dining and entertainment (RDE), then recommend priorities or further testing. Design review provides commercial input; architectural and engineering responsibility remains with the appointed specialists.
A retail market report can provide context for a market or sector. Research within a property appointment connects evidence with the project’s own decisions. The brief determines the outputs, depth of analysis and recommendations required.
Brand engagement and leasing are included only where appointed. Research can conclude with findings, recommendations and agreed next steps. A subsequent mandate, including any role as exclusive leasing partner, is defined separately.
Tell us about your destination, its commercial priorities and the decisions ahead. We can discuss the appropriate research scope and how the findings could inform planning, positioning, concept development, mix or leasing decisions.
