Retail developer and landlord Land Securities aims to ensure it’s well placed to benefit from future retail innovation through a partnership formed this week with retail and consumer specialist investment hub TrueStart.
The two announced they had formed a strategic partnership to support innovation in the retail and consumer sector. Land Securities and its clients – who include retail tenants – stand to benefit from the partnership by gaining exposure to new retail technology as it emerges. The move is a highly strategic one in a world where the way we shop is changing fast in the light of new and emerging digital sales channels. It may also ensure that stores remains key to the ways these entrepreneurs think about the future of retail.
Meanwhile, TrueStart will be housed in Land Securities’ Victoria development, where its entrepreneurs will be able to tap into the knowledge of Land Securities’ staff while testing their ideas in the Land Securities ecosystem.
“This partnership,” said Ashley Blake, director of retail portfolio management at Land Securities, “means we can help today’s entrepreneurs recognise their potential and succeed as the retailers of tomorrow. It gives us first-hand access to the sector-leading innovation and fresh ideas which will shape the retail landscape of the future, allowing us to continue delivering the best retail to consumers in Victoria and beyond. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for some of our key people to work with new entrepreneurs and to get first-hand experience of a start-up environment, which will be benefit our future business and their own personal development.”
Matt Truman, co-founder of TrueStart and True Capital, said: “The support of a major blue chip company for the launch of what will be the leading retail and consumer sector specialist innovation hub in Europe is a key milestone in achieving our wider vision to become the first contact for any stakeholder within the retail sector.”
Land Securities’ digital and CRM director Amy Richardson is speaking at IRX 2014, where she will give insights into the way shopping centres are changing to meet the needs of omnichannel shoppers. Find out more about her presentation, which is scheduled for 2.25pm on Wednesday March 26 in the Customer Experience and Journey conference here, and about IRX 2014 here.
