INTERVIEW
With phase 2 of the deconfinement, in force since Tuesday, many shopping centers have reopened throughout France. In Paris, the Quatre Temps shopping center in La Défense was able to welcome customers again. But during the confinement, online commerce has grown enormously, especially under the leadership of the giant Amazon. Christophe Cuvillier, Chairman of the Executive Board of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, world leader in shopping centers, returned to Europe 1 on this trend.
"I have always advocated the combination of e-commerce and physical stores. E-commerce is fantastic, but that's not all. It shows that the world of commerce is complementary between the internet and the physical," said esteemed Christophe Cuvillier.
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"We must be careful not to draw definitive conclusions"
In the United States, Amazon gained 20% of the market share with the coronavirus pandemic. "This is a point which is not new and which accelerated during the confinement," agrees Christophe Cuvillier. "But we must be careful not to draw definitive conclusions about a period when all the stores were closed. The trade as a whole has declined, e-commerce and food activities have increased, it's mathematical", nuance he.
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"A gradual return to normal"
The Chairman of the Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Management Board also returned to the reopening of shopping centers. And, after two days of reopening, he found "a gradual return to normal". "We are seeing a gradual return to normal, it's really nice. The teams were on deck and implemented all the health protocols, which are perfectly respected, with traffic directions in the centers or queues with a meter 80% of customers wear masks, people are responsible, things are going well, "he said.
"I was yesterday (Wednesday) in our centers, I visited five in Île-de-France, I was very happy to see visitors and traders. In more than two thirds of our centers, sanitary measures are being applied and our centers have reopened. It is a pleasure to see the economic world revive ", satisfied Christophe Cuvillier, even if he notes a" drop "in attendance" compared to last year ". "Not everyone has returned to work. The restaurant terraces are open, but not the rooms themselves (in the orange zone) or the cinemas," he said.