70% of households prefer shopping centers

Prague - Shopping centers, the number of which has rapidly increased in the Czech Republic in recent years, have already established a strong position in the market. In fact, 70 percent of domestic households prefer to shop there, while only 30 percent of families remain loyal to traditional shopping streets in city centers. This is according to a survey conducted by Incoma Research.
    "The journey to a favorite shopping center takes an average of 30 minutes. The share of those who usually drive to the shopping center has risen to three-quarters," stated the company Incoma Research in a press release sent to ČTK. On average, visiting a shopping center takes Czechs 110 minutes. While women shop for 118 minutes, men finish their shopping more quickly and leave the shopping center after an average of 101 minutes.
    Among the largest shopping centers in the Czech Republic is, for example, the shopping complex in Prague-Letňany. "The attendance at the Letňany Shopping Center increases every year. Last year's more than ten million customers represents approximately a seven percent increase year-on-year, and compared to 2006, an increase of about fourteen percent," said Jana Turková, the marketing manager of OC Letňany. About three-quarters of the customers at the Letňany shopping center are residents of the capital, and a quarter come from outside Prague.
    The most visited shopping center in the Czech Republic is the Nový Smíchov shopping complex in Prague. Among shopping centers outside Prague, the leading one is the Brno Gallery Vaňkovka.
    According to data from Incoma Research, a record 20 shopping centers and smaller commercial complexes were opened in the Czech Republic last year. The total number of shopping centers thus increased to 290. In the following years, experts predict that the expansion of shopping centers will slow down due to the economic crisis. Developers have worse access to bank loans, and therefore, some planned projects are unlikely to be realized.
    Some shopping centers in Prague are already struggling with a low number of shoppers due to increasing competition, poor location, or the composition of stores. Retailers are unhappy with the low attendance and often sue the operators of shopping centers, demanding rent reductions. The Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce is currently resolving several dozen such disputes.