The retail sector holds fresh opportunities for contractors, says ISG’s retail lead

The retail sector holds fresh construction opportunities despite a decline in high street shopping, says ISG’s retail lead.

ISG’s head of retail, Kevin Dengate, spoke to Building magazine for an insight piece on the opportunities available to contractors in the retail sector.

Kevin revealed that, for those with the strategic foresight, expertise and relationships to move with the dynamics of the market, the retail sector is fertile as the landscape shifts from the high street to online shopping – something which ISG is exploiting with its strong relationships in the sector and expertise in datacentre delivery. 

ISG’s standing in the retail sector has left it well placed to take advantage of the rise in demand for large distribution centre projects, as its retail customers respond to a rise in internet shopping.
“These buildings are much more complicated than just sheds,” says Kevin. 

“It’s all about how quickly you can get to market – our customers come to us to get these built as quickly as possible.”

Kevin shares that ISG’s retail business will turnover a record £400 million this year, as the market grows alongside its need for large-scale distribution centres.

Negativity in the sector is overdone, he says. 

Instead, the switch from the high street to online shopping holds new opportunities for contractors.

“Frankly retailers have always historically gone out of business,” he says. 

“Nobody talks about the huge number of new online brands which are now starting to look for physical space.

“There’s always been new trends in the marketplace and contractors have to look at what’s next.

“There’s quite a big opportunity for older shopping centres to be improved with a mix of uses.”

Follow the link to read the full article, ‘Is shopping a dying concept? No wonder it's hurting construction’, which can be found at building.co.uk. Please note the article may only be available for registered users.