Following the change of ownership we’ved moved offices to central London: you can find our new contact details on the front page of this issue and on page 3.

The new owners have ambitious plans for Shopping Centre. Like me, the new proprietors believe that the shopping centre industry is strong enough to support a title of its own. And our aim is to make it even more relevant to the needs of the owners and occupiers of shopping centres, retail parks and outlet malls. With this in mind I’m delighted to welcome Hannah Prevett as our new features editor. She is an experienced business writer and she will be spearheading that process.

Expect to see some changes to the magazine and the website this year. We recognise that all our readers are now operating in a very different market and the 

way we cover the sector needs to reflect that.

Now, more than ever, the emphasis is going to be on making the most productive use of existing assets, and the end of the bull run in shopping centre development means that now is the time for the asset manager to step back into the spotlight.

Shopping centre managers are going to be under pressure to maintain occupancy levels at a time when retailers are under the cosh. And ancillary income streams are going to be more valuable than ever when rental growth is non-existent. We will aim to provide everyone in the management chain with practical business information that helps them achieve these tasks.

It’s going to be an interesting year, to say the least. So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride.

Graham Parker, Editor

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