The heatmap has become essential to promote our HighStreet Shops

Primonial REIM manages 32 billion euros in assets, 61 investment funds and 1,500 buildings in Europe. The teams have more than 400 employees in 5 offices in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Singapore and Italy.

What are your challenges as Head of Retail Investments & Asset Management?

Valérie Pares: I am in charge of investing and managing our commercial properties. My objective is to identify the most attractive or high-potential neighbourhoods and High Streets to know where and when to invest. Once the acquisition is completed, the challenge is to make this investment profitable by attracting high-performance retailers and brands.

Why did you choose Mytraffic?

Valérie Pares: Primonial REIM's Retail division is dedicated to investing in prime streets and streets with strong or growing pedestrian flows. Therefore, I need to identify these streets and understand how their traffic tends to evolve. We need those elements to invest in the right places and make our investments are profitable in the long term. I needed precise and visually meaningful data to identify the most attractive cities and neighbourhoods in France and abroad.

How does footfall data help you invest in High Streets shops?

Valérie Pares: Thanks to historical data, I can identify visitor trends. Indeed, some streets may be famous but are not necessarily those with the best commercial attractiveness. Flow analyzes allow me to understand how pedestrians use the streets. Thanks to the Mytraffic tool, I know if a High Street is busier in the morning, at noon, in the evening, on Saturdays, etc.

As investors, we are particularly interested in trends because we must anticipate and limit the risks associated with our investments. The Mytraffic's tool allows me to have this information clearly and precisely. I analyze real-tile foot traffic and foot traffic trends for neighbourhoods and specific addresses on the platform.

Today, we have assets across France and Europe, including ground floor shops in the city centres of Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux. Flow data helps you know where to invest, when, and what price. In particular, we have acquired premises at the foot of a building on rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux and rue de la République in Marseille and Lyon.

How do you manage to convince retailers to rent your empty units?

Valérie Pares: Quantitative data helps me demonstrate the marketability of commercial premises and their potential for footfall. Thanks to qualitative data, I manage to identify the typology of the customers who frequent the street and thus target the appropriate brands. We attract big brands to our units on High Streets thanks to footfall data. 

Mytraffic allows me to share neutral and highly accurate data with merchants. As a result, they can identify the footfall potential of our shops and assess their commercial attractiveness. Also, this makes it possible to fix the price of rent and in some instances, to renegotiate it.

In March 2022, the Big Mamma group opened its largest 1,400 m² trattoria in Marseille. The restaurant's opening was a great success, and Mytraffic's data allowed us to convince the brand. It has been one of our most iconic projects as Big Mamma is a destination brand that is already bringing flow to the streets. From my point of view, convincing Big Mamma to move into our premises in Marseille was one of my greatest successes.

What is your favourite analysis?

Valérie Pares: We rely heavily on "the heatmap" analysis. I use it because it allows me to project myself on what the city is like, how people get around and which neighbourhoods are important. In addition, the map allows me to analyze high traffic areas thanks to a colour code that tends toward red when the areas are very busy.

I also manage to identify areas with high potential and those with attendance that have increased in recent months and years. The heatmap has become essential to promote our HighStreet Shops. 

One last word?

Valérie Pares: For me, Mytraffic is an essential tool for the marketing and managing commercial properties in France and Europe. Today, in the context of the health crisis, having precise and neutral data makes it possible to reassure and convince retailers. Without this data, I would not have been able to bring certain brands to the vacant premises.