In this video, Matthew Norris and James Peel discuss the urbanisation mega trend and how changing consumer and workplace habits are reshaping demand for real estate.
They explain how the rise of e-commerce and remote working has made people value in-person experiences and premium locations more than ever. In doing do it is driving demand for flagship retail spaces and high-quality office environments with strong sustainability credentials.
• London is the key beneficiary, with demand clustering around its best destinations.
• Shaftesbury Capital is highlighted as an investment example, owning landmark areas such as Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Soho, and Chinatown—prime locations that attract strong tenants, provide solid yields, and offer potential for rental growth.
The transcript is below.
In-person experiences: investing in urbanisation
What forces are driving the urbanisation mega trend?
James Peel: The growth of e-commerce and work from home is causing a shift in consumer preferences, really for in-person experiences. Demand is now exclusively focused on the highest quality destinations in the best locations. And what does that mean? Well, that means London. And within London, for retailers, what does that mean? That means in-store experiences, flagship destinations, and clustering around the best parts of the city. And for employers, what that means is, end of journey amenities and a focus on best-in-class sustainability conventions.
Can you give us an example of an investment in this area?
Matthew Norris: Within the urbanisation mega trend, one stock that we invest in is Shaftesbury Capital. When you think about London, it is really a magnet for tourists, it’s a global destination. Then when you think about clustering and experiences, Shaftesbury Capital owns some of the most iconic collections of assets, whether that's Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Soho, or Chinatown… they own them all. That's a big attraction to the occupiers of that type of real estate, which means for an investor, you get a good yield. And with the dynamic market that we see out there right now, it looks like you're going to get good rental growth as well.
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At the time of recording, the Fund was invested in Shaftesbury Capital.
