Fashion retailers have emerged as the leaders in new store openings on the main shopping streets of St. Petersburg. According to Nikoliers, a total of 76 street retail stores have opened in the city's main shopping corridors in the first 9 months of the year, with 41% of these being in the "Clothing and Footwear" category. This marks a significant increase from last year when the fashion segment accounted for only 29% of new store openings.
One of the reasons for this trend is the limited availability of suitable spaces for restaurants and cafes, despite the high activity in this segment. This has led to a decrease in the number of food and beverage openings, allowing fashion retailers to take the lead in store openings.
In the fashion segment, it is primarily local brands rather than major chains that have been opening new stores in St. Petersburg. Some examples include macrocosm, Suborbia, Le Journal Intime, and "Никита Ефремов".
The main attractions for new store openings in St. Petersburg continue to be the Stary Nevsky Prospekt and Bolshoy Prospekt P.S., where 23 new stores have opened since the beginning of the year. Russian retailers are taking over the spaces vacated by foreign companies, with some notable exceptions such as Prada on Bolshoy Konyushennaya Street and Brunello Cucinelli on Stary Nevsky Prospekt.
A shift in consumer spending habits has also contributed to the increase in fashion store openings. While overall spending on clothing has decreased, the average purchase amount per customer has increased. This indicates that customers are opting for higher-quality items or investing in fewer, but more expensive, pieces.
