MILESTONE AS GROWTHPOINT BOOSTS CLUR INDEX PART 1

South Africa’s largest primary JSE-listed real estate investment trust (REIT), Growthpoint Properties, has added its substantial portfolio of retail properties to the Clur Collective asset management support platform and integral shopping centre index.  By sharing its significant data set, Growthpoint is supporting the retail property sector to create better shopping centre experiences for consumers and retailers alike, while simultaneously enhancing its own innovative and sustainable property solutions.

“Growthpoint’s inclusion is a milestone for our index and further enhances its standing as a leading independent industry standard and economic indicator,” says Belinda Clur, Founder and Managing Director of Clur International. “It serves as a measure of consumer sentiment, rental and economic activity, since what people spend today reflects later in GDP and other key data.”

“Our representation across the retail property landscape is now more than 5.4 million square metres across over 130 shopping centres in South Africa and Namibia.  The increase is from 4.1 million square metres at over 100 centres.

“In addition to Growthpoint, the dominant funds participating in the Clur Collective and Clur Indices include Attacq Limited, Hyprop Investments Limited, Liberty Two Degrees, Old Mutual Property, Pareto Limited, REimagine Social Impact Retail Fund, SA Corporate Real Estate Limited, Sanlam Life Insurance Limited and Vukile Property Fund.

“Our fund universe now includes leading Growthpoint retail destinations in major metropoles such as The Constantia Village, La Lucia Mall, Greenacres Shopping Centre, Waterfall Mall, Brooklyn Mall and Festival Mall. Other leading properties belonging to other funds include Sandton City, Eastgate Shopping Centre, Mall of Africa, Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Canal Walk, Cavendish Square, Durbanville Village Square, KwaMashu Shopping Centre, Piet Retief Shopping Centre and Musgrave Centre.”

Gavin Jones, Growthpoint Head of Asset Management: Retail, says the Clur platform serves a crucial industry need by promoting a proactive management approach.

“In essence, it guides strategy and helps optimize returns through a closer understanding of fund positioning and asset health. It is widely regarded as a fast, accurate, visual translation of information geared to prevent blind spots and quickly point to strengths, risks and solutions through ongoing monitoring.

“Moreover, it is known for providing users with a leading indicator on market movements, before broader economic and sector data is released. It provides insights into performance across 140 merchandise categories and in centres of varying size formats in different locations. It has standardized the industry, so that we can compare apples with apples.

“Ultimately, it enables us to enhance the overall experience at our shopping centres for both consumers and tenants. It equips us better to tailor innovations and solutions for stakeholders and to drive business sustainability.”

Amelia Beattie, Chief Executive of Liberty Two Degrees and an early driver of the Clur platform, says: “The current economic downturn and the dynamic nature of the sector has sharpened fund managers’ focus on up-to-date performance tracking and on active asset management techniques. While there is a slowing in the growth of trading density across the industry, the L2D portfolio trading density remains well ahead of the benchmark. This is attributed to the quality of the assets held within the L2D portfolio in conjunction with innovative and relevant asset management.”