Economics and Business Management

Methodological approaches to the management of retail and leisure centres in conditions of uncertainty: Crisis-resilient and adaptive strategies

Andrii Brynzylo
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Abstract

The study aimed to identify effective management models for shopping and entertainment centres based on an analysis of the interaction between the asset, tenant and visitor flow subsystems. The methodology included a comparative analysis of management strategies for shopping and entertainment centres, a systematic approach, and conceptual modelling. The main findings of the study are the formation of a comprehensive interpretation of the shopping and entertainment centre as an open, adaptive socio-economic system, the functioning of which is determined by the interaction of three key subsystems: asset management, tenant management and visitor flow management. During the study, the system of factors influencing shopping and entertainment centres was structured for the first time into five interrelated groups – macroeconomic, behavioural, urban, technological and social – which made it possible to substantiate the multidimensional nature of the environment in which they operate. It was found that the defining trend in their development is the transformation of their function from predominantly retail to a comprehensive one – with a focus on experience, leisure and services. As a result of a comparative analysis of management strategies, three basic types have been identified – traditional, adaptive and anti-crisis – and their fundamental differences have been established in terms of management logic, level of flexibility, rental policy and ability to respond to changes in the environment. The study demonstrated that the operational effectiveness of shopping and entertainment centres depends not on the use of a single strategy, but on the ability to combine strategies depending on the level of uncertainty. Within the scope of the study, conceptual models for managing the subsystems of shopping and entertainment centres have been developed, in particular an asset management model based on a combination of occupancy, profitability and spatial efficiency indicators; a tenant management model, which involves forming a balanced tenant structure taking into account their role in generating footfall; a visitor flow management model that takes into account consumer behaviour patterns and the spatial organisation of the facility. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the developed approaches and models to optimise the management of shopping and entertainment centres, particularly in the areas of formulating rental policy, managing tenant mix, spatial planning and analysing visitor behaviour

Keywords

letting policy; visitor behaviour; tenant mix; spatial layout; cost-effectiveness

Suggested citation
Brynzylo, A. (2026). Methodological approaches to the management of retail and leisure centres in conditions of uncertainty: Crisis-resilient and adaptive strategies. Economics and Business Management, 17(2), 163-182. https://doi.org/10.31548/economics/2.2026.163
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