Between curfews, store closures and mandatory health passport checks, 2021 has not been an easy year for malls. Nevertheless, the commitment to customers and their concerns has led to good numbers, especially in terms of visits, which by the end of December 2021 had decreased by only 0.8 percent cumulatively compared to the previous year.
According to a study conducted in 2021 by the consulting firm Ernst & Young for the French shopping center association Conseil National des Centers Commerciaux, shopping centers generate ten times less packaging waste, have four to ten times less impact on biodiversity and produce fewer greenhouse gases than online retail in 2021 .
The journey of people is also more environmentally friendly, as 61.5 percent of them do other activities besides shopping, such as going to a restaurant or to the cinema, while driving to a shopping center. A third of those surveyed share the journey with another goal, they still go shopping on their way to work, school and sports.