Pragma's Quarterly Update

Welcome to Pragma's first quarterly update of 2022.

It has been very encouraging to see the increase in activity and investment taking place across our key markets and sectors around the world.  

In response to our clients’ growing demands to develop more effective strategies for office, work-place and educational premises, we are also excited to be starting 2022 with an enhanced proposition.

Pragma has a long heritage of placing consumer and end-user understanding at the heart of all projects that we undertake, and as the pandemic has shaken-up established norms and accelerated emerging behavioural trends, there is a greater need to better match the component parts of real estate provision to the activities and purpose that the end-user is seeking to undertake.

No longer is an office a location just for linear rows of screens and uninspiring meetings, a shopping centre a place just for picking up commodity products, or an airport solely a functional utility just for travel.  Each of these locations now need to serve a wider range of purposes, that can accommodate and respond to the end-users’ desire to multi-task throughout their day – a place for productivity, socialising, engaging, learning, relaxation, or recharging.

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Stephens as a new Director in the Pragma team. Recognised as an expert in the built environment, particularly corporate and commercial real estate, Claire will spearhead our workplace offering, working closely with architecture and interior design colleagues in our sister businesses Benoy and Holmes Wood, along with other leading architects and designers that Pragma collaborate with worldwide.

We look forward to helping our clients and partners around the world develop purposeful places fit for the new future.

Please see below for updates on our latest travel and property work.

Alex Avery
CEO

Pragma Travel News

The return to pre-Covid passenger levels

Pragma’s transport team continues to work in around the world, from Asia through to America, and now that travel restrictions to the United States have been lifted, we have been able to cross the Atlantic to visit several of the assets for which we are developing the commercial strategy. 

There is evidence that passenger volumes are increasing, albeit the Omicron variant slowed that growth over the period. This gradual return to travel on trains and planes has seen travel hubs starting to look at how their commercial offer needs to adapt to the post-Covid environment and the potential for passenger volumes to exceed earlier forecasts, potentially creating strain on the commercial space once again.

One of the key questions facing transport hubs is how the pandemic has changed the passenger demographic. With conference calling the norm, and uncertainty on restrictions when holidaying abroad, how will the business and leisure travel mindset change, and what do asset owners need to do to respond to these changes? With our sister companies, Benoy and Holmes Wood, we have been working on a more rounded proposition to help support our clients with these questions and how they relate to the strategy, design, and brand identity.

Pragma Property News

Understanding consumer behaviour

The range of projects that Pragma’s property team has been engaged in over the last quarter is testament to the vital role that an understanding of consumer behaviours plays in a wide range of businesses and sectors. Be it quantifying headroom potential for F&B expansion, understanding the future role retail can play in developing our towns and cities or informing the space and positioning of new-build schemes, Pragma’s focus on how consumers think, act and feel is being utilised by our clients to ensure they are constantly questioning their teams and themselves regarding the key decisions they are making.

Recovery from lockdown is clearly front of mind for all, and understanding of and how quickly pre-pandemic norms will return is of huge interest, particularly where commuters, office workers and tourists form part of the opportunity group. Launching in July 2022, observing the performance of The Sidings at London Waterloo will be fascinating given its potential to pull on both a large and diverse user base. Anchored by the world’s largest BrewDog (26,500ft featuring on-site brewery, games but also meeting space and work rooms) and supported by Pragma’s research, The Sidings has the potential to showcase how commercial offers can and need to evolve to be more relevant to audiences in a post-pandemic environment.