CEO OUTLOOK 2023: QIC Real Estate

investment performance. Our outlook for the forthcoming year is one of cautious optimism. The resilience of the retail sector during periods of uncertainty has never been more obvious, and provides confidence in how it will perform during another challenging economic cycle. We’re focused on building the inherent resilience of our portfolio of assets through highly targeted leasing and remixing strategies, and mini developments that leverage the five consumer megatrends we’ve identified – all to create vibrant destinations in local communities. Our unwavering belief is that the shopping centre of the future will be a town centre – a place where communities can shop, eat and meet, as well as play, work, live and learn – unlocking significant embedded value, uplifting sales productivity for retailers, and securing the asset’s long-term position within its community. Australia’s economy recovered strongly over the period following the pandemic, and robust growth continued last year, with a strong labour market driving a further rise in consumer spending. This was reflected in the retail sector, with total retail sales values more than 24% higher than pre-COVID levels by the end of 2022. However, the tailwinds that supported retail sales are fading and being replaced by headwinds, and we cannot expect the exceptional performance of 2022 to be repeated this year. The sharp rise in inflation during 2022 to 7.8% has forced the Reserve Bank of Australia to aggressively raise the cash rate by 350bps (basis points) during the past year and further hikes are likely in the coming months. This will no doubt place pressure on consumer spending in the next couple of years. Yet, Australian households have built a strong buffer of savings and are well ahead on mortgage payments, and a return in net overseas migration is expected to support spending over the coming two years. A gradual easing of inflation, which is expected to return to the 2-3% target range by the end of 2024, should also eventually provide welcome relief for household purchasing power. Nonetheless, we expect growth in real household consumption to slow from a 6.5% pace in 2022 to 2.3% in 2023 and 1.5% in 2024, before returning to long run averages. Similarly, after a period of strong gains, retail sales are expected to experience a deceleration in growth over the coming years. In total, we forecast annual growth in retail sales values to average 3.5% over the ten-year period from 2023-2032, while growth in bricks-and-mortar sales over the coming decade are expected to average an annual rate of 2.8%. With Australia facing economic uncertainty in the coming year, the retail industry must continue to remain dynamic to thrive and, I have to say, I’m optimistic about how our retail assets can be best positioned for continued resilience and success in 2023 and beyond. QIC invested $50 million worth of ambient upgrades across two levels at Westpoint, NSW The shopping centre of the future QIC is continuing to execute on our long-held investment strategy to evolve our shopping centres into town centre destinations through a considered and staged mixed-use development pipeline. Our portfolio of highly productive assets provides a favourable canvas for this evolution, particularly our larger assets such as Eastland, Robina Town Centre, Canberra Centre, Castle Towers and Watergardens. We believe town centres should be individually tailored to the unique needs of the communities they serve, offering the convenience, accessibility, connectivity and amenability of a city. Extending a shopping centre beyond the traditional retail environment contributes a stronger economic outcome through the inclusion of mixed uses such as commerce, health services, education, accommodation, and civic and cultural experiences. This in turn produces a catalyst for further public and private investment into the local economy and the retail core within these town centres, unlocking significant embedded value. Over many years, we’ve been strategically acquiring adjoining land and working in partnership with local and state planning authorities to unlock zoning, density and height limits, and there are now significant opportunities for value-add developments at our assets. A key strand of QIC’s development work in 2022 focused on activating day-to-night economies, as part of our broader mission to foster town centre vibrancy, jobs, and a sense of community. In Canberra, we unveiled the first stage of a multi-venue dining precinct curated by celebrated chef Shaun Presland with a focus on the cuisines of Japan, China, South Korea and south-east Asia. Once completed later this year, Tiger Lane will enable CBD office workers and shoppers to engage with diverse food and drink cultures in the way typically associated with Chinatown districts in Sydney and Melbourne. We have lodged a development application to develop the first Woodward action sports hub outside of the US. Not only will such a facility set a new benchmark for action sports development in this country when it opens as proposed in 2024 at Castle Towers; it will also address the shortage of recreation spaces in the area and draw new visitors to the doorsteps of our retail partners. We have also been particularly active in suburban office accommodation this past year, including completing an A-grade tower opposite Eastland for the Victorian Department of Transport, and breaking ground on an all-electric workplace just next door at 5 Bond Street. Bringing in these CBD-standard workspace solutions, and attracting vital public services such as the new VicRoads customer service centre, marks a significant step forward in the evolution of Eastland into a commercial, civic and lifestyle hub for Melbourne’s east. Construction commenced on 5 Bond Street, a prominent corner site only 300 metres from the Ringwood Train Station, which will add six more levels of premium workspace to the continuum of co-working and exclusive-use options we are implementing to create a thriving town centre for Ringwood. The A-grade tower opposite Eastland for the Victorian Department of Transport In December, we cut the ribbon on a four-storey office at 198 Robina Town Centre Drive, heralding an exciting chapter for strengthening employment opportunities and workplace culture on the Gold Coast. The mural-adorned building features premium end-of-trip facilities and state-of-the-art energy efficiency measures, and adds to the growing portfolio of government and professional services available at Robina Town Centre. We also did not rest in reviewing and reengineering the core of our business either, completing significant retail upgrades at Eastland and Westpoint. At Eastland, The Circuit athleisure precinct is proving a hit with Ringwood’s health-conscious residents after a bumper opening fortnight of activations in June that included a competition prize haul equivalent to $80,000. At Westpoint, we undertook more than $50 million worth of ambient upgrades across two levels of the centre and introduced an array of youth-focused brands including Uniqlo and Harris Scarfe, as well as high-performing apparel and personal care retailers, to better serve the needs of the young and ambitious Blacktown community. Megatrends driving consumer behaviour Recently, QIC conducted research with Urbis that identified five consumer megatrends actively shaping the behaviour of Australian consumers – self-improvement and wellbeing, social and environmental consciousness, the experience economy, convenience and connectivity, and localisation. We are producing a six-part Consumer Insights series with McCrindle Research that delves into these social trends and shopping habits, to help our retail partners refine and effectively market their products and services. The first of these was released in August, focusing on self-improvement and wellbeing, and the latest release looks at how population and housing shifts outlined in the last Census may influence the routines and purchasing decisions of Australian consumers going forward. We are seeing consumers actively looking for ways to prioritise their beauty, health and wellness, and partake in more conscious consumption. They expect retailers to provide a memorable experience as part of their shopping experience, as well as easier and more efficient ways of completing their essential life needs, particularly in their local community. QIC has addressed these trends in our portfolio by doubling the floorspace we allocate to health and wellness since 2010 – from representing 4% of retail floorspace in 2010, to 9% in 2022. The findings from the deep dive into the self-improvement and wellbeing megatrend also highlights the critical role that retail-anchored mixed-use town centres can play in a community’s vitality. Shopindee Shopindee connects retailers with new online customers I believe an e-commerce platform with a connected physical store network is the obvious way forward across the retail industry. QIC has been helping its retailers in this area and, in October last year, we proudly launched Shopindee – an online marketplace for independent retailers. Shopindee connects digital natives and bricks-and-mortar independent sellers, makers and traders with a new online customer base. It also allows small retailers within QIC’s existing retail portfolio to develop an online presence when they otherwise might not be able to, providing them with another income stream and future-proofing their market growth. QIC is also prioritising infrastructure to ensure our centres can provide the necessary operational support and infrastructure required for retailers to move towards omni-channel strategies, such as bolstering and expanding back-of-house infrastructure to enable retailers to operate streamlined Click & Collect programs, dark stores and delivery fulfilment centres, and creating ample space for delivery drivers. As a business, we remain focused on being a valued contributor to Australia’s retail landscape. We do that by creating places valued by the communities we operate in and in partnership with our retailers.