“Retail has changed. Landlords can’t just collect rent and hope for the best any more — we have to be partners in performance.” For Alex Kabalin, Executive Manager of Retail at the V&A Waterfront, that means fostering a culture of curiosity: helping retailers ask better questions, test assumptions, and turn evidence into strategy.

That philosophy underpins the Waterfront’s award-winning retail ecosystem and its increasingly powerful data platform, developed with PwC in 2023. The PwC Insights programme tracks more than 11 million transactions over six months — anonymous and fully compliant with POPIA and GDPR — to create a living map of how and when people shop, and where they go next.

Importantly, access to the baseline insights is free. “We wanted every tenant, from small family-owned boutiques to global brands, to benefit,” says Kabalin. For the management team, this data supports smarter decisions around spatial planning, retail mix, and operating hours. For tenants, it informs stock, menus, marketing, and pricing, grounded in real customer behaviour.

The programme has already revealed surprising patterns. For example, data showed high-net-worth Gulf state visitors who shop during specific months of the year — and late into the evening. “It’s the kind of detail you’d never pick up without this level of insight,” notes Kabalin.

To celebrate retailers who harness the insights, the V&A launched the Neighbourhood Awards. In 2024, more than half the awards went to tenants actively using the platform as a strategic compass, from Den Anker to Shimansky and Spur.

By combining foresight with collaboration, the V&A Waterfront is showing how shared knowledge can spark innovation, resilience, and long-term growth across South African retail.

Original Publication: https://thenewspaper.co.za/retail-powered-by-insight-how-the-va-waterfront-is-leading-with-data/