any may believe is a contraction in consumer sentiment, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Retail Trade Figures reveal retail turnover across Australia increased by 3.2 per cent in July 2020, up from a 2.7 per cent increase in June. Online retail shopping accounted for 9.7 per cent (ABS) of total sales in July, falling from the April 2020 peak of 11.3 per cent – though still higher than pre-Covid levels. This suggests the fear among retailers that consumers would completely stop coming to local shopping centres has been ill-founded and that the real competition is likely to be other shopping centres. The key to securing the custom of discerning shoppers will not necessarily mean building bigger and better shopping centres but may well rest in the design principles used. What ‘average’ looks like Typical neighbourhood shopping centres tend to be uncomplicated, single-level affairs with easy access points, simple carparks and a range of retail offerings, anchored by at least one full-line supermarket with basic food and beverage to satisfy the weekly shop. It may also include medical services, personal services and specialty shops. At last count, there were more than 1100 neighbourhood shopping centres in Australia, and they are the backbone of non-discretionary retail sales. Newer neighbourhood centres in fringe suburban areas generally follow traditional development patterns, often with some additional uses such as gyms and childcare. However, there is scope to broaden what is offered and use this challenging time to learn and adapt. While designers often don’t have a say over a site chosen to locate a neighbourhood shopping centre, they can focus on making them easy to navigate and employ sustainable practices where possible, fit in with their communities and provide a high level of customer comfort. Adapting to the changes With everyone now much more cognisant of the importance of hygiene, high-quality amenities are expected, from baby change rooms to bathrooms. Similarly, consumers now expect new builds to be done in an environmentally safe and sustainable way, with solar panels and other energy-saving methods. A great example of how this can be done is found at Brisbane’s Ripley Town Centre, where solar panels over the carpark provide weather protection as well as generate 75 per cent of the centre’s electricity requirements. An energy-monitoring system records energy and water consumption, and waste recycling is used throughout the centre. Consumers also expect intuitive parking, good sightlines to shops, weather-protected routes from carparks to the retailers, and mixed uses such as gyms and children’s playgrounds. While the average shopper is unlikely to spend much time pondering what has gone into the design of a shopping centre, they will quickly become former consumers of any shopping centre they consider to be too complicated or inconvenient. One hard-to-navigate carpark could lose a centre a considerable number of potential consumers. The most successful shopping centres are those which are best thought-out and cater for everyone, from teenagers to young parents to older professionals and senior citizens. Depending on the demographic of a neighbourhood, a new or redeveloped shopping centre may need to include improved accessibility or places to rest and sit for seniors or playgrounds and easy access to baby change rooms. While people are choosing to stay closer to home to shop and play, it is not a given that they will visit their closest local centre to fulfil these needs.  If the design is outdated, the centre does not accommodate their needs and does not offer the shopping experience they are seeking they will look elsewhere. Clever design which reflects the needs of a community addresses this and should be a starting point for development.