Johnnie Wilkinson, CEO of Greenman has been speaking to Refi Europe regarding the impact of Coronavirus on Greenman and food-retail property investment around Europe more generally:

The outbreak of Covid 19 has shown the fundamental role that supermarkets play in our everyday lives, something that has not always been appreciated during ‘normal’ times. This could lead to many investors taking a second look at food anchored real estate as a dependable investment, whereas in the past it may have been dismissed as being part of the wider retail sector which has been undergoing difficulties related to structural changes in how they operate over the past few years.

In the wider property market, Johnnie says that he expects many investors will sit on their hands until a clearer picture emerges of the financial implications of the crisis. However from a food retail standpoint, it has been clear that online food delivery and click and collect services have not coped as well as many would have expected to surging demand, highlighting the continuing importance of supermarkets in the food supply chain.

You can read the full interview with Refi Europe here