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COMMENTARIES OF PLACEMAKING EXPERTS

Mixed-use is the order of the day for the entire placemaking industry. As a result, shopping centers have increasingly become home to coworking and flex office solutions. While the flex office market in the US shows a growth rate of 25 percent, more and more European shopping center operators are taking advantage of this fresh source of revenue.

A close cooperation with the brands is the key for success. Fran Gutiérrez, Retail Director NEINVER, explains how this looks like in practice. NEINVER not only supports their brands with technological tools. The company has prioritized people and training as two main pillars in its retail strategy to support brands’ growth.

Inflation encourages consumers to go in search of even greater value for money, states Giles Membrey, Managing Director of Rioja Estates. Therefore, he argues, Outlets are becoming more attractive to costumers. Furthermore, also internet sales are a driver of Outlets.

PROJECTS, TRENDS AND STRATEGIES

The enlarged Eurovea is now the largest shopping center in Slovakia. It offers a new retail experiece with lots of international brands entering the slovakian market. Shoppers can look forward to exciting new brands and innovative concepts.

Sonae Sierra received two awards and one commendation with: NorteShopping’s expansion – with Galleria and The CookBook -, Plaza Mayor’s transformation project, and the QUARREE Wandsbek refurbishment being the winners of the most prestigious European awards for Shopping Places.

Eurovea will soon become Slovakia’s largest and widest-ranging shopping center, with 320 shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes covering 85,000 sq m. Work is well advanced on the center and surrounding area to complete construction, approvals, and preparations for the grand May opening.

LATEST TRENDS IN ASSET AND CENTER MANAGEMENT

NEPI Rockcastle has raised the equivalent of 143 million Euro equity from its latest scrip dividend, corresponding to approximately 85% of the final dividend payment for the year ended 31 December 2022. As a result, NEPI Rockcastle’s total issued share capital will increase by 4.75% to approximately 636 million ordinary shares and its capital base is strengthened for investment in future growth.

New times and challenges lead to new official guidelines: Redevco has redefined its mission statement in order to lead the transformation of cities to ensure that they are sustainable and liveable, in line with the company’s goal of contributing to the health and well-being of people and the planet. In this joint interview, Marrit Laning, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, and Ton van de Grampel, Chief Human Resources Officer, discuss the key objectives and explain why social KPIs need to be added.

The property expert WISAG Facility Service offers specialized solutions and service packages for different market sectors. This also applies to retail real estate. WISAG deals with all the fundamental questions of the retail sector, far beyond the company’s core business. Joaquin Jimenez Zabala, who is responsible for WISAG’s business activities in the retail real estate sector, explains this and more to us.

STRATEGIES OF RETAILERS

The largest outdoor store in Europe occupies a space of 7000 sq m spread across four floors right in the heart of Cologne. Globetrotter is defining the term “experience” in a new way.

A long and meticulous selection process resulted in a grand ceremony: Christian Recalcati, Head of the organization Team of the ECSP- Design and Development Awards, on how the Awards finally came back and set an example of excellence for the entire industry – now and in the future.

RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

Few changes have been as noticeable in business and society as the technological developments of the last 15 years. New platforms and digital ecosystems have opened up huge new global opportunities. Within the shopping center industry, a whole new segment has emerged: The Proptech sector. Peter Tonstad, CEO of Placewise, looks back, explains the most important developments, and reveals the biggest challenges facing retail real estate.

LATEST TRENDS

“What a ‘better everyday life’ means in terms of shopping center experiences has significantly changed over the last 15 years, states Vasco Santos, Global Sales & Leasing Director at Ingka Centres. As a result, the key performance metrics for such spaces have also evolved,” he explains. We might take the same numbers into consideration, but the way in which these numbers should be interpreted is new.

PLANS OF INVESTORS AND OWNERS

“Without experimenting, you cannot learn anything,” states Ihsan Elgin, Executive Board Member of Finberg. As an investor, he is very serious about the impact of the metaverse on life and business. The convergence of virtual and real realms within the metaverse allows companies to fasten collaboration as well as to enhance communication, and this is only one of his conclusions.

Steffen Hofmann is a Managing Partner at ambas. Having worked in eight European markets, he has a deep understanding of the mechanisms of international investment markets. On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of ACROSS, he discusses the historic evolution of the retail real estate industry from the perspective of the financial market.

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