2020

Eurocommercial announces it has successfully reopened all of its centres in Italy, France and Belgium. The entire portfolio is now open again, as all centres in Sweden have remained open over the past months. Early footfall and sales data from the first few weeks since the end of the lockdown are encouraging.

Designer Outlets Wolfsburg has reopened, presenting interesting new openings with Sunglass Hut and Petrol Industries. Many other stores have also been refurbished and modernized.

Chapman Taylor was appointed by P&P Group to develop a new concept for the 22,000 m2 refurbishment and extension of the old “City Center” shopping centre. With the closure of the old shopping centre in 2017, the outdated 1980s building is now being completely modernised, to be reopened in 2021 as FLAIR Galerie.

The extensive construction work on the 46,000 sq m Potsdamer Platz Arkaden has now begun and is expected to take two years. Brookfield Properties, the asset manager of Potsdamer Platz, and center operator ECE have added Mercato Metropolitano (MM), a pioneer of sustainable community markets from
London, as a new anchor tenant for an area of around 4,400 sq m. At Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Mercato Metropolitano is opening its first location in Germany.

Vastned, the listed European retail property company focusing on ‘venues for premium shopping’, announces an update to the present strategy. The update will be revealed in February 2021 at the publication of the 2020 annual results.

Corona is rapidly changing the world of retail. Shopping centers also experience these changes. Operators and tenants are facing far-reaching changes. Especially the severely affected fashion industry will accelerate these changes.

The need for marketing, centre operations and leasing teams to work together to help their destinations recover faster and stronger from the COVID-19 crisis is paramount. Coniq has written this practical how to guide following numerous conversions with clients and partners so your pre- and post- reopening plans are a huge success.

Business closures and rent losses in the coronavirus crisis have made banks even more cautious about retail properties and shopping centers. In the case of refinancing, portfolio holders have to calculate with higher interest rates and additional equity.

NREP taps Henrik Skak Bender as new COO and partner. The former Group CFO at WS Audiology joins NREP to strengthen the leadership team at a time where focus on culture, performance and people is key for realizing an ambitious 2025 growth plan.

Ingka Centres, the shopping centre division of Ingka Group, announced that it has successfully reopened 15 of its 38 worldwide Meeting Places that had temporary closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of its malls in Poland, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Croatia have reopened since April, joining centres in China and Germany which re-opened in April.

The shopping resort in Saint-Etienne with its about 70 shops and restaurant cannot open as planned due to the ongoing crisis.