Retail

STRATEGIES AND EXPANSION PLANS OF RETAILERS

The huma shopping center in Sankt Augustin is a unique development in the German retail sector: An established center has been successfully combined with a fully-fledged outlet area for the first time. ACROSS spoke with Dr. Maximilian Gutsche, Managing Director of the Jost Hurler Group, and Lars Jähnichen, Managing Director of the IPH Group, about the background, implementation, and market success of this model, as well as how it could be replicated elsewhere.

Square meters no longer define success in retail real estate, experience does. As consumer expectations shift from “places to shop” to “destinations worth visiting,” landlords must evolve into curators of ecosystems that blend retail, dining, leisure, sustainability, and digital innovation. From Lisbon’s UBBO shopping resort to Glasgow’s Silverburn community hub, Eurofund Group shows how future-proof assets are built: not by leasing space, but by creating experiences that make brands thrive, communities engage, and investments soar.

While Central and Eastern Europe are experiencing rapid economic growth, the energy transition is still in its infancy. NEPI Rockcastle, the region’s retail real estate leader, is taking unprecedented steps to meet nearly half of its electricity needs via solar power by 2026. With a €110 million investment program stretching from Romania to Poland, the company is not only supporting the sustainability of its tenants but is also reshaping the CEE energy landscape itself. In a sector in which climate targets often lag behind, NEPI Rockcastle is proving that green retail is not only possible but also profitable.

Transformation in lieu of new construction: Marco Gösling, Managing Director Business Unit Construction Solutions at umdasch The Store Makers, provides insight into the growing significance of general contracting, the challenges associated with renovating existing buildings, and why sustainability is no longer merely a trend. Projects such as the ”Kämmerei” in Düsseldorf and ”Le big TamTam” in Hamburg demonstrate how technical expertise, environmental awareness, and architectural quality go hand in hand.

The lease agreements concluded for retail parks increasingly feature solutions that differ from the classic Triple Net Lease agreements, particularly as regards the settlement of operating costs and the division of responsibilities between the parties. The latest trends in this area are reshaping the relationship between the parties, balancing the interests of investors and tenants while responding to increasing market expectations. In this article, we share our observations from the CMS team’s practice and point out the implications of these changes for the retail sector participants.