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Retail

STRATEGIES AND EXPANSION PLANS OF RETAILERS

Expecting a sharp fall in profits in the current year, Puma is planning to close unprofitable retail stores, affecting 500 jobs worldwide, as part of its cost-reduction program, shared the company after the sportswear group gave bleak forecasts for 2025 and the first quarter.

Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier continues to set standards in the retail sector by combining a differentiated selection of flagship stores from major international and national brands with more local, individual concepts. In combination with a wide range of food&beverage, entertainment and cultural offerings, this will create a new shopping and lifestyle destination that is unique in northern Germany and offers exceptional experiences for both the local community and all visitors.

BALFIN Group is diving into the world of family entertainment with its latest venture, “HyperActive,” a massive gaming and entertainment hub in Kosovo. As part of its expansion strategy, the Group has acquired a 40% stake in the company, setting the stage for significant growth in the region and across Europe.

ECE Work & Live is developing a “Ruby” brand hotel in Copenhagen for the first time. This is also the Ruby Group’s first location in Denmark. The announcement follows the recent signing of a long-term lease agreement between ECE as project developer and Ruby Group as operator for the planned hotel building in the Frederiksberg district in the heart of Copenhagen.

Pop-up shops are more than just a trend; they are a valuable business opportunity and here to stay. Without having to commit to a long-term commercial lease, pop-up stores promote brands, concepts, services or products in a short period of time. Building on this idea, Storefront, a sharing-economy company, provides short-term retail spaces for rent to companies through an online platform, used specifically as pop-up retail locations.

This year’s EuroCIS focused on artificial intelligence, seamless check-out, and smart technologies. The presented solutions impressively showed how the retail industry will be positioned in the future. Generative AI enables more efficient processes, while automated checkout systems and digital shopping carts transform the shopping experience. Here, we present the most exciting approaches.

The Prada Group reports another year of remarkable results and solid progress, as high brand desirability and disciplined execution drove a positive trajectory on both revenue and margins. The Group’s net revenues grew by 17% to 5.4 billion euros at constant exchange rates compared to 2023, a well above-market performance marking four consecutive years of double-digit, like-for-like growth.

The renovation and modernization process at the KING CROSS Zagreb shopping center has reached a significant stage of development: on 27 February, the part of the mall that has been completely renovated and modernized in recent months while business operations continued reopened.

As the potential for retailers to generate footfall themselves is becoming more limited, shopping centers in Germany need to closely examine their own management strategies, and their approach to repositioning, revealed an expert panel at the joint press conference “Outlook Retail Real Estate 2025”, as they examined the German commercial real estate market’s current challenges and opportunities.

Owned and managed by VIA Outlets, Sevilla Fashion Outlet is not only an outstanding retail destination within Spain, but all over Europe. The remodelling of the outlet center that was finished at the end of 2023 has contributed to a large increase in visitor numbers and brand sales at the location, and continues to inspire the industry, as can be seen by its position as a finalist for ‘Best Refurbishment and Expansion Project’ at the 2024 MAPIC Awards.