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ACROSS
July 28 to August 8, 2025: ACROSS is Taking Time to Recharge
We’re pressing pause: Our website and magazine will be on hold from July 28 to August 8, 2025.
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BALFIN Group: Shaping the Future of Real Estate in the Western Balkans and Beyond
With a dynamic mix of shopping malls, retail parks, hotels, and residential developments, BALFIN Group is setting new benchmarks for real estate in Southeast Europe. In this exclusive interview, the company’s Vice President of Real Estate Asset Management, Csaba Toth, outlines BALFIN’s growth strategy, from expanding its footprint across the Balkans to entering mature Western markets.
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PEOPLE POWER: THE UNTAPPED ESG VALUE IN RETAIL REAL ESTATE
ESG is everywhere in commercial real estate – on investor slides, in procurement tenders, in board-level commitments. However, while the environmental and governance pillars are well-institutionalized, the social side often remains vague, difficult to quantify, and harder to activate. That gap caught my attention, states Jean Carlos Delgado, Brand and Marketing Director, HyperIn Inc.
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BEYOND THE MID-MARKET SEGMENT: HOW FIBA CP NAVIGATES THE GLOBAL RETAIL DIVIDE
Retail is no longer defined by the mid-market segment. Across the globe, a growing divide is reshaping the sector: Luxury brands are thriving on exclusivity and immersive experiences, while discount retailers are rapidly expanding through pricing power and operational scale.
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GRADUAL CHANGE: THE NEW MID-RANGE BETWEEN LUXURY AND DISCOUNT CONCEPTS
From the rummage table to the feel-good factor: Discount concepts are no longer stigmatized, and luxury concepts are booming. That’s not to say that mid-range concepts are disappearing, but if you want to survive somewhere between the two poles, you’d better deliver. In an interview with ACROSS, Olaf Ley, CEO of Germany Retail at Eurofund, describes the most important changes in consumer behavior.
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Embark on the Transformative Journey of Retail – ACROSS Study Tour to Dubai & Abu Dhabi 2025 /// November 26th to 28th
The Global Hub of Innovation: exciting shopping-places with unique store concepts and forward-looking ideas. The 4th ACROSS Study Tour takes us to the United Arab Emirates.
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Shaping Spaces: Top Placemaking Projects of 2025
Across the globe, developers and architects are reimagining what it means to create “retail space.” The projects featured in this special edition, selected by leading industry experts, represent more than just successful developments; they are blueprints for the future of how we live, shop, and connect.
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DEVELOPMENT

PROJECTS, TRENDS AND STRATEGIES

Marek Noetzel, COO of NEPI Rockcastle (left), Promenada Mall, Romania (right). /// credit: NEPI Rockcastle

MAJOR EXTENSION OF BUCHAREST’S PROMENADA MALL – A BIG VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE CEE ECONOMIES AND RETAIL MARKETS

NEPI Rockcastle is investing around 300 million euros in a 55,000 sq m GLA mixed-use (retail, offices, hotel) extension of the Promenada Mall in Bucharest and refurbishment of the existing shopping center. This represents by far the largest retail development currently underway across all Central and Eastern European markets and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2026/early-2027.

Antoine Frey, CEO of FREY (left); Malmö Designer Village, Sweden (right). /// credit: FREY

MALMÖ DESIGNER VILLAGE – THE LARGEST PREMIUM OUTLET IN THE NORDICS

Malmö Designer Village is an upcoming premium outlet village in Löddeköpinge, Sweden, uniquely positioned to serve both Swedish and Danish markets. Now under the leadership of FREY Group (following the acquisition of the project from UK developer Rioja Estates in 2024), it marks FREY’s first outlet development and a significant expansion of its open-air retail portfolio. Over 3.8 million visitors within 90-minutes and 10+ million tourists fall within its reach, including the major population centers of southern Sweden and the Copenhagen metropolitan area. With all necessary planning permissions secured and no objections, construction began in mid-2024.

Thomas Reichenauer, Co-Founder an Managing Director of ROS Retail Outlet Shopping (left); Designer Outlet Berlin, newly acquired by FREY and ROS (right). /// credit: ROS Retail Outlet Shopping

Acquisition of Designer Outlet Berlin: Strategic Step for FREY and ROS to Become European Market Leaders

With the acquisition of Designer Outlet Berlin just last week, and the upcoming opening of ROS Retail Outlet Shopping’s new location in Kraków, Poland, the current projects under ROS and FREY are a testament to their vision as well as the segment’s potential. In an interview with ACROSS, Thomas Reichenauer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ROS, goes into detail about their current high-profile projects on the outlet market, where they see further potential, and the advantages brought by the merger between ROS and FREY as they aim to become the market leaders in Europe.

Ian Sandford, President of Eurofund group (left), NUGA Castellana, Spain (right). /// credit: Eurofund Group

NUGA CASTELLANA: MADRID’S NEW LANDMARK DESTINATION

NUGA Castellana will be designed for “work, live and play”. The goal is to unify all spaces which are managed by PIMCO Prime Real Estate — Paseo de la Castellana 200-208, Félix Boix 4-8, Doctor Fleming 39-41, and Carlos Maurrás 7 (five residential units out of the 14 that make up the asset, alongside commercial spaces) — into a single block that blends cutting-edge design with the most advanced technology.

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MANAGEMENT

LATEST TRENDS IN ASSET AND CENTER MANAGEMENT

Martin Brühl /// credit: Union Investment

Martin Brühl Leaves Union Investment

After a successful and dedicated period as Chief Investment Officer, Martin Brühl resigned from his position at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH on April 4, 2025.

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OUTLETS

DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN THE OUTLET INDUSTRY

Credit: IMAGE: CHRIS IGWE INTERNATIONAL

“OUTLETS ARE A CRUCIAL PART OF THE BRAND’S DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES”

Few sectors of retail real estate offer such interesting and exciting opportunities for a retailer or brand, coupled with year on year growth as the outlet sector does. It continues to evolve, across the globe, at differing speeds depending on region or country, but with consumers keen to enjoy the benefits it offers. While outlets remain crucial to brand distribution strategies, operators and retailers face opportunities and challenges as consumer behaviors shift.

credit: MAGDUS

THE HYBRIDIZATION OF OUTLET SCHEMES IS IN FULL SWING

«The goal is to offer facilities to transform outlet centers as “living centers” or “places of life” and to drive footfall, especially during all the week, » states Caroline Lamy, CEO of Magdus. In this interview, she gives an overview of the European Outlet market. This means that pure retail offers in outlets should also be combined with F&B and leisure offers, residential or health services offers – if it makes sense.

credit: Ken Gunn Consulting

NEW AGE OF INNOVATION DRIVES EUROPEAN OUTLET CENTRES

Retail outlet centres have seen a significant leap in retail and leisure brand growth in the past years with general sector growth set to continue, according to the Ken Gunn European Outlet Industry Review which ranks Europe’s top performing outlet centres and brands as well as the most improved.

credit: McArthurGlen

Frey Accelerates Growth In And Through The Outlet Segment – also with the signing of Designer Outlet Center in Berlin

2024 was another year of solid growth for FREY with a profit from recurring operations going up by 28,1 percent and a sales growth of almost 29 percent to 191.3 million Euros. The growth of the specialist in open-air shopping centers has made this impressive growth step especially since entering the outlet market with the acquisition of ROS Retail Outlet Shopping. An important part of the expansion strategy is the signing of Designer Outlet Center in Berlin for 230 million Euros.

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RETAIL

STRATEGIES OF RETAILERS

NO ROOM FOR MEDIOCRITY: HOW RETAIL POLARIZATION IS RESHAPING THE SHOPPING LANDSCAPE

A quiet but profound shift is transforming the retail industry across Europe: while luxury and discount segments thrive, many mid-tier retailers—once considered the backbone of the high street and shopping centers—are struggling to stay afloat. This growing polarization is not merely a passing trend; it is a structural shift that reflects changing consumer behaviors, economic realities, and the need for clear market positioning. But if you take a closer look, you will see that it is not the middle that is dying, but only mediocrity. What is emerging is a new middle ground between luxury and discount, determined by one thing alone: relevance.

credit: Takko Fashion

TAKKO FASHION: “WE DELIVER RELIABILITY FOR CUSTOMERS AND LANDLORDS”

The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, has shown retail real estate operators who is a reliable rental partner, says Oleg Krüger, Senior Director of Expansion at Takko Fashion. The discount fashion retailer is growing against the market trend and is pursuing ambitious growth targets. In an interview with ACROSS, Krüger explains the new role of discounters in European retail and how Takko is positioning itself strategically in a polarized retail landscape.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE / LEISURE

LATEST TRENDS

Will Odwarka is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting. /// credit: Will Odwarka, ACROSS

Will´s F&B Insights: New Year of Hospitality Trends and Predictions

How are you doing with your resolutions? Still going strong, or already planning for the resolutions for next year? Its customary to look into my glass bowl at the beginning of a new year and predict the future of hospitality, new trends and what else is cooking in our industry and how it might impact the leasing and development efforts.

credit: Ingka Centres

INGKA CENTRES FUTURES: CO-CREATING THE FUTURE OF MEETING PLACES

Ingka Centres Futures is looking for partners to shape the future of retail. By collaborating with businesses of all sizes, the platform is transforming traditional shopping spaces into vibrant community hubs where people can connect, explore, and experience retail in a whole new way.

Left-to-right: The Playce exterior, Berlin, and The Alchemist restaurant and cocktail bar at The Playce. /// credit: Rory Gardiner, The Alchemist

RETAIL’S RENAISSANCE BY BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES: A NEW PURPOSE NEEDS A NEW EQUATION

Over the past decade, the retail landscape has undergone a seismic transformation redefining the very essence of the sector. Customers’ expectations of convenience, personalization, experience, community, and sustainability have changed dramatically. The purpose of physical stores is being redefined, with goods and products taking a backseat to experiences. Today, successful retail destinations are those that cultivate connection, joy, and community.

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PROPTECH

RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

credit: NextRivet

Data Sharing Begins with the Right Mindset

Data exchange in the shopping center industry is still in its infancy, states David Blumenfeld, Co-founder of NextRivet. While the benefits of data sharing between landlords and tenants are obvious, retailers are not enthusiastic about giving their landlords more insight into their business. For efficient data sharing, an honest and good lease relationship is essential. In this interview, Blumenfeld explains why data sharing is so important, but it requires a change in collaboration. Landlords are in the driving seat when it comes to data sharing. They have to prove the value of the data before demanding anything in return. The value of data is always the driving force.

credit: MALLCOMM

DATA SHARING – PUTTING COMMUNITY FRONT AND CENTER

“First, ask why!” That is the most important piece of advice that Mark Bruce, Data & Insights Director at Kinexio — formerly Mallcomm — can give. As data begins to redefine the retail experience, a key question that we must ask ourselves is: “Why should we share data?”. To many the idea of sharing data is clouded with questions around how it will be used, and what the implications will be. However, as businesses shape and implement their data strategies, there is a real opportunity to use data for good, especially in the landlord-tenant relationship and in order to maximize ROI.

credit: Coniq

Data Sharing = Data Caring?

In today’s digital age, with AI advancing at an unstoppable pace, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of both the incredible power and the significant risks of sharing their data with businesses. As a global leader in CRM and loyalty solutions, Ben Chesser has seen, firsthand, the profound impact data sharing can have – not only on businesses but on customers as well.

credit: ROS Retail Outlet Shopping

HOW DATA DRIVES OUTLET CENTER PERFORMANCE

In today’s fast-paced retail landscape, data is no longer just a luxury – it’s the foundation for staying competitive and future-ready. At ROS Retail Outlet Shopping, we understand that success isn’t just about collecting data; it’s about how we use that data to address challenges, boost performance, and spark growth.

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INVESTMENT

PLANS OF INVESTORS AND OWNERS

Justyna Bartosz is the Head of Leasing at NEPI Rockcastle. /// credit: NEPI Rockcastle

“CREATING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ENJOY MEMORABLE MOMENTS TOGETHER – THAT IS THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE FOR ALL CHANGE AND INNOVATION.”

NEPI Rockcastle’s strong net operating income (NOI) growth of 13.5% in the first half of 2024 allowed the company to raise its forecast for full-year distributable earnings per share. Justyna Bartosz, the Group’s Head of Leasing, explains what makes the CEE’s retail and consumer world tick and why it is that NEPI Rockcastle and its tenants can’t pay enough attention to the buzzwords: experience, community building, and authenticity.

Promenada Novi Sad, Serbia. /// credit: BIG CEE

BIG CEE Acquires Promenada Shopping Mall In Serbia

The acquisition of the leading shopping mall in Novi Sad for 177 million euros by BIG CEE marked Serbia´s largest retail transaction ever. Promenada, one of the strongest malls in the country, features many international brands, a 100% occupancy rate, and more than 10 million visitors annually.

credit: Richemont

Richemont Sells Its YNAP Online Fashion Business

After the collapse of a previous deal last year, the Swiss luxury goods group Richemont has found in Mytheresa a new buyer for its online fashion and accessories business Yoox-Net-a-Porter (YNAP).

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EVENTS

WHERE THE INDUSTRY MEETS

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Shaping Spaces: Top Placemaking Projects of 2025
Across the globe, developers and architects are reimagining what it means to create “retail space.” The projects featured in this special edition, selected by leading industry experts, represent more than just successful developments; they are blueprints for the future of how we live, shop, and connect.
Go to Special