Advertisement

PROJECTS, TRENDS AND STRATEGIES

In recent months, further brands have been brought on board that will further differentiate the retail and lifestyle destination’s offering. With the Grand Opening on October 17, the city of Hamburg will welcome a vibrant new destination in the heart of HafenCity – a place that dynamically combines retail, residential, office space and leisure attractions.

Since opening in 2016, Avion has grown to become one of northern Sweden’s most popular destinations for retail, leisure, and food experiences. Now, the next step is being taken when Ingka Centres begins the first phase of the expansion of Avion Shopping. As Umeå grows, the meeting place will be expanded by 12,000 sqm with the goal of continuing to be a vibrant local meeting place with positive experiences in focus. The project is estimated to cost approximately 31 million euros and will be completed in autumn 2025.

LATEST TRENDS IN ASSET AND CENTER MANAGEMENT

Steffen Eric Friedlein is Managing Director Leasing Services at ECE Market places and, as such, is a member of the prestigious MAPIC Awards jury. In an interview with ACROSS, the manager talks about why positive examples are more important than ever, especially in economically challenging times, what constitutes outstanding performance in the retail real estate industry, and how he and his team implement the principle of excellence across the ECE portfolio.

The Balkans remain largely overlooked in our industry, despite the region’s significant growth. I have always been keen on highlighting developments that go underappreciated but hold remarkable potential. The Tirana East Gate (TEG) in Albania is one such gem. Backed by the BALFIN GROUP, a highly successful and innovative developer, TEG is a standout that deserves attention for its promising role in shaping market trends in the region.

DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN THE OUTLET INDUSTRY

This summer, ROS Retail Outlet Shopping joined the French FREY Group to grow together in the outlet sector. In this interview, Antoine Frey, CEO of FREY, and Thomas Reichenauer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ROS Retail Outlet Shopping, explain which values and visions both companies have in common, what plans they are pursuing, especially with their first project in Malmö, and why they feel particularly comfortable in the outlet and outdoor shopping sector in the long term.

NEINVER is celebrating three anniversaries this year: 25 years of Getafe The Style Outlet in Spain and 20 years of Castel Guelfo and Vicolungo in Italy. All these centers are success stories. Their developments show that every center is individual and, when managed well, will develop its own success story. Nevertheless, Eduardo Ceballos, Asset Management Director at NEINVER, explains some common trends that every center should follow.

When it comes to measuring success, outlets are undergoing a noticeable change, with a gradual shift away from traditional KPIs – such as sales per square meter – and towards a more comprehensive assessment. These days, the critical metric for success is no longer how much revenue a store generates, but how much of an “experience” it provides per square meter, explains Giles Membrey, Managing Director, Rioja Estates.

STRATEGIES OF RETAILERS

Levi Strauss announced its financial results for the first quarter, with reported net revenues up 3%, organic net revenues up 9% and the Levi’s brand up 8% globally, exceeding previous estimates.

Following the insolvency of Görtz Retail GmbH, several stores have to be closed, among them the 5,000 sq m flagship store in Hamburg as well, for which no interested party has been found.

Retail spaces must go beyond static displays and generic signage. Montse Ortega states that a well-executed VM strategy orchestrates movement, builds anticipation, and influences purchasing decisions. NEINVER’s Visual Merchandising & Experience expert explains how thoughtful Visual Merchandising enhances engagement, drives sales, and creates a shopping experience that customers want to return to.

LATEST TRENDS

Just a few months after the start of construction, ECE Marketplaces celebrated the topping-out ceremony for the new “Food Garden” in the Main-Taunus-Zentrum in Sulzbach near Frankfurt am Main – together with the builders, representatives of the center owners, the mayor of Sulzbach and the tenant partners. The implementation of the new gastronomic offer in one of the largest, highest-turnover and most successful shopping centers in Germany for decades is thus progressing rapidly. The opening is planned for spring 2025.

As the nostalgic memories of greasy fast food and sticky trays fade away, the death of the old-fashioned food court looms over the culinary landscape. An expert in the world F&B development, Will Odwarka, founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, states in his newest column: “With the rise of trendy market halls, food halls, and multi-purpose restaurant experiences, traditional food courts are struggling to keep up with the ever-evolving dining scene. But wait a minute, is that really true?”

RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

The retail park: a cornerstone of modern consumer culture that has long been a popular destination for shoppers seeking convenience, variety, and an all-in-one shopping experience. As technology and consumer preferences continue to evolve, the future of retail parks faces both challenges and exciting opportunities. Joseph Jarvis, Content Marketer at Chainels, explores how retail parks are likely to adapt and innovate to remain relevant in the rapidly changing retail landscape.

“The real value of a mixed-use property is when the stakeholders benefit from each other,” says Erwin Buckers. The CEO of Chainels spoke to ACROSS about the company’s plans and why the mixed-use trend will not only make the idea of community more important, but will also be a catalyst for Proptech solutions.

“The whole industry needs to prepare to be relevant for the unforeseeable future,” states Peter Tonstad, CEO of Placewise, in his latest PropTech column. According to him, shopping centers have the opportunity to do better by their local communities, by simply “doing good”. Introducing digital solutions is a very helpful tool to do so.

In today’s digital age, shopping centers face the challenge of understanding their customers’ behaviors and preferences while delivering personalized experiences. Wiacom, a leading WiFi marketing company, and Placewise, a proptech provider to the global retail real estate industry, have forged a powerful partnership that revolutionizes how shopping centers collect valuable data and engage with their shoppers.

PLANS OF INVESTORS AND OWNERS

Trei Real Estate GmbH (“Trei”) just opened the 38th retail park of its Vendo Park brand in Poland. The property is located in Konin, a town of around 80,000 residents in the Greater Poland voivodeship. The new Vendo Park has a lettable area of around 5,400 sq m, with units let to Aldi, Rossmann, Pepco, Dealz, Kakadu, Sinsay and Piekarnia Grochola. On the whole, Trei invested about 6.4 million euros in the property.

The binding agreement between the British Frasers Group plc and Signa Retail Department Store Holding GmbH to acquire SportScheck was announced a few days ago.

WHERE THE INDUSTRY MEETS