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Search Results for: retail project – Page 23

Kaufland’s success story is characterized by the balance between the advantages of standardization within a large group and regional integration. In an interview with ACROSS, Michael Hiese, Chief Real Estate Officer at Kaufland International, discusses the company’s growth strategy, his optimistic outlook, why location is more important than asset class, and what makes a Kaufland store truly distinctive.

Inflation, geopolitical crises, and a weakening economy have dominated the European markets for the past two years. While EU economic growth slightly increased in 2024, Germany, the largest economy, recorded a marginal decline. Despite persistent economic challenges, there are signs of cautious optimism: Slightly higher growth is expected in the EU in 2025, with strong momentum from the CEE and SEE regions, where countries such as Poland and Croatia are expected to achieve strong growth.

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.

Westfield Shopping City Süd has a clear mission: The center, located on the border of the Austrian capital of Vienna, will continue to be transformed into a true destination that expands its expertise in terms of brands, gastronomy, and entertainment while striving for the highest sustainability goals. Zsolt Juhasz, General Manager of Westfield Shopping City Süd, and his team have recently taken significant steps. At the same time, however, they still see potential for development, particularly in the area of service. In an interview with ACROSS, he explains how modern shopping center development can work successfully and why the most critical task will be to attract customers to centers in the first place.

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.

In an interview with ACROSS, Joachim Stumpf, Managing Director of BBE Holding and IPH Handelsimmobilien, analyzes the role of retail real estate in light of the current economic and social situation. His conclusion: “Advancing polarization is a key issue when it comes to discussing what options we have to counter the transformation in retail. Against that backdrop, we also need to rethink retail and locations. Despite all of the challenges, good and individual types of use can be found for all properties – but getting there can be painful.”

Trinity Capital is one of Bulgaria’s most prominent developers and owners of retail real estate. After developing retail parks and acquiring shopping centers, the company is now entering the market for designer outlets and planning Bulgaria’s first outlet village in Sofia, which will be in the direct vicinity of the largest retail park in the Balkans, which belongs to Trinity as well. Stoyan Kolev, CEO of Trinity Capital, explains why Bulgaria is ready for an outlet, his plans for the location, why the combination of outlet and retail park makes sense, and why entertainment and gastronomy are essential keys to more footfall.

Union Investment, owner of the Köln Arcaden shopping center in Germany, is planning to develop the site into a new mixed-use quarter. The preliminary planning envisages around 108 apartments, some privately financed and some publicly subsidized, as well as senior citizens’ apartments, a facility with care places for senior citizens and office space for a total of around 800 employees.

In an interview with ACROSS, Joachim Stumpf, Managing Director of BBE Holding and IPH Handelsimmobilien, analyzes the role of retail real estate in light of the current economic and social situation. His conclusion: “The advancing polarization is a key issue when we discuss what options we have to counter the transformation in retail. Against this backdrop, we also need to rethink retail and locations. Despite all the challenges, good and individual types of use can be found for all properties – but getting there can be painful.”

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.