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Credit /// Left: ambas; Right: Union Investment

M&A, EXPANSION, AND RESILIENCE: THE FORCES SHAPING EUROPE’S SHOPPING DESTINATIONS

In the retail real estate sector, bold moves are reshaping the European landscape. Recent landmark transactions, including FREY/ROS, Sonae Sierra, and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, signal the start of a new investment cycle. At the same time, several companies are embarking on remarkable expansion journeys, positioning themselves for long-term growth. In this interview, Steffen Hofmann, Managing Partner at ambas, explains why now is the right moment to “think big”, what drives corporate M&A strategies in retail, and how these shifts are redefining market opportunities across Europe.

Credit: FREY

FROM PROMENADES TO OUTLETS: FREY’S BOLD PATH TO MARKET LEADERSHIP

FREY Group has transformed the retail landscape with its open-air Shopping Promenades, and now it is venturing boldly into the outlet sector. In this exclusive interview, Chairman & CEO Antoine Frey explains why the acquisition of ROS was pivotal, how cultural placemaking and B Corp sustainability guide the company’s vision, and why projects like Malmö Designer Village and Designer Outlet Berlin are setting new standards across Europe.

credit: Eurofund

EXPERIENCE BEATS SPACE: THE NEW DRIVERS OF RETAIL REAL ESTATE

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.

credit: VIA Outlets

SUCCESSFUL BRAND PARTNERSHIPS LIE AT THE HEART OF PLACEMAKING FOR VIA OUTLETS

In the world of outlet retail, success isn’t just measured in square meters but in collaboration, data, and experience. Otto Ambagtsheer, CEO of VIA Outlets, shares how the company’s unique partnership-driven model is transforming its 11 centers across Europe into high-performing, guest-focused destinations. From shared sales incentives and shopper insights to immersive placemaking and omnichannel innovation, VIA Outlets is proving that when landlords and brands grow together, the result is more than retail. It’s a curated, connected community.

credit: Fiba

“WHEN TENANTS THRIVE, ASSETS GROW”

In an era in which consumer expectations are evolving faster than ever, Fiba Commercial Properties is reimagining retail spaces as dynamic ecosystems of experience, technology, and tenant success. In his exclusive ACROSS Magazine statement, CEO Yurdaer Kahraman outlines a bold vision, from Star Mall’s immersive gastronomy zones in China to AI-powered platforms in Turkey, proving that when tenants thrive, assets don’t just grow, they transform.

Portrait: MPC Properties

EXPERIENCE BEATS SPACE: HOW RETAIL PROPERTIES CAN ONCE AGAIN BECOME PLACES OF RELEVANCE AND COMMUNITY

In an age in which digital dominates and foot traffic is harder to attract, retail spaces are being reimagined not just as places to shop, but as platforms for experience, education, and emotional connection. In her latest piece, Pınar Yalçınkaya, CEO of MPC Properties, explores how AI, sustainability, and creative activations are helping transform shopping centers across Serbia into vibrant hubs of relevance. From beekeeper suits and dinosaur replicas to podcast stages and robots that greet you by name, MPC is proving that future-proof retail is less about space and more about meaning.

credit: NEINVER

A SHARED PATH FORWARD: WHY TENANT SUCCESS IS THE REAL ASSET ADVANTAGE

In a retail landscape shaped by converging pressures – shifting consumer habits, selective brands, ESG demands, and digital integration – outlet centers are evolving from simple points of sale to strategic brand platforms. NEINVER CEO Daniel Losantos explains why tenant success is now the ultimate asset advantage and how a data-led, experience-driven approach can turn complexity into lasting performance.

Markus Porvari, President and CEO of HyperIn, at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024. /// credit: HyperIn

HyperIn & SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024: Bridging the Gap Between Continents for a Sustainable Future

This year´s SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 aimed at fostering cooperation between Japan and Finland by providing a platform for tech companies of both countries to promote sustainability technology and ESG principles. Markus Porvari, President and CEO of HyperIn, represented the company as a keynote speaker at the conference. HyperIn has demonstrated how a startup can successfully grow into a thriving enterprise, showcasing real cases of how some of the leading companies in the Nordics are succeeding with sustainable technology.

Nove Lido, residential area design. /// credit: JTRE

Nové Lido Aims For Carbon Neutrality: Bratislava’s Enlarged Urban Center Targets High-Quality And Healthy Living

The Nové Lido urban district aims to rejuvenate the area between Old Bridge and Apollo Bridge in Petržalka – a project with ten years of planning that will expand Bratislava´s city center on the Danube’s right bank. This will build on the area’s historical identity, while also setting new ecological and community standards for Slovakia and CEE. Ongoing BREEAM Communities International certification confirms our commitment to sustainably develop this zone in the heart of the city.

ACROSS Outlook 2024 (left), Christine Hager (right) /// credit: ACROSS, Bernhard Claßen for GCSP

OUTLOOK 2024: “Recognize The Importance Of Customer Orientation”

“Investors are increasingly following high-quality, sustainable, and innovative assets that can provide unique and modern customer experiences,” states Christine Hager, Director of Property Management for Sonae Sierra in Germany, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

credit: RegioData

EVALUATION: EUROPEAN SHOPPING CENTERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

For good reasons, there has been increasing attention in recent years on environmental protection, energy efficiency, the reduction of CO2, as well as the economical use of land and sustainability. This also applies to synthetic commercial zones states a new research report by RegioData.

Vicolungo The Style Outlets /// credit: NEINVER

NEINVER and Nuveen Real Estate’s joint venture receives highest 5-star rating in GRESB Benchmark Report for the fourth consecutive year

NEINVER and Nuveen Real Estate have received the highest 5-star rating in the 2023 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark for the fourth consecutive year for Neptune – a joint venture between NEINVER and Nuveen’s parent company, TIAA -, placing it in the top three in the “Southern Europe, Retail Centres” category in terms of overall ESG performance.

credit: Trei Real Estate Poland

Retail Parks In Poland Are Thriving Even In Challenging Times

Despite the current unfavorable economic situation in Poland, retail parks are still growing rapidly. Nevertheless, Trei Real Estate Poland has built and opened 35 retail parks under the Vendo Park brand, and has another three scheduled to open later this year. The company may even say that in the face of many market challenges business is going very well.

CEO PERSPECTIVES 2025 – When the Tenant Thrives, the Asset Flies
What will it take in 2025 for an asset to take off? For this special, we asked leading figures in the European retail real estate sector what they see as the most significant current challenges, as well as the solutions needed, for retail assets not just to survive but to prosper.
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