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placemaking

Redevco is transforming the iconic 126 Rivoli in Paris into a vibrant 13,000 sq m mixed-use space. Located on one of Paris’s main shopping streets, Beats Per Minute (BPM) aims to be a modern urban development landmark, combining environmental and societal goals and revitalizing the city.

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.

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.

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.

With the book Modern Retail Management, Dr. Johannes B. Berentzen and Dr. Philipp Hoog present an outstanding collection that takes an in-depth look at the pressing issues of today’s – and tomorrow’s – retail landscape. Featuring 24 thought-provoking chapters by 36 leading experts, the book offers a rare blend of academic insight and practical guidance. From digital transformation and omnichannel strategy to sustainability and AI, this forward-looking volume equips readers with the tools and ideas needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector. Essential reading for anyone looking to shape the future of retail.

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.

At Main-Taunus-Zentrum (MTZ), one of the largest and most successful shopping centers in Germany, ECE Marketplaces has realized a new destination within the center being a further development of the open structure and providing an additional USP of the center. In the middle of the open-air shopping center in Sulzbach near Frankfurt am Main, the new “Food Garden” creates a lively new urban center with a high quality, varied gastronomy offering in five free-standing restaurant buildings for a total of eight restaurant concepts, inviting outdoor terraces, and attractive green spaces.

The approval of the planning permission has paved the way for the large-scale modernization of SILLPARK Innsbruck, to be implemented by fall 2026 while the center operates as normal and without impacting shop opening times. The construction work on the mall began a few days ago, with no restrictions for visitors. SILLPARK, Innsbruck’s first city-center shopping mall, opened in 1990 and will now also gain a completely new health park. The investment of EUR 30 million will make SILLPARK the most modern location in Tyrol for socializing and shopping.

Stureplan is an extraordinary quarter, currently undergoing a major redevelopment. The work on revitalizing the neighbourhood is now in full swing, which, once finished, will house Stockholm’s most exclusive offices and international top-tier shopping locations, along with 20 new restaurants and expanded services. Sture’s new refurbishment project is set to finish in 2026.

Under the motto “Creating beloved places – social, sustainable & successful”, the 2025 European Shopping Places Summit brought together leading experts in the retail real estate sector from 14 different countries to discuss how to make shopping places more sustainability-oriented, successful, and impactful on a social level, while giving voice to the different markets in Europe.

On 23 April 2025, after a construction phase of around one and a half years, umdasch The Store Makers celebrated the opening of its expanded production and office space at its Czech site in Litomyšl. The investment in additional capacity is an important step for the shopfitting company to strengthen its own production and versatile service portfolio in Europe.

As the very first outlet center in Spain, Las Rozas The Style Outlets has been catering to the needs of customers since 1996. The center, which can very well be described as historic, is now undergoing a planned refurbishment project that will update the location both inside and outside, making it the “Place Of The Week” for ACROSS.

By 2035, Gen Y will account for the largest share of global spending on air travel, which is why travel retail must do everything it can to remain relevant to this target group. Millennials’ demand for experiences is also shaping their purchasing and travel behavior, forcing retailers to rethink their store design and marketing strategies. Together with the subsequent Gen Z – whose values are guided by topics such as digitalization, authenticity and sustainability – these generations are not only influencing retail in general, but also the concept of the airport of tomorrow.

The recently opened Wonderwoods in Utrecht, the Netherlands, stands out for its unique combination of living, working and leisure in a unique urban green oasis, setting a new standard for urban development. This mixed-use project in Utrecht’s Beurskwartier district brings nature and urban dynamics together in two iconic towers with 75,000 plants and shrubs and 300 trees forming a one-hectare vertical forest.

Westfield Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity officially opened its doors on April 8. By combining retail and experience concepts, Überseequartier could become a tourism magnet and economic driver that will further strengthen Hamburg as a metropolis. However, this success is not guaranteed for Hamburg, as there is also the danger of a weakening of the city center.

The time has finally come: the new giant shopping mall Westfield Hamburg Überseequartier has opened. The Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher, URW CEO Jean-Marie Tritant and Theda Juliane Mustroph, General Manager of Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, symbolically cut the ribbon. With the 100,000 sq m mall and a promising gastronomy and entertainment concept, URW wants to set new standards in Hamburg.

The focus is always on the success that can be achieved together: Johan Caspar Bergenthal spoke with ACROSS Magazine about the success factors driving VIA Outlets and the industry in general. In addition to the consistent growth generated by VIA Outlets’ 3R strategy, the former shopping center industry executive cites the close collaboration with brands, something he hadn’t experienced before during his time in the full-price retail world.