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travel retail

European Outlet Centers are vibrant tourist destinations. | © Ken Gunn Consulting

Beyond Shopping: The Outlet Tourism Factor

Outlet centers have long benefited from tourism, but success is not simply based on international visitors. Research BY KEN GUNN CONSULTING shows that the strongest outlet destinations create experiences that encourage guests to think and behave like tourists — a “tourist condition.”

Pia Klauck, Head of Commercial Operations at Düsseldorf Airport /// © Düsseldorf Airport

From Transit Space to Travel Retail Destination

A new master concession with Lagardère Travel Retail marks a turning point for Düsseldorf Airport — one that Pia Klauck, Head of Commercial Operations, says is about far more than operational efficiency.

credit: Airport World

FIVE TRAVEL RETAIL TRENDS SHAPING TOMORROW’S AIRPORTS

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.

Eurofund Group and SIGNAL Open Revamped Parma Promenade Scheme, Italy

Leading mall in Northen Italy reopens following €39m redevelopment.

Following a €39m (£32.6m) redevelopment program, Eurofund Group and SIGNAL have re-opened Parma Promenade, the landmark retail and leisure redevelopment project in Northern Italy. The 51,000 sq m (approximately 549,000 sq ft) scheme was acquired by the joint venture and has since undertaken a transformation including the addition of a 15,000 sq m (more than […]

CBRE Study: Why Retailers are Betting on AI and Stores

European retailers continue to prioritize physical expansion despite a more challenging economic backdrop and growing investment in AI and digital capabilities. Nearly two thirds (65%) still plan to expand their store portfolios in the near term, creating the potential for up to 8,000 net additional stores across Europe, according to CBRE’s European Retail Occupier Survey […]

£516 Million Deal: Landsec Acquires Metrocentre, Gateshead, UK

Landsec announced that it exchanged contracts to acquire a 100% stake in Metrocentre, Gateshead, circa two miles from Newcastle city centre, from Tynehawk Holdings (Jersey) Limited for a net cash consideration of £516 million.

Based on in-place net rental income of £41 million, the net cash consideration of £516 million implies an in-place net rental income yield of 7.9%. At this price, Metrocentre offers an attractive combination of a high day-one income return, strong future rental growth prospects and an expected low double-digit unlevered IRR. The Acquisition is expected […]

Las Rozas The Style Outlets Awarded for its Revonation

Awarded for excellence in innovation and design, Las Rozas The Style Outlets redefines the modern shopping experience following its landmark 2026 refurbishment.

Las Rozas The Style Outlets, owned by Neptune — the joint venture between NEINVER and TIAA (Nuveen Real Estate’s parent company) — and managed by NEINVER, has been recognized at the 2026 AECC (Spanish Association of Shopping Centres)  Awards, the annual accolades presented by the Spanish Association of Shopping Centres and Retail Parks to celebrate […]

German Galeria Files for Fourth Insolvency in Six Years

Galeria has filed for insolvency proceedings at Düsseldorf District Court, marking the department store operator’s fourth insolvency filing since 2020. The company said operations at its remaining 83 stores will continue for the time being. Around 12,000 employees are affected. Call for Clarity The latest filing follows a renewed deterioration in trading. According to dpa […]

ÖBB to Buy Back Vienna Wien Mitte Station

Supervisory board approves acquisition of the Wien Mitte complex.

The supervisory board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG approved the repurchase of Wien Mitte station today. ÖBB sold the property in 2005 to what was then the Bank Austria Creditanstalt Group, which later passed it on. The seller is now an investor group led by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing. The deal includes the shopping center and […]

Westfield Ruhr Park to Create New Open-Air Dining Destination

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) is transforming the former food court at Westfield Ruhr Park in Bochum into a new open-air dining and leisure destination called Wald Terrassen. The 6,200-sqm project includes 850 sqm of outdoor terraces and will feature ten F&B and two retail units. Nine of the twelve units have already been pre-leased. New F&B and […]

Two new Westfield Destinations unveiled: Flagship Extension in the UK and Poland

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield announces the rebranding of two flagship destinations in Edinburgh and Wrocław, expanding its Westfield network in Europe and further strengthening the presence of its globally recognised brand in major cities around the world.

St James Quarter in Edinburgh has officially been renamed Westfield St James Quarter, marking the expansion of the company’s Westfield-branded destinations outside of London. In Poland, Wroclavia, one of the country’s leading retail and lifestyle destinations, has been rebranded Westfield Wroclavia, becoming URW’s third Westfield centre in the nation.  Anne-Sophie Sancerre, Chief Customer and Retail Officer at URW, said: “The […]

Luís Mota Duarte announced as new CEO of Sonae Sierra

Sonae Sierra announces the appointment of Luís Mota Duarte as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 2027, succeeding Fernando Guedes de Oliveira.

The transition comes after more than four decades at the Sonae Group for Fernando Guedes de Oliveira, 35 of them at Sierra. He became CEO in 2010 and played a decisive role in the company’s development, overseeing and leading different stages of its growth and transformation. Under his leadership, Sierra strengthened its international presence and […]

CEE RETAIL INVESTMENT PICKS UP

Retail investment across Central and Eastern Europe increased by 24% year on year in the first half of 2026. Poland accounted for much of the activity, while Hungary returned to large-scale shopping center transactions. At the same time, retail supply is expanding, particularly in the retail park segment, and pricing has remained broadly stable.

Retail has regained momentum in the CEE investment market. According to Cushman & Wakefield’s CEE Investment Market Update H1 2026, retail accounted for 28% of total regional investment in the first half of the year, up from 24% for full-year 2025. The increase was driven overwhelmingly by the landmark acquisition of a 70% stake in […]

Poland’s Retail Parks Draw Growing International Investment

Investment in Poland’s retail park and convenience retail market has exceeded €2.5 billion since the first transaction in 2008, with almost 70% of the volume recorded since the beginning of 2020. According to a new investment report by Avison Young, CMS, Newgate Investment, and PROH, activity accelerated further in 2025 and the first half of […]

National Cinema Weekend Boosts Footfall At Leisure Destination Grid Braehead, UK

Weekend footfall increased by 15.8% as the nationwide cinema initiative encouraged audiences to the big screen.

National Cinema Weekend delivered a strong uplift in footfall at GRID Braehead, a multi-format destination combining experiential leisure, dining, family entertainment and an ODEON cinema, home to one of the area’s standout IMAX screens. The results demonstrate the power of cinema-led initiatives to drive visits to mixed-use destinations. Taking place on Saturday 5 and Sunday […]

NEPI Rockcastle Breaks Ground on Karolinka, Poland Extension

NEPI Rockcastle has started work on an 11000 sqm extension of Karolinka Shopping Center in Opole, Poland, investing EUR 33 million in the modernization and expansion of the region’s largest retail complex.

The scheme adds over 8000 sqm of GLA across 30 retail and service units, with leasing focused on fashion and brands not yet present in the region. It also includes an underground car park, a modernized main facade, and a roof prepared for solar panels. The project is being built to BREEAM standards. Karolinka offers […]

XOPark Stara Zagora to welcome Fantastico’s first supermarket in one of Bulgaria’s key regional cities

The seventh XOPark project will bring 20,000 sq m of modern retail space and a strong mix of leading Bulgarian and international brands to the city of Stara Zagora.

Developed by Trinity Capital, Bulgaria’s leading investor and operator of retail space, XOPark Stara Zagora is designed as a comprehensive destination where customers combine their everyday shopping needs with fashion, home, services, dining and leisure. The seventh project in the Bulgarian national XOPark retail parks chain is set to open in the second half of […]

Retail Growth to Drive ambas past 2025 Volume Target

ambas expected to surpass 2025 transaction volume as retail investment activity picks up.

ambas Real Estate GmbH has advised on four large-scale retail property transactions so far this year, exceeding its total transaction volume for the whole of 2025. Three of the completed deals involved core-plus shopping centers and outlet centers; the fourth was a value-add transaction involving a convenience-led retail park. Together, the assets comprise approximately 105,000 […]

How music sets the tone for business success

Atmospheric marketing is nothing new in retail. Stores have long been designed to shape buyer mood and encourage purchases using layout, lighting, colour and other sensory cues to attract customers and create memorable interactions. Yet one of the most influential elements of any environment often receives far less attention: sound.

SPONSORED ARTICLE This has become the driving force behind a new campaign by leading audio brand Sonos exploring the measurable impact that sound can have on commercial performance. Underpinning this campaign is a scientific report titled ‘Sound for Business’ developed under the academic supervision of Professor Daniel Müllensiefen from the Institute of Systematic Musicology at […]

Nemanja Bucinac & Stonedge: A Boutique Advisory Firm with a Dual Perspective

Founded by Serbian real estate executive Nemanja Bucinac, Stonedge combines leasing, asset management, and repositioning expertise with a particular focus on retail real estate markets across the Balkans and South-Eastern Europe.

Independent advisory firms continue to play an important role in retail real estate markets, particularly in regions where local market knowledge and personal networks remain critical success factors. Stonedge, a Belgrade-based consultancy founded in 2023 by retail real estate professional Nemanja Bucinac, provides strategic advisory services with a particular focus on the Balkan region. Its […]

Schwarz Group Reportedly Among Bidders for Tesco’s Central European Business

Lidl and Kaufland owner Schwarz Group is reportedly one of several parties interested in acquiring Tesco’s Central European operations, according to a Financial Times report cited by Reuters. Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize and Polish discounter Biedronka are also said to be weighing bids for the business, which spans 561 stores across Hungary, the Czech Republic […]

Wars Sawa Junior: Warsaw’s High Street Enters a New Era

Over the past three years, the very heart of Warsaw has changed significantly. Public investment and the transformation of the surrounding cityscape have brought new energy to spaces that had long been underused, creating vibrant places where residents, workers and visitors meet, shop and spend time.

Wars Sawa Junior has evolved alongside this transformation. G City has been steadily repositioning one of Warsaw’s most recognisable retail destinations for the way a contemporary capital city works – opening it more directly to the street, attracting distinctive international concepts and strengthening its role within the urban fabric. Today, Wars Sawa Junior is emerging […]

Cookie Couture Brings Its Look to Cologne with Schwitzke & Partner Design

Cookie Couture has opened a new store on Cologne’s Schildergasse, extending its footprint in German city centers. Schwitzke & Partner developed the design concept, with the company handling implementation in-house. At roughly 70 square meters, the new location sharpens the growing brand’s look and feel. The store is meant as a deliberate counterpoint to the […]

The Cookie Lab Opens at MERCADEN® Böblingen

MERCADEN® Böblingen is bringing a hot food trend to the city. On September 25, The Cookie Lab opened a new shop at the center in the heart of Böblingen’s city center. With handmade cookies piled high with toppings and stuffed with rich fillings, the shop taps into the growing demand for the trendy treat. Visitors […]

FRASERS PLUS DESIGNER OUTLET LEEDS to Celebrate Pret a Manger Opening

Frasers Plus Designer Outlet Leeds is entering a new chapter in its evolution, as Pret A Manger becomes the latest brand to join the outlet destination in October.

The arrival of Pret marks another significant step in the centre’s long-term vision to create a more dynamic, experience-led destination. It brings another recognizable brand to the center, while strengthening the café and dining offer and giving visitors more reasons to shop, socialize and spend time at the center.  Opening in October, the new 2,124 […]

Beauty Fest in QTU: Rethinking How Customers Connect with Beauty Products

The way consumers discover and choose beauty products is changing. Traditional advertising can create awareness, but today’s customers increasingly value the opportunity to experience products, understand their individual needs and make informed choices through direct interaction. Beauty Fest at QTU brought this approach to life by transforming product discovery into an engaging experience built around […]

IULIUS partners with Generatik for digital indoor advertising in Romania

The Iulius Town Timișoara and Palas Iași mixed-use developments, together with the Iulius Mall network in Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Suceava, are the first locations of a national operator to be fully integrated into Generatik, the platform transforming how brands plan and book advertising campaigns in shopping centers.

Generatik, Romania’s first platform dedicated to digitalizing indoor advertising in shopping centers, and IULIUS, one of Romania’s leading developers and operators of mixed-use real estate projects, announce a partnership that marks a defining moment for the country’s indoor advertising market. This is the first nationwide integration completed by the platform, and the first national mall […]