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PROJECTS, TRENDS AND STRATEGIES

LATEST TRENDS IN ASSET AND CENTER MANAGEMENT

NEPI Rockcastle NV, Europe’s third largest listed retail real estate company by portfolio value, has appointed Marius Barbu as Chief Operating Officer (COO) with effect from 1st April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate.

Malte Wallschläger will take over as Head of Asset Management Europe at Union Investment Real Estate GmbH, Hamburg, on 1 January 2026. He will succeed Cathrin Schwartz, who has successfully managed this division for 13 years and will retire on 1 March 2026 after 21 years with the company.

DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN THE OUTLET INDUSTRY

As consumer priorities shift and brands reassess their physical retail strategies, London Designer Outlet (LDO) at Wembley shows, how location, experience and value-led retail can intersect. Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, reflects on the year 2025.

One of Europe’s key outlet players, NEINVER, shares strong performance in Q3 report across its entire outlet center portfolio. Overall brand sales results show an increase of 5% compared to last year’s data.

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STRATEGIES OF RETAILERS

On the 11th of December, Bershka celebrated a major reopening in Berlin’s well-known retail destination owned by Union investment and managed by Sonae Sierra – ALEXA.

In Asia’s megacities, building upward is not a choice but a necessity – and shopping centers have turned this constraint into a strength. Liliya Shaykhutdinova analyses how leading Asian vertical malls successfully drive footfall across multiple levels, and explores which of these principles can inspire European multi-storey malls to rethink circulation, tenant mix and upper-floor relevance.

On December 5, 2025, MINISO opened its newest store at Flinger Straße 27 in Düsseldorf, marking its largest retail location in Germany to date. The new store’s debut meets the expectations of local shoppers as well as trengthening the retailer’s growing presence across the European market.

LATEST TRENDS

Whether for lunch, a relaxed dinner, or a quick bite in between, the German shopping destination Breuningerland Sindelfingen is expanding its offer with a special highlight: With “Genusswelt,” an innovative gastronomy concept is being introduced that unites global food trends, prepared with high-quality ingredients, under one roof.

RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

Data is reshaping retail real estate: When landlords, tenants, and tech providers share insights, collaboration replaces caution. From predictive analytics to AI-driven platforms, smarter partnerships are turning fragmented spaces into connected experiences and transforming relationships into resilient growth. Gareth Jordan, Director of Retail Advantage at ART Software Group, delves into data through client insights, demonstrating how shared innovation and intelligence are essential partners for growth.

As Europe’s retailers and landlords head into the most decisive quarter of the year, success hinges not only on footfall, but on clarity. With up to 40% of annual revenue at stake, real-time sales collection and automated reporting have become critical tools to track performance, manage risk, and capture opportunities. From tenant health to turnover rent, automation is transforming holiday trading from a logistical scramble into a data-driven advantage.

Commercial advantage belongs to those who move with insight, not instinct: As much of Europe’s real estate market cools, the Nordics are bucking the trend, driving growth not through location alone, but by redefining value around experience, insight, and resilience. A new framework, the “Modern CRE Algorithm”, shows how smartly designed tenant experiences and data-driven intelligence are turning properties into thriving ecosystems.

PLANS OF INVESTORS AND OWNERS

During the CEE Property Forum & Awards Gala held on the 25th of November in Vienna, Austria, NEPI Rockcastle has received the award for Investment Deal of the Year above €200 million for Silesia City Center, with Marek Noetzel and Tomasz Gorski accepting the award on NEPI’s behalf.