Respublika Park is an innovative development from a pure shopping center to an entertainment hub that meets different needs of versatile consumers under one roof. “This trend is a great opportunity for us. We see ourselves less as a mere service provider and more as a driver of leisure experiences. We want to set new standards in the industry and show that a renaissance of the shopping mall is possible,” says Vassili Tolstunov, Managing Director of Trafin Consulting und Entwicklungs GmbH, which is part of the internationally active T&F group of companies.
Transforming the shopping center
Trafin is focusing mainly on three factors driven by new technologies: High customer service, high entertainment factor, and high convenience value. Tolstunov explains: “Tomorrow’s consumers care about the community feeling and interpersonal interaction. In Respublika Park, the focus is on hybrid concepts with a mix of retail, gastro, entertainment, education and health.”
One example is the more than 11, 000 sq m virtual reality theme park Neopolis, which offers interactive trampolines and virtual climbing gardens. International anchor tenants include the Inditex Group (Zara, Massimo Dutti, etc.), Nike, New Yorker, Calzedonia, McDonald’s, H&M and Swarovski. Hundreds of residential units are also currently being built around the center on the outskirts of Kiev as part of the company’s development.
Ukraine’s economic potential
With this large-scale project, the company is demonstrating confidence in Ukraine as a business location. “Ukraine is developing very well as an economic region and offers Western companies enormous potential. This is also increasingly recognized by Austrian companies. In addition, Austria’s traditional bridging function between East and West plays a major role,” said Tolstunov.
The attendees of the grand opening–among others–included Gernot Pfandler, Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine, and Gabriele Haselsberger, Austrian Trade Representative. In addition to further real estate projects in Central and Eastern Europe, Talfin has further plans for the domestic market. Significant investments are planned, particularly in the retail and hotel sectors.
