Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director Austria & Germany at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, says: “We are very pleased that the brand and concept mix in Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier is increasingly taking shape. Flagship stores of coveted and world-famous brands, entertainment and cultural highlights that do not yet exist in Hamburg, more than 40 different dining concepts, and a separate cluster for well-being, fitness, and health – embedded in a lively mixed-use quarter, we are creating a destination here that sets standards and will probably be unique worldwide. The high pre-letting rate of 70 percent in the retail, gastronomy, and leisure sectors is a strong signal of the appeal and attractiveness of this project.”
Constantin Wiesmann, Director of Leasing Austria & Germany at URW, adds: “The partnerships with the brands and concepts recently brought on board are another important step in leasing. LACOSTE and Levi’s ensure a further differentiation of the fashion brand variety. DOUGLAS and Arabian Oud give the perfumery and beauty profile a clear contour. In addition, we are just picking up speed in the leasing of the dining areas and are particularly pleased that we have already entered into partnerships with a number of local champions. We will continue to focus on food & beverage partners in 2023 as well.”
Differentiation of the brand and concept mix
URW is strengthening the premium fashion and lifestyle segment, which has so far been shaped by Breuninger’s flagship store as well as BOSS and GANT, with the addition of LACOSTE as a further brand.
In the vicinity of the Zara flagship store, one of the largest stores of the fashion brand in the future, as well as the shops of H&M, Mango, and Scotch & Soda, Levi’s will move in as a new fashion label with the most advanced shop concept of the brand. The sneaker and streetwear cluster continues to gain profile through SNIPES and Onygo. For this trend segment as well as the young fashion range, URW has already announced partnerships with JD Sports, Foot Locker, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, and Oysho.
The perfumery, beauty, and cosmetics cluster will also be strengthened. DOUGLAS is opening a premium store. In addition, the international brand Arabian Oud, the world’s largest supplier of oriental fragrances, has signed a lease. URW had already announced the partnership with Rituals for this segment last year.
Gastronomy leasing picks up speed
Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier will feature more than 40 food & beverage concepts that will form a diverse, individual mix of various culinary directions. Thus, international and local restaurants, bars, cafés, bakeries, and other gastronomic highlights are planned and distributed across three central clusters. There will be a lively urban neighborhood cluster with national and international concepts throughout the day. A cluster for authentic local street food, including the latest food & beverage trends in an exclusively arranged “food hall”, is also being assembled. In addition, the waterfront promenade will offer à la carte restaurants, including a sky restaurant with a 360° view over HafenCity, the city, and river Elbe. The clusters are complemented by the smaller deli or takeaway offers and coffee shops.
Until the end of 2022, there was a strong focus on leasing the neighborhood cluster. Here, for a market entry in Hamburg, URW has brought Big Chefs, a restaurant brand with Levantine, Aegean, and international food, on board for the largest area in the cluster with around 500 sq m. The restaurant with its all-day café-brasserie concept is on an expansion course in Germany and Europe.
Three local restaurants from Hamburg are already part of the diverse dining mix: the Indian trend restaurant goa will open its largest branch. The bowl concept UF Poké Bar will establish one of its food bars in the quarter, in addition to Quan 36, which has become known for its Vietnamese tapas and fusion cuisine. The neighborhood cluster is complemented by Espresso House, the popular Swedish coffee shop chain, as well as Starbucks. The neighborhood cluster is thus fully leased except for two units.
In the area of cafés as well as smaller delis and takeaway offers, the Hamburg-based ice cream shop Luicella’s Ice Cream, located directly at the Waterfront, as well as Acai Verao and Lu Soufflé are new partners of URW.
In 2023, the focus in the leasing of the food & beverage areas will be particularly on the cluster for authentic local street food in the “food hall” and the restaurant cluster on the waterfront promenade.
Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier: urban regeneration
In Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity district, a total of 14 buildings are under construction for a new destination with a unique mix of uses. Retail, entertainment concepts, and more than 40 gastronomy units are closely coordinated with a total of 579 apartments, offices for 4,000 workplaces, three hotels, and a cruise ship terminal. The quarter is optimally integrated into the local infrastructure with its own metro station, bus lines, and various mobility services. The mixed-use project comprises a total area of 419,000 sq m and will be realised by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield by spring 2024.
