Advertisement

Ticker

THE LATEST PLACEMAKING NEWS

MIPIM, the global urban festival, unveiled the finalists for this year’s MIPIM Awards, celebrating the world’s most visionary real estate projects, both built and in the making, shaping the future of cities and communities.

“We are a growth-minded company,” states Vasco Santos, Global Sales & Leasing Director at Ingka Centres. The Scandinavian-rooted, globally active company operates in Europe, China, the US, and is establishing its presence in India. Its main goal is to create meeting places that go beyond shopping and provide real, meaningful value to the community. Despite the company’s success, especially in China, Santos expresses its continuous commitment and appetite for the European market but also stresses that the local market can learn a lot from international examples.

Gesundbrunnen-Center in Berlin, Germany, offers everything under one roof. With the recently announced expansion of the mixed-use shopping destination, the center further cements itself as an outstanding highlight of the German capital’s retail and office offer.

Trinity Capital is one of Bulgaria’s most prominent developers and owners of retail real estate. After developing retail parks and acquiring shopping centers, the company is now entering the market for designer outlets and planning Bulgaria’s first outlet village in Sofia, which will be in the direct vicinity of the largest retail park in the Balkans, which belongs to Trinity as well. Stoyan Kolev, CEO of Trinity Capital, explains why Bulgaria is ready for an outlet, his plans for the location, why the combination of outlet and retail park makes sense, and why entertainment and gastronomy are essential keys to more footfall.

Jurij Triller is the CEO of Smart Octopus Solutions. Together with a co-founder, he has developed a smart gift card solution that offers a closed loop to customers and partners, unlike comparable products. He talks to ACROSS about the advantages of being independent from a major player like Visa or Mastercard, what data insights he can ensure as a result, and why personalization and customization are key.

Evolve Estates, part of commercial property and investment collective M Core, has acquired Beaumont Leys, a successful community shopping center in a high-growth suburb in Leicester. The 10-acre site is the dominant local retail offer within the area, serving a significant residential population of 670,000 people. The acquisition is a joint venture with M Core. 

EuroCIS 2025 in Düsseldorf promises pioneering innovations for the retail sector under the motto “Go Beyond Today”. The focus will be on topics such as artificial intelligence, smart stores and cybersecurity in order to make the retail sector safer and more efficient. Visitors can look forward to the latest technologies, exciting presentations and international exhibitors. In an interview, Elke Moebius, Director EuroCis at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, provides exciting insights into the focal points of this year’s event.

Across Asia, Visual Positioning System (VPS) technology utilizing augmented reality (AR) wayfinding is transforming how people navigate complex commercial spaces. From shopping malls and airports to mixed-use developments, digital navigation is evolving beyond static maps—offering real-time, interactive experiences through mobile devices.

The ALEXA shopping and leisure center in Berlin-Mitte can look back on an extremely positive 2024. The center, which is owned by Union Investment and managed by Sonae Sierra, was able to further expand its position as one of the most attractive retail locations in Germany with 17 new leases and 18 lease extensions and was named Germany’s best inner-city center. Further optimizations are planned for 2025.