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THE LATEST PLACEMAKING NEWS

Brands have long understood the importance of presenting their sustainability credentials to consumers. Along with other policies, such as those relating to bullying in the workplace and mental health, sustainability plays an important part in a brand’s identity, and rightly so.

As of January 1, 2023, the Austrian SPAR Group will reorganize the management of its international shopping center division SES: The current COO Christoph Andexlinger will take over as CEO. He will be assisted by Johannes Köth and Alexander Eck, who have been newly appointed to the management board. All positions will thus be filled internally with long-standing managers. The previous Chairman, Johann Felser, will retire at the end of 2022.

The Commercial real estate industry is showing its most optimistic face. The 2022 edition of the French commercial real estate show MAPIC is focusing on the retail sector’s transformation.

Ingka Centres, part of the Ingka Group (which includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments), has unveiled its new global food and beverage concept, Saluhall. Named after the Scandinavian-style ‘Market Hall’, Saluhall will reinvent the traditional shopping center food offer with a Scandinavian twist, bringing predominantly plant-based cuisine to a global audience whilst being kind to the planet. It will be Ingka Centres’ first food offer to be entirely beef-free, appealing to a global audience and reducing climate footprint.

Finnish retail real estate tech company HyperIn’s latest mall retailer data shows that sustainability-related tenant offers have risen significantly in 2022, with the word green appearing in up to four times as many offers over the last year. The trend is an indicator for retailers on ad targeting, pointing towards an increasing share of ads for green products and experiences.

The role of shopping center events has changed: So-called “community events” have become increasingly common. They often replace traditional event formats that have dominated the center event scene for many years. André Stromeyer, Managing Director at HBB, and Anita Stampfl, Special Projects Manager at HBB discuss why the situation is the way it is, where the advantages and challenges lie, and why this fact does not make center marketing any easier.

Mitiska REIM has announced the opening of a new retail center development in the Polish city of Kolobrzeg. Developed in joint venture with local partner Karuzela Holding and designed to achieve a “Very Good” score on the BREEAM in-use scale, this is the third retail development project opened by Mitiska REIM and Karuzela Holding in Poland this year.

Chainels, the tenant experience platform, has launched in two travel hubs across Europe, leveraging its retail expertise to expand into a new sector. Utrecht train station, run by NS Stations Retailbedrijf a subsidiary of the Dutch national rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), and Vienna International Airport will both use Chainels’ digital platform to improve communication with retailers and service providers.

The McArthurGlen Group, has announced the planned opening of the first outlet destination for Eataly’s concept. Opening its doors at Serravalle Designer Outlet near Milan in Summer 2023, the store will enhance McArthurGlen’s growing portfolio of food and beverage brands, offering guests a place to Eat, Shop and Learn, all under one roof.

Meeting customer expectations for omnichannel experiences is key to the success of the mall of the future, argues Peter Tonstad in his PropTech column. His company, Placewise, is heavily investing in products in order to address the longer-term expectation that shopping centers will become true omnichannel offerings.

The city of Bamberg has approved the development plan for the LEZ 14 shopping center on the “Am Laubanger” site. Thus the green light has been given to the FIM Group to convert the former retail park into a modern shopping center. The tenant mix of around 7,100 sq m of retail space includes Lidl, Rossmann, TK Maxx, Media Markt and Der Beck. The opening is planned for the first quarter of 2023.

A small retailer in southern Germany has become one of Europe’s leading food retailers with major expansion plans: This week Kaufland opened in Bucharest its 1500th store – a great milestone in the Kaufland success story. Angelus Bernreuther, Head of Investor Relationship Management, looks back at Kaufland’s corporate history and explains how, starting with its solid roots, the future of the company is being shaped, especially during challenging times.

Why should customers visit stores in which they know exactly what to expect? In order to captivate their guests, stationary stores need a network of creative ideas, event plans, a talent for creating narratives, and a considerable amount of boldness. Therefore, some old dogmas have to be thrown overboard.