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Acquisition

Kaufland’s success story is characterized by the balance between the advantages of standardization within a large group and regional integration. In an interview with ACROSS, Michael Hiese, Chief Real Estate Officer at Kaufland International, discusses the company’s growth strategy, his optimistic outlook, why location is more important than asset class, and what makes a Kaufland store truly distinctive.

Retail real estate is back on the menu and continues to qualify as a significant portfolio component in the portfolios of institutional real estate investors, says Steffen Hofmann, Managing Partner at ambas. Even very large assets have proven eligible for transactions in the challenging investment market environment. Therefore, he is rather optimistic about the upcoming months. In this interview, he takes a look at the 2025 investment market.

In an interview with ACROSS, Joachim Stumpf, Managing Director of BBE Holding and IPH Handelsimmobilien, analyzes the role of retail real estate in light of the current economic and social situation. His conclusion: “Advancing polarization is a key issue when it comes to discussing what options we have to counter the transformation in retail. Against that backdrop, we also need to rethink retail and locations. Despite all of the challenges, good and individual types of use can be found for all properties – but getting there can be painful.”

“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.

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. 

Well deserved honor: Rüdiger Dany, CEO of NEPI Rockcastle, received the lifetime achievement award at the prestigious 19th SEE Property Awards. This prize recognizes and celebrates Rüdiger Dany’s incredible 30-year career and his invaluable contribution to the real estate industry. In 2024, he continued to write his personal success story and that of NEPI Rockcastle. Probably no other company performed as well as NEPI in 2024. Reason enough to talk to Rüdiger Dany about the highlights of his company as well as current developments and challenges.

Ian Sandford, President of Eurofund Group, creates places that combine shopping, gastronomy, and leisure, ensuring that everyone finds a reason to go to a center every day. He coined the term “shopping resort” as a result. After numerous very successful projects, particularly with Puerto Venecia in Spain and Ubbo in Lisbon, he is now bringing his idea of a shopping resort to the Rhein-Ruhr Zentrum in Germany. In this interview, he explains what managers can learn from goldfish and why courage is more crucial than ever. He also shares his plans for the Rhein-Ruhr Zentrum and his other assets.

The shoe retailer buys extensive rights to the brand – and snatches them away from a British financial investor, based on a corresponding resolution passed by the Esprit creditors’ committee on Monday.

The acquisition of the leading shopping mall in Novi Sad for 177 million euros by BIG CEE marked Serbia´s largest retail transaction ever. Promenada, one of the strongest malls in the country, features many international brands, a 100% occupancy rate, and more than 10 million visitors annually.

The investment group DRFG’s portfolio is expanding with an important addition: the acquisition of one of the largest privately-owned real estate development platforms in Central Europe, TriGranit.