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mixed-use

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.

Inflation, geopolitical crises, and a weakening economy have dominated the European markets for the past two years. While EU economic growth slightly increased in 2024, Germany, the largest economy, recorded a marginal decline. Despite persistent economic challenges, there are signs of cautious optimism: Slightly higher growth is expected in the EU in 2025, with strong momentum from the CEE and SEE regions, where countries such as Poland and Croatia are expected to achieve strong growth.

Westfield Shopping City Süd has a clear mission: The center, located on the border of the Austrian capital of Vienna, will continue to be transformed into a true destination that expands its expertise in terms of brands, gastronomy, and entertainment while striving for the highest sustainability goals. Zsolt Juhasz, General Manager of Westfield Shopping City Süd, and his team have recently taken significant steps. At the same time, however, they still see potential for development, particularly in the area of service. In an interview with ACROSS, he explains how modern shopping center development can work successfully and why the most critical task will be to attract customers to centers in the first place.

In today’s digital age, with AI advancing at an unstoppable pace, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of both the incredible power and the significant risks of sharing their data with businesses. As a global leader in CRM and loyalty solutions, Ben Chesser has seen, firsthand, the profound impact data sharing can have – not only on businesses but on customers as well.

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.”

Italie Deux, acquired by Ingka Centres in 2023, is one of the largest retail-led mixed-use destinations in Paris, France. With its acquisition, Ingka Centres aims to create hotspot that serves as a new meeting place for the neighboring community.

“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.

Union Investment, owner of the Köln Arcaden shopping center in Germany, is planning to develop the site into a new mixed-use quarter. The preliminary planning envisages around 108 apartments, some privately financed and some publicly subsidized, as well as senior citizens’ apartments, a facility with care places for senior citizens and office space for a total of around 800 employees.

“Across all markets, we are seeing that retail has remained a resilient and thriving sector,” explains Cristina Santos, Executive Director Property Management at Sonae Sierra. More than almost any other European company, Sonae Sierra is strategically diversified across several regions and adapts to the specific requirements of each. The company has extensive experience with its own properties and has increasingly used that knowledge as a cornerstone of its approach to manage third-party properties.

In the western part of Belgrade, Serbia, BIG CEE is developing a unique multiuse concept. The project, totaling 105,300 sq m, comprises a residential area that includes nearly 1000 apartments, an office building, and a retail area. With this project, BIG CEE works towards a positive development boost for the entire area.

Hamburg’s iconic Mönckebergstrasse is set to welcome a transformative development project: Elisen Palais will breathe new life into a historic site once home to the renowned C&A building. This ambitious project seeks to create a climate-neutral, mixed-use property while paying homage to the architectural history of the area, as Nikolas Bosnić, Head of Development Redevco DACH, explains.

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.