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placemaking

On April 23rd, the German Trade Association presented the Stores of the Year 2024 awards at the Retail Real Estate Congress in Berlin. umdasch’s two projects – BETTENRID in Munich’s Theatinerstraße and the Musikhaus Thomann in Burgebrach-Treppendorf – were named “Store of the Year”.

Following a customer-centric approach, the ‘BOLD’ strategy carried out by ROS Retail Outlet Shopping across its entire portfolio reached full potential in 2023. The operator’s average sales soared by +16.5% across the portfolio in 2023, fuelled by an enriched brand mix, a stronger shopping experience and the ability to adapt to evolving market conditions.

The Nové Lido urban district aims to rejuvenate the area between Old Bridge and Apollo Bridge in Petržalka – a project with ten years of planning that will expand Bratislava´s city center on the Danube’s right bank. This will build on the area’s historical identity, while also setting new ecological and community standards for Slovakia and CEE. Ongoing BREEAM Communities International certification confirms our commitment to sustainably develop this zone in the heart of the city.

As the nostalgic memories of greasy fast food and sticky trays fade away, the death of the old-fashioned food court looms over the culinary landscape. An expert in the world F&B development, Will Odwarka, founder and CEO of Dubai-based firm Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, states in his newest column: “With the rise of trendy market halls, food halls, and multi-purpose restaurant experiences, traditional food courts are struggling to keep up with the ever-evolving dining scene. But wait a minute, is that really true?”

FOC Retail Service GmbH operates three outlet locations in Austria and Germany, all of which have incredibly high purchasing power but are small. Managing Director Michael Lungkofler explains the potential of smaller locations, why brands are just as successful here as in prominent locations, and why, despite the excellent performance, the small sizes result from regulatory policy decisions.

As the year propels forward, the allure of the festive season remains an enduring opportunity for innovation, sustainability, and creativity. Post-COVID, a glimpse at festive installations worldwide unveils a fusion of emerging trends and timeless elements, poised to redefine festive decoration in 2024 and beyond. At the forefront of this evolution stands MK Illumination, weaving these trends into captivating projects that impress and inspire.

The opening of Hamburg’s Überseequartier, planned for April 25th, has been postponed due to water damage. The center is now scheduled to open to visitors at the end of August, the operator Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) announced on Thursday.

As reported by “Handelsblatt”, a buyer has been found for the insolvent department store chain. A consortium consisting of the US investment company NRDC Equity Partners and the entrepreneur Bernd Beetz wants to take over the insolvent department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof.

Over the last few years, retail parks in Poland were mostly developed in smaller formats, around 5,000 s m, either adding to the existing retail landscape or introducing modern retail amenities to smaller towns as their first such facilities. Now, there’s a noticeable shift towards larger developments, with 32 bigger retail parks (GLA > 5,000 sq m.) either being built or expanded, including six that exceed 20,000 sq m.

Giles Membrey, Managing Director of Rioja Estates, takes us on a journey through 20 years of the outlet industry – from site identification, planning, construction, leading to exit funding and marketing. Much has changed, but the basic principles have remained the same.

The revival of Swiss shopping centers – shopping centers that combine shopping convenience and experience offer the highest added value.

In December 2023, London’s luxury department store, Harrods, unveiled two new womenswear rooms dedicated to occasionwear and swimwear, as part of its redevelopment project at its Knightsbridge home. umdasch The Store Makers was entrusted with bringing Harrods’ vision to life – implementing the shopfitting based on a concept by David Collins Studio. The result sets the stage for an ideal shopping experience tailored to special occasions.

“In reading up for this commentary on outlet malls, I was surprised to learn that the concept has been around for a surprisingly long time, especially in the US”, states Susan Hagerty Bonsak, CEO of Placewise.

After a record year in 2023, Designer Outlet Parndorf hopes to build on its 2019 figures in terms of international tourism this year. ACROSS spoke to Mario Schwann, General Manager of Designer Outlet Parndorf, about the return of international tourists, the potential of visitors from Southern Asia and Middle East, and the importance of cooperation, among other things.

Social and geopolitical developments have dominated the placemaking industry in recent years. During these challenging times, important issues, such as location marketing, have been overshadowed by others – and not just in the media. While this may seem understandable at first glance, it has now become clear that companies that have continuously focused on the issues of market positioning and professional location marketing are more fit for the future. ACROSS spoke with Sebastian Guth, Managing Director of 21Media, about what good location campaigns look like, the differences between B2B and B2C campaigns, and why operators who fail to focus on marketing will lose out in the medium term.