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placemaking

In the 60th anniversary year of the future Westfield Ruhr Park in Bochum, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) is crowning the success story of one of the largest shopping and leisure destinations in Germany: Westfield Ruhr Park will be the third destination in Germany to bear the internationally renowned Westfield brand name, alongside Westfield Centro in Oberhausen and Westfield Hamburg Überseequartier.

“The money is there but is selective” – There are and will always be investments in retail real estate. Investing in retail real estate is particularly attractive since the industry has come through the crisis faster than other asset classes. In the latest ACROSS Retail Talk, “Euphoria, a new dawn, or more of the same?” sheds light on the investor’s perspective for 2024, a high-caliber panel concluded: There are more opportunities than ever, not only in the CEE-market, but also in so called struggling markets like Germany and Spain.

There are 211 major outlet centres in Europe. Differences in brand line up have created a clear performance hierarchy of sites, which is widely understood by outlet professionals, states Ken Gunn in his lastest European Outlet Ranking. It is possible to use this hierarchy to profile brands by the performance quality of their locations and ultimately rank outlet centres by the strength of brands present.

Shopping centers with high vacancy rates vs. booming outlets – so why not combine shopping centers and outlets? Haslinger Retail Real Estate Consulting is doing just that in St. Augustin, Germany: Huma World is a hybrid center with an outlet on the upper floor and a classic shopping center offering on the lower floors. In short, it is a weatherproof outlet with many restaurants and extended services. Michael Haslinger explains the advantages for brands, owners, and customers and why hybrid centers are not cure-all for the struggling shopping center sector.

All outlet players have worked hard to improve their attractivity, engage new retailers, offer more exciting Food & Beverage formats, provide more premium hospitality services and realize strong marketing campaigns, states Caroline Lamy, CEO of Magdus and the CL Outlet Consulting company. In this interview, she gives an overview of the European Outlet market.

“Investors and Retailers often want too much too soon.” Christian Alexander Kuntze, the founder of NEXXT IN RETAIL, critically examines the expansion strategies of large and small companies. He explains the biggest mistakes made during expansion and how start-up businesses can avoid them. His most important advice before any expansion is: Know your DNA!

MK Illumination, the global leader in festive decorative lighting, headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria, has announced the successful acquisition of 100% of the capital of AM Experience Group. This strategic move, finalized on January 30, represents a significant achievement for MK Illumination, positioning the company for enhanced diversification and business growth in the Iberian region.

UŠĆE Shopping Center, jointly owned by MPC Properties and Atterbury Europe, has announced its ambitious redevelopment project to elevate the shopping experience. The project, set to revamp the center’s infrastructure and offerings, promises to blend exciting new features with modern amenities, solidifying its position as a hub for leisure, socializing, and shopping.

Reinventing the high street: With the redevelopment projects of two iconic assets in Paris, one on Boulevard Haussmann and one on Rue de Rivoli, Redevco not only shows how historic buildings can be transformed into innovative multi-functional destinations, but, in the case of Boulevard Haussmann also how space can be showcased even during a redevelopment.

“Great placemaking means rethinking investment, business and operating models,” states William Kistler, Founder and Managing Partner of UrbanOvation, in the latest “Industry Outlook 2024”.

The Compass Group has been won as the operator of the Foodhall in the new FOUR Frankfurt city quarter. Food Affairs GmbH, a company of Compass Group Deutschland GmbH, intends to curate the approximately 3,000 sq m space according to international standards and develop it into one of Frankfurt’s top food addresses.

The construction of Designer Outlet Kraków is at an advanced stage, with the building reaching the open shell phase. Located in Kraków’s city center at one of the most popular arteries in the city, Designer Outlet Kraków will benefit from a catchment area of almost 5 million inhabitants and a great tourism potential. The opening is planned for spring 2025.