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Retail

On 23 April 2025, after a construction phase of around one and a half years, umdasch The Store Makers celebrated the opening of its expanded production and office space at its Czech site in Litomyšl. The investment in additional capacity is an important step for the shopfitting company to strengthen its own production and versatile service portfolio in Europe.

In 2025, the recovery of Europe’s grocery retail market is expected to gain momentum. CEOs in Europe are slightly more optimistic than they were last year despite the next few years remaining challenging, with low volume growth and sustained pressure on profitability, points out a new study by McKinsey & Company.

Kaufland Marketplace is continuing its international growth course and further establishes itself as one of the largest international e-commerce providers with its expansion into France and Italy. Both marketplaces are scheduled to go live in late summer.

The purchase and subsequent return of clothing articles due to their potentially wrong right size or fit is an everyday headache for consumers as well as fashion e-retailers. To reduce returns and make the purchases more accurate, Munich-based startup Sizekick uses artificial intelligence and exact body measurements, while also boosting retailers’ conversion.

As the very first outlet center in Spain, Las Rozas The Style Outlets has been catering to the needs of customers since 1996. The center, which can very well be described as historic, is now undergoing a planned refurbishment project that will update the location both inside and outside, making it the “Place Of The Week” for ACROSS.

By 2035, Gen Y will account for the largest share of global spending on air travel, which is why travel retail must do everything it can to remain relevant to this target group. Millennials’ demand for experiences is also shaping their purchasing and travel behavior, forcing retailers to rethink their store design and marketing strategies. Together with the subsequent Gen Z – whose values are guided by topics such as digitalization, authenticity and sustainability – these generations are not only influencing retail in general, but also the concept of the airport of tomorrow.

JYSK opened the first two stores in Casablanca, Morocco. The opening not only establishes JYSK’s presence in Africa but also marks a significant milestone as the company expands into its 50th country.

FACTORY outlet centers across Poland, operated by NEINVER, are gaining momentum with new store openings and significant expansions from long-standing retail partners. The latest updates to the brand portfolio, totaling nearly 2,200 sq m of added retail space, underscore outlet retail’s growing appeal and NEINVER’s commitment to supporting brand growth.

Westfield Shopping City Süd is taking the next big step in its sustainability efforts: Austria’s largest and most diverse shopping center has been awarded “Better Places Certification”, the first comprehensive sustainability standard for shopping centers that also covers environmental and social aspects.

The Main-Taunus-Zentrum welcomes another attraction: a new “Food Garden” opened in the shopping center in Sulzbach near Frankfurt am Main, planned and fully let after a construction period of around 15 months.

The recently opened Wonderwoods in Utrecht, the Netherlands, stands out for its unique combination of living, working and leisure in a unique urban green oasis, setting a new standard for urban development. This mixed-use project in Utrecht’s Beurskwartier district brings nature and urban dynamics together in two iconic towers with 75,000 plants and shrubs and 300 trees forming a one-hectare vertical forest.

Westfield Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity officially opened its doors on April 8. By combining retail and experience concepts, Überseequartier could become a tourism magnet and economic driver that will further strengthen Hamburg as a metropolis. However, this success is not guaranteed for Hamburg, as there is also the danger of a weakening of the city center.