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Susan Hagerty Bonsak is the new CEO of Placewise and, in this role, one of the recent members of the ACROSS Advisory Board. She strongly believes in footfall and the future of physical malls. In her first interview with ACROSS, she shares her view on the European shopping center industry, the importance of data connected with technology, and why a collaborative focus of all stakeholders is so important.

In the heart of Riga, a revolution in retail festivity is unfolding. Spice Riga, a leading shopping center, is transforming into a breathtaking Christmas paradise, thanks to a groundbreaking collaboration with MK Illumination. This bespoke project, planned for 2023–2025, is not just a decoration initiative, but a reimagination of the shopping experience during the most wonderful time of the year.

After the extended Eurovea waterfront that includes Slovakia’s first skyscraper and the success of debut London projects, now J&T REAL ESTATE (JTRE) present Downtown Yards – a truely community orientated mixed use project.

Peel is celebrating a milestone year for Trafford Palazzo, the UK’s first next-generation experience centre. With nearly 5600 sq m of new deals secured in 2023, investment into TP Glow – Trafford Palazzo’s dedicated white box promotional space – and exciting developments adjacent to the centre, the destination has grown its footfall by 7% in the year.

The grand opening of Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in Hamburg, scheduled to take place in spring 2024, will mark the completion of Unibail-Rodamco Westfield’s (URW) largest inner-city development project. In an interview with ACROSS, Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director Austria & Germany, talks about the role of retail and lifestyle destinations in modern society, the five trends that must be observed, and why size matters.

It’s a good and atmospheric start to the pre-Christmas business: that much can be said after the first Advent weekend and a high-turnover Black Week in the previous week. Center operator SES and store owners are entering the coming weeks in an optimistic mood.

The F&B sector has changed significantly in recent years, not only in terms of the size of the market, but also in the variety and quality of the offering. As rents continue to rise in Europe, space previously dominated by fashion retailers is now being occupied by trendy gastronomic restaurants. People have evolved from collecting “things” to collecting “experiences”, and shopping centers have adapted to this change by improving and expanding their gastronomic offerings. Food and beverage (F&B) will play an even more crucial role in the success of retail real estate.

The biggest challenge facing the F&B industry is the cost of doing business. While the coronavirus has run its course through the markets, operators are struggling to return to profitability in the face of current economic challenges. Ian Hanlon, Director of Coverpoint, explains how the current challenges can be addressed and highlights trends in the shopping center food scene using best practice examples from the industry.

The European shopping center market overvalues design and investment but needs to pay more attention to atmosphere, interaction, and service, says Will Odwarka. This hurts the centers and especially their gastronomy section. The founder and CEO of Dubai-based Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting explains in his conversation with ACROSS editor Reinhard Winiwarter why excellent, personable service is the prerequisite for everything in the field of gastronomy.

Time Out Market is one of the first food hall concepts in Europe. From Lisbon, it has expanded internationally. The list of interested parties, from cities, operators, and restaurants, who want to be part of this success story is long, but new locations are carefully chosen. Sandy Hayek, CEO of Time Out Market, and Ana Alcobia, VP Iberia, explain the USP of their concept, the criteria they use to select locations and restaurants, and why being a media house at its core is so crucial for their success.

Today, more than ever, a first-class location, excellent management, and continuous further development are decisive for the future of a retail property. In addition to the location-specific sector and tenant mix, the gastronomic offer is crucial for success – as ECE Marketplaces shows.

For a long time, the footwear market was one of the driving forces in the retail sector. Recently, however, hardly any other segment has seen as many insolvencies. However, where there are losers, there are always winners as well. In 2023, Deichmann is planning to make the highest corporate investment in its history – 500 million euros – and is investing in around 200 new locations worldwide.

This year’s MAPIC Awards honored winners across thirteen core categories, in addition to the People’s Choice categories and the winners of the MAPIC Academy—MAPIC’s inaugural start-up incubator sponsored by Nhood. The Awards reward exceptional retail brand performance and development, the latest cutting-edge solutions in sustainability and innovation, and the most recent real estate projects and redevelopments.

We are in the middle of a transformation, states MAPIC Director Francesco Pupillo. The changes in the retail world are also reflected in the changing role and face of MAPIC. This includes the presence and support of new players. But in the end, the purpose of the biggest industry fair stays the same: It is a dealmaking opportunity.

Today, more than ever, a first-class location, excellent management, and continuous further development are decisive for the future of a retail property. In addition to the location-specific sector and tenant mix, the gastronomic offer is crucial for success – as ECE Marketplaces shows.

Time Out Market is one of the first food hall concepts in Europe. From Lisbon, it has expanded internationally. The list of interested parties, from cities, operators, and restaurants, who want to be part of this success story is long, but new locations are carefully chosen. Sandy Hayek, CEO of Time Out Market, and Ana Alcobia, VP Iberia, explain the USP of their concept, the criteria they use to select locations and restaurants, and why being a media house at its core is so crucial for their success.

For good reasons, there has been increasing attention in recent years on environmental protection, energy efficiency, the reduction of CO2, as well as the economical use of land and sustainability. This also applies to synthetic commercial zones states a new research report by RegioData.

“Quarters are not defined by their developers, but by those who use, work, and live in them”, stated Christoph Andexlinger, Chairman of ACSP, and CEO of the Austrian shopping center market leader SES, in his opening speech at this year´s congress, which focused on city and town quarters, while presenting not only new ideas, but bringing numerous examples of quarters in practice.