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MINISO, the lifestyle product retailer offering high-quality household goods, cosmetics, food, and toys has signed a 10-year lease on 270 sq m at Basingstoke’s Festival Place. The new store, which opened on Saturday the 10th of December, is the thirteenth to open in the UK, the second in South East England and the first in Hampshire.

As a center launched 20 years ago, Festival Place was originally designed for an era in which ‘big box’ retailers dominated. The demise of high street brands such as Debenhams and Topshop changed the landscape for retail landlords, while the breakneck pace of the e-commerce revolution and the subsequent impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have changed consumer behaviour irrevocably. The team behind Festival Place have responded with a renewed emphasis on the leisure offer, closer engagement with the local community and delivering a range of events and services that all serve to keep the center relevant and to drive continued footfall.

European retail sales have declined in the month of October as consumers struggle with the increased cost of living. However, the real effect will become the new reality in 2023. During Christmas season, shopping places such as the shopping centers managed by the Austrian SES have performed very good. One reason is the focus on a positive customer experience.

BALFIN Group is receiving a corporate loan from the International Finance Corporation, following a positive evaluation of its operations and standards according to well-established criteria. This amount will be used to refinance the expansion of Tirana East Gate, so that it ultimately creates more jobs, boosts local production, and promotes competitiveness in the retail market.

Congratulations to all MAPIC Awards winners, who were honoured for their excellence, innovation, and creativity in the retail real estate sector.

The role of shopping center events has changed: So-called “community events” have become increasingly common. They often replace traditional event formats that have dominated the center event scene for many years. André Stromeyer, Managing Director at HBB, and Anita Stampfl, Special Projects Manager at HBB discuss why the situation is the way it is, where the advantages and challenges lie, and why this fact does not make center marketing any easier.

Meeting customer expectations for omnichannel experiences is key to the success of the mall of the future, argues Peter Tonstad in his PropTech column. His company, Placewise, is heavily investing in products in order to address the longer-term expectation that shopping centers will become true omnichannel offerings.

The city of Bamberg has approved the development plan for the LEZ 14 shopping center on the “Am Laubanger” site. Thus the green light has been given to the FIM Group to convert the former retail park into a modern shopping center. The tenant mix of around 7,100 sq m of retail space includes Lidl, Rossmann, TK Maxx, Media Markt and Der Beck. The opening is planned for the first quarter of 2023.

Why should customers visit stores in which they know exactly what to expect? In order to captivate their guests, stationary stores need a network of creative ideas, event plans, a talent for creating narratives, and a considerable amount of boldness. Therefore, some old dogmas have to be thrown overboard.

Despite all challenges, a lot is happening in the retail real estate industry and great projects are in the making. This is best illustrated by the entries for the MAPIC Awards 2022 category “Best performing Shopping Center”. They include assets such as shopping centers, outlets, and retail parks. They show innovation through new technologies, customer loyalty programs, retail mixes and architectural features which come together for the aim of increasing footfall, customer satisfaction, average spending and offering a unique experience in a new shopping destination. All these outstanding projects demonstrate the strength, innovation, and positivity of our industry.

Multi Corporation has refurbished and extended Forum Palermo. The project included an extension of the food court, a reclassification of store space, new anchor stores and an investment in energy savings. These proactive asset management initiatives have resulted in higher rental income and sales, whilst reducing energy consumption, and driving operational efficiency.

It was time, once again, in mid-November, for the annual ACSP Congress. The congress holds a valuable spot in a long tradition, yet much has changed compared to previous years: New topic, new location, new chairman, new, and younger, participants, and a new moderator.

The prospect of getting a slice of UK retail is not without its risks, regardless of whether the bottom of the market has been hit in terms of shopping center investment. For many first-time buyers in this asset class, the time to focus on getting the basics right has come.

After last year’s huge success, the second trade fair for D2C brands will take place from November 14th until December 10th, 2022, at Berlin’s ALEXA shopping and leisure center. 12 Direct Brands will present their products offline at ALEXA. A shopping experience for all the senses that even the best online store cannot offer will be created in the innovatively designed showroom with the help of art installations and a lounge area, food tastings and cosmetics workshops. A win-win-win for the brands, the customers and for ALEXA.

On the 11th of November 2022, another owner-operated store opened in QUARREE with a unique concept: It’s Party Time offers creative accessories for cake and cupcake decorating, party table accessories and personalized gift baskets. Services include gift delivery by comic mascots, custom cakes and event organization.

Braehead, one of the UK’s most popular retail and leisure destinations, owned by property company SGS and managed by Global Mutual, is pleased to announce the opening of a new GAP store this November.

Galeria Dominikanska, owned by ATRIUM European Real Estate, is a 32,600 sq m urban shopping center located in the heart of Wroclaw City, one of Poland’s fastest-growing markets. Partnering with Placewise, the center launched #maszokazje, a new, more comprehensive loyalty program that offered their customers more than just lunchtime food discounts.

Greenman OPEN sets the course for the digital future. Last weekend, the management teamed up with Karlsruhe-based metaverse infrastructure provider Mapstar AG for a Halloween event to show how digitalization can change the retail landscape. With its Metaverse for the real world, Mapstar made it possible for the visitors of the Biesdorf Center to use their own smartphones to merge the boundaries of reality with those of the digital world.