ACROSS Magazine

20/12/2024

🔔 With 2024 coming to an end, it is also the time to get together with family and friends, relax, reflect, review the past year, recharge your batteries and make plans for the coming year.

Therefore, we close our office from December 23, 2024, to January 6, 2025.

ACROSS wishes everyone Happy Holidays and a great start to the New Year! On January 7, 2025, we will return with the latest news and exciting insights for our readers.

Therefore, we close our office from December 23, 2024, to January 6, 2025. Looking back on this year, we can gratefully say that 2024 was much more constant than expected. Although significant challenges continued to impact our personal and professional lives this year, the industry is generally in....

20/12/2024

Skechers has opened a new flagship store in the center of Prague, with the destination featuring an extensive offering of footwear, apparel and accessories.

Located on a boulevard frequented by 120,000 people daily, the 596-meter store at Na Příkopě 9 showcases the brand’s new and popular lifestyle footwear collections and features dedicated Skechers Performance focal walls, apparel and accessory sections, and products for every age and activity, i...

19/12/2024

The COVID-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza have had a lasting impact on people’s lives. Worries and hardships have changed, and consumers have adjusted their spending behavior accordingly. A global consumer survey by GfK - a NielsenIQ Company shows that European consumers are very critical of their economic situation compared to the previous year.



https://www.across-magazine.com/gfk-consumer-fears-and-adaptation-strategies-europeans-are-adapting-their-purchasing-behavior/

18/12/2024

💡 Episode 10 of our ACROSS Discuss F&B Insights series is out!

In the tenth installment of the ACROSS Discuss series, Will Odwarka, Founder and CEO of Heartatwork Hospitality Consulting, and Jonathan Doughty, Managing Director of Viklari Consulting, discuss what questions property owners, operators, and brands need to ask to be able to address the changing consumer demand, especially when it comes to F&B.

https://www.across-magazine.com/across-discuss-ep-10-consumer-demand-is-in-constant-change-dont-look-back/

Two top industry professionals talk about the opportunities and challenges of retail gastronomy. Will Odwarka and Jonathan Doughty are among the most experienced F&B experts in the retail gastronomy scene in Europe. In the tenth installment of the ACROSS Discuss series, they discuss what questions p...

18/12/2024

In many ways 2024 has been a challenging environment for the sector. German consumers have been caught between slow wage growth and wider political uncertainty, both domestically and abroad. A weakened overall market in Germany also effects Potsdamer Platz. However, when consumer demand tightens you can still be successful if you have the right tenant mix, says Katharina Treiber, Senior Vice President Asset Management at Brookfield Properties Germany.

By Katharina Treiber You need go with demand and focus on shifting patterns of behaviour. In the late 2010s, when we were planning the redevelopments and retail strategy for Potsdamer Platz, we identified a change in consumer behaviour which has accelerated in the 2020s. By focusing on unique joyful...

17/12/2024

Isak Andic, Mango’s founder and non-executive Chairman, has passed away in a hiking accident, announced the Spanish fashion group.

Spanish media reported the 71-year-old fell down a ravine while hiking in caves that are part of a mountain range near Barcelona. It is with deep regret that we announce the unexpected death of Isak Andic, our non-executive Chairman and founder of Mango. Isak has been an example for all of us. He de...

17/12/2024

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is once again strengthening the attractiveness of the shopping and leisure destination in North Rhine-Westphalia: for this purpose, rental areas of anchor partners are being comprehensively expanded to establish flagship formats and, at the same time, new brands are being brought on board to further diversify the product range at the center. In this context, Westfield Centro is also announcing several market entries in Germany. A number of the new partners are also placing a particular focus on sustainability in their business model.

Among others, Stradivarius is opening a new store at Westfield Centro next year, while the other Inditex brands Bershka and PULL&BEAR are modernizing and expanding their rental areas. Meanwhile, the conversion of the new 6,000 sq m unit for the future Zara flagship store is in full swing. Other fash...

16/12/2024

Well deserved honor: Rüdiger Dany, CEO of NEPI Rockcastle, received the lifetime achievement award at the prestigious 19th SEE Property Awards. This prize recognizes and celebrates Rüdiger Dany’s incredible 30-year career and his invaluable contribution to the real estate industry. In 2024, he continued to write his personal success story and that of NEPI Rockcastle. Probably no other company performed as well as NEPI in 2024. Reason enough to talk to Rüdiger Dany about the highlights of his company as well as current developments and challenges.

ACROSS: WHICH INDUSTRY TOPIC WERE YOU PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT IN 2024? RÜDIGER DANY: A big concern at the start of the year was inflation and how this would relate to the level of interest rates. As the year progressed inflation began to decline, fortunately, and central banks reacted to that ...

16/12/2024

The European outlet market is saturated; there are only a few white spaces. Rioja Estates is one of the most experienced European pre-developers and, as such, the first authority to decide whether a location can work. In an interview with ACROSS, Giles Membrey examines the outlet market in 2024 and explains why all players should urgently address technology, which markets in Europe still have potential, and how his company’s focus areas are changing.

ACROSS: AS WE APPROACH THE END OF THE YEAR, WHERE DOES THE EUROPEAN OUTLET INDUSTRY STAND AT THE END OF 2024? GILES MEMBREY: 2024 has been a solid year for outlet retail. We are still seeing massive growth in sales densities throughout Europe even though there have not been many new developments –...

16/12/2024

As the year draws to a close, Reinhard Winiwarter, founder and publisher of ACROSS Magazine, and Klaus Striebich, Managing Director of RaRE Advise and Head of the ACROSS Advisory Board, pause to reflect on the retail real estate industry’s current state. Although 2024 has shown many positives, the two industry experts are concerned about one thing: the possibility that many industry players will not be able to keep up with the speed of change.

By Reinhard Winiwarter The doors to MAPIC 2024 closed a good two weeks ago. Some time to reflect has passed. MAPIC is something like the industry’s pulse meter. It shows whether 2024 has delivered what it promised and our mood as we head into 2025. We left this year’s MAPIC with mixed feelings. ...

16/12/2024

📢 ACROSS is excited to present this year's last Online Special “Hashtag 2024 – Where the Industry Stands”!

https://www.across-magazine.com/special-issue-where-the-industry-stands/

The end of the year is always an opportunity to look back, perhaps question some things, but above all, to set the course for the future. Looking back, we can gratefully say that 2024 was much more constant than expected. Significant challenges have nonetheless impacted our personal and professional lives. It would be wrong to deny the problems and play down their impact, but the industry is generally in a better position at the end of 2024 than expected.

This Online Special also takes a look back. Together with the Head of the ACROSS Advisory Board, Klaus Striebich, we look at where the industry stands at the end of 2024. Rüdiger Dany, CEO of NEPI Rockcastle, does the same. He has recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and we can all learn a lot from his expertise, especially in the CEE region. The retail real estate categories that also proved in 2024 that they are the true drivers of the industry are retail parks and outlets. With its Retail Pin, the MEC has launched an exciting new format explicitly designed to discuss the future of retail parks with key stakeholders. With Giles Membrey, Rioja Estates, I have gained an interview partner from the outlet sector who has an extreme sensitivity for the markets like hardly any other outlet developer. Brookfield is in the process of setting new standards in the German market. Katharina Treiber, Senior Vice President at Brookfield Properties, explains the company’s plans beyond the Playce. Last but not least, we present what the BALFIN Group and ACREM have achieved in Tirana, Albania, with the TEG, among others. I say it repeatedly: it is worth taking a look at Southeastern Europe.

We hope you enjoy reading the latest edition of our Online Special and wish all our readers happy holidays and a peaceful end to the year.

13/12/2024

The outlet channel continues its success story, demonstrating high performance, attracting a steady influx of top brand names, and delivering outstanding value to both shoppers and tenants. NEINVER’s Leasing & Retail Director, Joan Rouras, highlights the company’s strategic approach to driving growth across its locations, ensuring that each center thrives in an increasingly competitive market.

By Joan Rouras The growth trend has continued this year, with positive results throughout NEINVER’S outlet portfolio with 16 centers in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands. We closed the first half of the year with brand sales outperforming last year’s record results by 8%....

12/12/2024

ShoppingCity Wels can look back on a challenging but successful 2024. Thanks to an attractive mix of sectors and its strategic focus, SCW was able to welcome several high-caliber newcomers this year.

BILLA has been enriching the center since December 5, 2024 with a modern and spacious supermarket on 800m² of retail space, which offers regional products and a well thought-out shopping experience. This strengthens its role as a local supplier. Also, the Italian boutiques Moda Milano & Bella Scarp...

12/12/2024

Following the existing advisory and letting mandate, IPH will take over full center management for the concept shopping mall of the “BIKINI BERLIN” ensemble at the Zoologischer Garten in Berlin as of 1 January 2025.

The owner, Bayerische Hausbau Real Estate, is thus relying on the expertise of the IPH Group to implement its strategic market adjustment of the famous 1950s ensemble. The shopping center, which reopened in 2014, comprises 17,000 square meters of retail space and will be comprehensively managed by I...

11/12/2024

Over the past decade, the retail landscape has undergone a seismic transformation redefining the very essence of the sector. Customers’ expectations of convenience, personalization, experience, community, and sustainability have changed dramatically. The purpose of physical stores is being redefined, with goods and products taking a backseat to experiences. Today, successful retail destinations are those that cultivate connection, joy, and community.

This evolution was the focal point of a breakfast roundtable hosted by Brookfield Properties in London earlier this year. As a leading global developer and operator of high-quality real estate assets, Brookfield Properties is at the forefront of navigating these changes in real estate development. T...

11/12/2024

With the expansion of the Gebr. Heinemann Duty Free Shop in Terminal 1 of Vienna Airport, umdasch The Store Makers is once again setting new standards in travel retail. The shop, which opened in September, offers travellers not only a larger selection of products, but also a unique shopping experience that meets the highest demands in terms of aesthetics and functionality – and all this on a total area of around 2,000 sq m.

Gebr. Heinemann’s Main Shop Plaza has been expanded from 1,200 sq m to around 2,000 sq m, making it the largest travel retail experience in Austria. The newly acquired space creates room for particularly popular product categories such as sunglasses, leather goods, sneakers and exclusive niche fra...