Primark's first Hungarian store which will be opened in NEPI Rockcastle's Arena Mall shopping centre in Budapest is part of the ongoing expansion of the global retail chain.

Some 100,000 sqm of new retail spaces were delivered last year in Romania, of which 80% were integrated in retail parks, while new projects with a leasable area of around 230,000 sqm are expected in 2023, which would be a 6-year high, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Property group NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in Romania, has secured a green loan totalling €‎60 million for Ploiești Shopping City from a syndicate of banks. 

This is the first shopping centre in Hungary to be given such an award in the construction phase. The property, developed by the Hungarian company Futureal was opened in late 2021. 

The Czech retail market once again proved its appeal to retail brands, with 38 new arrivals last year. That is the same figure as in 2021 when the influx of 38 new brands was partly the result of the postponement of some entries due to the pandemic. These numbers represent a roughly 50% increase compared to 2019 (22 brands) and 2020 (25 brands), according to the Cushman & Wakefield analysis of the Czech retail market in 2022.

Immofinanz has significantly expanded its retail portfolio in the 2022 financial year. As a result of acquisitions and completions, the portfolio has grown from 111 to 169 locations in ten European countries over the course of the year, with a carrying amount of approximately €2.3 billion (excluding S Immo). Rentable space increased by nearly 30% to approximately 1.36 million sqm.

Slovak construction company HSF System SK has completed the general delivery of two more shopping centres in Slovakia. In Kysucke Nové Mesto, which is located in the Žilina region, the shopping gallery Obchodná galéria Naša was opened to the public. In Košice, a new SIKO shopping centre was built.

From December 22 this year, customers travelling on the Wielkopolska Motorway will be able to make quick purchases in two Żabka stores located in motorway service areas, the so-called MOPs - Gnilec (the last rest stop before the German border) and Sosna (the first rest stop point after entering Poland from Germany). The new format includes the 9000th and 9001st jubilee stores. The new format is tailored to the needs of travellers, who can benefit from an extended range of hot snacks, coffee, and sandwiches or salads. 

According to the results of the survey conducted by Colliers among consumers from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, respondents indicated that they would spend less or the same amount of money on food and gifts (50% and 74%, respectively) when compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. Thanks to high inflation, the money will not stretch quite as far as in previous years. The survey also showed an increased awareness of the problem of food waste - reducing the amount of groceries bought for this reason was declared by Hungarians (24%), Poles (18%) and Romanians (16%).

Trei Real Estate just opened another retail park of its Vendo Park brand in Poland. It is located in Mielec, a small town of around 61,000 residents in the Podkarpackie or Subcarpathian voivodeship in south-eastern Poland. The new Vendo Park has a lettable area of around 7,000 square meters and is occupied by twelve retailers and a supermarket. On the whole, Trei invested c. €11.9 million in the property. As a result, the Vendo Park portfolio of Trei has just increased to a total of 42 retail parks, 32 of which are located in Poland while the others are in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.