Online shopping is continuing to grow in the European Union. With high street shopping affected by the COVID-19 restrictions and changes in habits and preferences, e-commerce can be expected to grow further. Data realised by Eurostat reveals that over the last five years, the largest increases in online shopping among internet users were recorded in CEE countries.

2020 was a year characterized by increased activity in regional cities in terms of commercial centre deliveries, but the delivery volume of new spaces will reduce strongly this year, according to the real estate consulting company Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Austria-based retail developer and operator SES Spar European Shopping Centers has announced the opening of a new retail park in the Hungarian city of Kaposvár which will take place on 11 March 2021. S-PARK Kaposvár is a supraregional supply centre featuring strong anchor stores, including the only Interspar market of the city, located in the southwest of the country. The addition of S-PARK Kaposvár increases SES’s property portfolio to a total of 30 shopping destinations in six countries.

The Castorama network of renovation and construction stores will expand with five new stores, which until recently operated under the Tesco brand. Each of them will be reconstructed, adapting not only to the standards of the new owner, according to DlaHandlu.pl.

Poland saw 33 new schemes delivered to the market in 2020 despite retail being in crisis. What does the future hold for the newly-built and existing shopping centres and retail parks? Beata Kokeli, Head of Retail Agency at Cushman & Wakefield, talks about trends in the retail sector.

Atrium European Real Estate Limited has priced a €300 million inaugural green bond offering due 5 September 2027 under its EMTN Programme. The New Green Notes are issued by Atrium Finance Issuer B.V. and are guaranteed by Atrium. An amount equal to the net proceeds of the offering will be allocated to finance or refinance eligible projects and assets.

Fashion House, part of  Liebrecht & wooD Group, announced that the new outlet from Bucharest is 70% leased and will open on March 25thh.

Close to 130,000 sq m was delivered to the market across all retail formats in Q4 2020, bringing last year’s total new supply to more than 340,000 sq m. Despite pandemic-related restrictions and successive lockdowns (7-28 November and from 28 December onwards), the fourth quarter witnessed 11 new retail completions and an outlet centre extension. Newly built schemes were sized under 20,000 sq m, and nearly half of the Q4 2020 new supply was delivered in cities below 50,000 inhabitants. Cushman & Wakefield summarizes current situation on Polish retail market.

Privately owned real estate developer Acteeum is preparing to launch the development of a new retail park named Ostróda Power Center in Poland’s Masurian region.

NEPI Rockcastle is starting the works for the extension of Promenada shopping centre in Bucharest, Ziarul Financiar informs, publishing a photo showing that the land is being prepared for construction.