Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, Germany’s largest department store chain owned by Austrian Sign Group, has initiated its third insolvency procedure in less than four years over financial issues.

Local developer Chain Bridge Venture Kft. (CBV) has launched a new development project aiming to build a state-of-the-art multifunctional centre not far from the Puskás Ferenc Stadium and Papp László sports arena. The handover is expected in 2026.

A record number of new brands entered the Czech retail market last year. In the past ten years, since Cushman & Wakefield has been closely monitoring this activity, none equalled the 2023 list of 39 new retail brands.

CPI Property Group has appointed CBRE as manager of its Stop Shop retail park portfolio in Serbia, which comprises 14 retail parks in 14 cities and more than 120,000 sqm of leasable area. CBRE will provide integrated asset management solutions, including financial and property accounting services, leasing services, and will oversee all operational aspects of the property and tenants.

Romanian developer One United Properties has secured a loan deal with Alpha Bank Group with a value up to €30.5 million for the development of One Gallery, a retail gallery based in northern Bucharest that is part of One Floreasca City mixed-use scheme.

The food court in the Europa Shopping Center in Banská Bystrica has undergone significant changes, reports Aktuality.sk. It offers bigger choice of F&B options, new premises and self-service ordering kiosks as improved UX for their customers.

The Greenfield Plaza shopping centre, which is located in the Greenfield Băneasa project developed by Impact Developer & Contractor has obtained the BREEAM Excellent certification following the evaluation carried out by BuildGreen.

The new OC Tehelko shopping centre, part of the National Football Stadium complex in Bratislava, was opened by developer Grafobal Group, owned by businessman Ivan Kmotrík, INDEX reports.

UX (user experience) has in recent years been a buzzword in discussions about attracting retail customers. However, nothing puts consumers’ emotions and well-being to the test more than the pre-Christmas frenzy and visits to shopping centres. According to Cushman & Wakefield’s retail customer experience survey, 42% of Polish respondents say that their shopping experience is impacted by sound and music, with 41% and 38% citing the interior design and lighting in a shopping centre respectively. Over 40% of the surveyed respondents say that they are irritated by crowds and noise when shopping. These are important insights for property landlords and managers responsible for creating optimal conditions that will drive positive shopping experiences.

In 2024, PSN will begin a two-year reconstruction of the famous functionalist building in the centre of Pardubice. The first republican Grand Hotel, which served as a shopping centre for over 20 years, will now be transformed into a modern shopping centre with full preservation of the original legacy of the architect Gočár. The renovation is expected to cost €12.331 million, PSN estimates.