The rate of shopping centre development in Europe is slowing, with completions down 23% year-on-year at 3.8 million sqm 2017, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest European Shopping Centres report.

More than 180,000 sqm of retail space was added to the Polish retail market in H1 2018 and another 330,000 sqm is expected to be completed by year-end 2018. This will represent an increase of over 25% year-on-year, bringing Poland’s total retail stock to more than 14,800,000 sqm. The new supply will be concentrated in cities with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, accounting for 40% of this year’s openings. Cushman & Wakefield has published another edition of its MarketBeat report.

Retail deliveries in Romania will return to a positive trend in the second half of 2018, when at least 90,000 square meters will be delivered in four cities, with no openings scheduled for Bucharest, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Savills became the property manager of the Zgorzelec Plaza shopping and entertainment centre owned by the M7 Real Estate fund.

Ploiesti Shopping City, developed by Carrefour Property Romania and NEPI Rockcastle, has announced an investment of €1 million in remodelling its food court area.

Total retail stock in Poland now stands at nearly 14.0 million sqm with shopping centres accounting for 71% (9.9 million sqm), followed by retail parks and warehouses with 27% (3.8 million sqm) and outlet centres coming in with 2% (0.25 million sqm). JLL summarised H1 2018 on the retail market in Poland.

A good location is the key to success in retail. It may, however, take some time before a suitable store is found for a brand entering the Polish market. Most brands want to open their first stores in Warsaw. That’s why retailers would rather wait than start off somewhere else, says Szymon Łukasik, Head of Retail Department at Cresa Poland.

Tesco and Carrefour have announced their intention to enter into a long-term, strategic alliance. The alliance will cover the strategic relationship with global suppliers, the joint purchasing of own brand products and goods not for resale. It will be governed by a three-year operational framework.

Shopping centres remain the dominant retail format on the Polish market. Poland now has more than 420 shopping centres that provide 10.5 million sqm, accounting for 73% of the country’s total retail stock. Retail experts at Cresa Poland analysed the Polish retail market

19 % of all existing shopping centres in the Czech Republic have been refurbished to date. Further revitalizations are yet to be completed, according to Cushman & Wakefield.