Expect retail to regain popularity as an asset class especially in tourism-led locations, Colliers International said at MIPIM 2019. Whilst logistics has benefited from the growth in e-retailing, there are signs that is has hit maximum penetration across Europe. In the meantime, pure-play retailers are resorting to omni-channel strategies to survive and deliver profits. This has put the onus back on the need for retail space supported by modern logistic facilities.

Immofinanz is continuing the expansion of its Stop Shop retail park chain in Serbia with its tenth Stop Shop retail park, located in Sremska Mitrovica.

In 2018, retail investment volume reached a record high of €2.5 billion in Poland. Retail was the second most sought-after sector after offices, accounting for 34% of all investment activity in Poland. Paweł Nowakowski, Head of Capital Markets at Cresa Poland, predicts in the latest “Retail Occupier Economics” report that this year may be equally good for Poland.

Cresa has prepared its latest report “Retail Occupier Economics” on the condition of the Polish retail market with data on retail stock by format and location, planned supply, retail space saturation rates, retail sales growth, new brands on the market and investor interest in the sector.

Cushman & Wakefield has become the new property manager for Myslbek, the iconic multi-purpose building owned by AEW. As part of Cushman & Wakefield’s international collaboration, its Polish office has become the manager of two major shopping and office centres in Poland, Klif in Gdynia, Klif House of Fashion and Klif Tower in Warsaw from the same owners. Both offices assume their property management duties in February 2019.

New retail supply amounted to approximately 420,000 sqm in 2018, pushing Poland’s total retail stock up by 3% to 14.7 million sqm. Nearly 30% of the new supply was completed in small-scale shopping centres and retail parks (sized below 20,000 sqm). Extensions of existing shopping centres and retail parks delivered approximately 60,000 sqm of new retail space. Cushman & Wakefield presented a summary of the Polish retail market in 2018.

AFI Europe announced that it would start building a retail park in Arad by the end of this year. The developer will invest €40 million in the project located on an 80,000 sqm land plot, zf.ro reports.

Oasis Retail Development & Consulting has entered into a partnership with Austrian-based group Supernova for the development of Prima Shopping Center Sibiu. The 40,000 sqm retail park is located north of the city centre.

Construction works have started on the extension of the Colosseum commercial centre in the northwestern part of Bucharest. Colosseum Mall represents the most important retail development in Bucharest during the last three years, a period during which the purchasing power per capita at the city level increased by almost 20%.

The expected reduction in construction activity in 2019 indicates the maturity of the traditional retail format market. New opportunities for owners and tenants come in the form of mixed-use projects and omni-channel retailing. JLL summarised the Polish retail market in 2018.