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.

Neinver has taken over the management of Silesia Outlet located in Silesia, Poland. The outlet centre currently being developed is scheduled to open this spring in the city of Gliwice. The investor of the facility is 6B47, one of the leading developers in the German-speaking countries. Neinver will be responsible for management, marketing and leasing.

HB Reavis has received a syndicated loan of €175 million for the construction of the Nivy Station project in Bratislava. The loan is processed through a bank consortium of UniCredit Bank, Tatra banka, ČSOB and HYPO-BANK Burgenland, the transaction agent is UniCredit Bank. HB Reavis utilised the first part of the loan in December of 2018.

Large retail chains operating mainly in shopping centres maintained an average growth rate of 12% in 2018, similar to 2017 and double the advance in consumption, which increased by 5.9% during the first ten months of the year, according to the second edition of Retailers' METRICS study by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Poseidon Group continues to invest in the Serbian retail market by bringing its Capitol Park brand of retail parks to Zajecar in spring 2019.

Galeria Bronowice, managed by Ceetrus Poland, received the BREEAM-In-Use Certificate with the highest “Excellent” rating. The document confirms that the facility in Kraków is an environmentally-friendly building operating in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Galeria Bronowice received this distinction in two categories, for building management and for the building itself.

According to JLL, the retail stock in Poland has already exceeded 14 million sqm, and in 2018 alone expanded by approximately 417,000 sqm of new space across all formats. The largest openings this year included the Forum Gdańsk (62,000 sqm), Libero in Katowice (45,000 sqm) and Gemini Park in Tychy (36,600 sqm)

The City of Warsaw and JLL will implement a pilot program aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the Warsaw City Centre in the eyes of potential tenants and customers. The changes will be introduced starting with Marszałkowska and Aleje Jerozolimskie Streets.

Developer Nova Imobiliare has started the construction works for Colosseum Mall as part of the expansion plan for its Colosseum shopping centre. The construction of the mall will be carried out by Axa Trans Construct, designated as the general contractor following a selection process.