This year’s increase in supply and the value of transactions in the retail sector in Poland have a chance to exceed last year's level, says Walter Herz.

Retail parks are growing in smaller Polish towns, mixed-use facilities and new residential estates provide commercial space in large cities, says Walter Herz.

Maxim Shkolnick, General Partner at CEE-based retail investor Focus Estate Fund talked to Property Forum about recent acquisitions in Poland, the Covid-driven evolution of the retail market and the astonishing popularity of convenience centres among investment funds.

Trei Real Estate, an international developer and asset holder for residential and retail real estate, just opened another retail park of its Vendo Park brand in Radzymin, Masovian voivodeship, close to Warsaw. The total amount invested was €3.1 million.

Polish/German-based investment group 4FI has launched a new convenience centre brand in Poland at the beginning of December. The first location of MOZAIKA in Kraków is located on the site of a former Tesco hypermarket.

Although the Polish retail market is still struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasts for the sector are more optimistic than for the rest of Europe. According to Oxford Economics, retail sales in Poland are expected to grow by 4.9% per annum until 2023, which would put Poland in a leading position in Europe. 2021 is expected to see approximately 209,000 sqm of GLA solely in retail parks come onto the market, meaning that 2021 would be a record breaking year for retail parks in terms of space delivered to the market. JLL and Trei Real Estate Poland, the authors of the 2nd edition of the "Retail parks and convenience centers in Poland" report, summarize the market regarding these projects at the end of H1 2021, and outline the development prospects for this sector in Poland.

London & Cambridge Properties (LCP) has completed the purchase of a retail park in Strzelce Opolskie, Southern Poland. It is already the 64th convenince store in the group's investment portfolio.

Investors’ interest in retail parks in Poland has been growing year-on-year. In 2020 this was the most sought-after retail class, taking up the majority of retail transactions. Their popularity has increased especially in the last year, due to the fact that they remained resilient to the pandemic restrictions,  says Avison Young.

Dino Polska opened 59 new stores in the first quarter of this year, compared to 16 y/y. At the end of March 2021, the chain consists of 1,532 stores, compared to 1,234 a year earlier.

On February 25, 2021 the 7,000th store of Żabka chain was opened. The facility is located in the town of Biecz in Lesser Poland.