Avison Young has significantly increased its CEE presence in recent months and the company is planning further expansion. Gerry Hughes, Principal and President of Avison Young Europe talked to Property Forum about the firm’s strategy for CEE and shared his expectations regarding the future of the advisory business.

Between January and March 2021, nearly 93,000 sqm of retail stock was delivered in Poland, a result comparable to the same period last year. The structure of new supply included only two large-scale formats: stand-alone retail warehouses (55% of new space) and retail parks (31%). Convenience centres claimed the remaining 14%. The largest scheme delivered was an Agata Meble store (11,000 sqm) in Jelenia Góra. JLL summarised the conditions on Poland’s retail market at the end of the first quarter of 2021.

An increase in European Union funding available to Central and Eastern European governments will boost GDP growth, suppress debt burdens and improve debt affordability, although implementation challenges will hinder gains in some countries, Moody's Investors Service said in a new report.

In light of the pandemic, HB Reavis is reassessing its approach to divestments. Peter Pecnik, Poland Country CEO and Group CFO of HB Reavis talked to Property Forum about COVID-19’s impact on the Polish office market and also shared details about the company’s financing strategy.

The pandemic has thrown coworking spaces into a distressing situation and some smaller market players are, in fact, finding it difficult to keep afloat. How will coworking spaces attract companies in the new post-pandemic reality? What will the flexible office of the future look like? Cushman & Wakefield is looking for the answers.

Dariusz Grzeszczak, CEO of Erbud, one of the largest construction groups in Poland talked to Property Forum about new contracts under pandemic-related circumstances, the situation on the labour market and the future of wooden modular construction.

FMCG discounters have been going from strength to strength throughout Poland in recent years and have attracted growing levels of consumer interest amid the pandemic. What are the growth opportunities for this sector? Jakub Sadowski from Cushman & Wakefield talks about the direction discount retailers are now heading in.

The future of work will be agile, flexible, and hybrid, says a new report by HB Reavis. According to “The Future of Work”, simply offering a split between at-home and in-office work is no longer enough. Increasing productivity and employee wellbeing is all about the digital experience, and 2020 has brought a new understanding of what the workplace should look like to both employers and employees.

The retail park format was gaining ground before the pandemic and continues to grow despite it. Over the past 20 years, the share of retail parks in the entire pool of shopping facilities in the country has increased from 6% to 15% and now they occupy approximately 1.97 million sqm, according to CBRE data. Retail parks remain popular among investors, confirming their strong position, even in times of a pandemic. Their popularity is underpinned by their locality, concentration of stores providing basic needs in one place and a smaller number of customer contact points than in large centres. According to CBRE experts, the current trends indicate that by 2030 retail parks may constitute 28% of all shopping space in Poland.

Property Forum’s upcoming free-to-attend virtual event aims to answer some of the many questions around the future of workplaces. As the pandemic has forced many employees into remote working, many offices around the world sit empty and nobody’s sure when they’ll be filled with life again. One thing seems certain: the way we design, build, use and operate offices will change forever. The question is: how?