Kinga Nowakowska, COO and Board Member of Capital Park Group talked to Property Forum about the delivery of Norblin Factory mixed-use project in Warsaw, the impact of the pandemic on the retail market and  CPG’s upcoming investment plans.

The growing trend of local awareness and the evolution of shopping habits increased the popularity of commercial convenience stores. Retail parks and small shopping centres have grown in importance, which in result motivates developers to undertake more intense actions. Each quarter, there are more and more investors who are planning to use this format and build commercial facilities. Apart from the flexibility of space and lower rental rates, the advantage of retail parks is their proximity to customers, a key factor in today’s world, according to LBC Invest.

Real estate advisory firm Savills presents a preliminary summary of 2021 and predicts trends for the coming months. The commercial real estate market in Poland is regaining momentum but has changed significantly, reveals Savills. Key trends expected to dominate in the year ahead include rental growth, increasing ESG awareness and a focus on innovation.

ULI Poland and PWC name cybersecurity and inflation within top wider concerns for 2022. Best investment prospects are in London, Paris and 4 German cities, Warsaw with a “good” outlook took 15th place in the "Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2022" report by both companies.

Flexible office stock in Poland has increased six-fold since 2015. This diversified market perfectly meets the expectations of numerous sectors, small businesses, and corporations. As the expansion of flex operators slows, fewer and fewer offices remain available to tenants both in Warsaw and on major regional markets.

Among four countries – Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, and Hungary, more than half of respondents claimed they work only from the office (52%), according to a survey conducted by Skanska's commercial development business unit in CEE. The number of such office workers increased compared to May 2021, especially in the Czech Republic and Poland. ​The preferred work model has not changed much since then, but in the Czech Republic more people want to work only from the office (22% vs 17% in May 2021).  

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic most companies switched to remote work and reduced the demand for office space, which is reflected in Colliers “Warsaw Office Zones Guide” report’s data. Thanks to vaccinations and a reduction in the number of COVID-19 cases, in Q2 and Q3 2021 we have seen a gradual return of employees to offices and an increase in tenant activity in the Polish capital.

Despite almost all European office employees working from home last year, the empty workplaces did not lead to a reduction in the expenditure that companies had to fulfil had the workforce been in the office. The average costs per FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) fell by only 2% and amounted to €9,468. These findings have been published by Colliers, Occupier Cost Index (OCI), which comprises data from 29 countries, 3,990 buildings, 26.1 million square meters of office space and 1.96 million FTEs.

Office development has slowed down due to property market uncertainty. In the meantime, employees have returned to offices and companies have resumed relocations. The ensuing supply and demand imbalance is likely to result in a supply gap over the coming year or so which will continue at least until 2025, say Cresa agency experts.

More expensive offices in Warsaw, is it possible in a pandemic? Walter Herz is trying to answer that difficult question.