With an impressive 66% growth of retail sales per capita since 2004, Poland stands second to none in Europe. Over the past five years both the retail stock and the retail sales have been growing steadily at the level of 20% cumulatively, according to an analysis released by Cushman & Wakefield. Forecasts for the next decade show a further 40% growth of retail spending per capita, which demonstrates growing affluence of the Polish society.

Europa Capital and WX Management Services have completed the acquisition of the Radisson Blu Centrum Hotel in central Warsaw.  

From the beginning of April, BNP Paribas Real Estate Poland will take over the management of four IKEA Centers retail parks located in Poland on behalf of the landlord Pradera. The contract will increase the Polish portfolio of managed properties by more than 140,000 sqm. Ultimately, the international property management business line of BNP Paribas Real Estate will manage 25 properties in eight European countries.

Panattoni Europe has completed the construction of a modern logistics centre for Decathlon. The 32,000-square-metre investment is based in Łódź and is the company’s second central warehouse in Poland. 

Poland’s retail market is likely to grow by 511,000 sqm of space in 2017, including 388,000 sqm in the shopping centre format alone. JLL summarized Q1 2017 on the retail market in Poland. 

Apart from Nowa Fabryczna - the first office building in Nowe Centrum Łodzi – Skanska will also develop its newest project, Brama Miasta in the city of Łódź. The two office buildings, with leasable office space totalling 40,000 sqm, will be able to accommodate up to 4,000 employees. Construction is to be launched in H1 2017.

GTC has signed an €11.4 million investment loan with Berlin Hyp Bank for the refinancing of the previous loan agreement for the Corius office building. The Class A office building offers a total leasable area of over 9,700 sqm and is GOLD LEED certificated.

Panattoni Europe is to build another distribution centre for Castorama Polska. The project, one of the biggest in Poland, will be delivered in Stryków. Contruction works will commence later this April. The lease was mediated by experts from JLL.

2016’s record-breaking €12.2 billion investment in the real estate sector in the CEE region is likely to be surpassed in 2017 – this is according to CEE Real Estate Investment Compass 2017 published by Colliers International and CMS. The sources of investment flows into the CEE region are also expected to remain diverse in 2017, with Asian and CEE investors becoming increasingly active in the real estate market.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed Polish property group Echo Polska Properties (EPP) raised approximately ZAR2.2 billion (around €150 million) in an accelerated bookbuilding through the placing of app. 119 million new shares at a price of ZAR18.50 per share. Capital will be used to previously announced acquisitions and for further M&A opportunities in the retail segment within Poland.