Retail which continues to evolve in response to changing consumer preferences and expectations has once again to adapt to the new reality quickly. The global pandemic has left many stores and restaurants shuttered. Industry forecasts that a number of brands will permanently close this year. Every day brings a set of new challenges as we navigate this unexpected crisis. How are the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic impacting retail? Cushman & Wakefield Poland tried to answer this question in its latest report.

At the end of the Q1 2020, the total supply of modern warehouse space in Poland exceeded the level of 19 million sqm. The Warsaw market (three zones) maintained its leading position and accounted for nearly 23% of the total supply in the country (4.3 million sqm), Colliers International reports.

In the Serbian economy, the construction industry has been one of the sectors least affected by COVID-19, with only smaller decrease recorded in production volumes and logistical capacity. The Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association has published a COVID-19 update on the construction sector of Serbia.

COVID-19’s direct impact on ongoing construction activity in Romania has been minimal since no restrictions were in place specifically targeting construction works. Several indirect factors, however, are expected to limit the amount of construction activity. The Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association has published a COVID-19 update on the construction sector of Romania.

The strong fundamentals of Warsaw’s office sector, coupled with no risk of oversupply and low vacancy rates, should enable the market to regain equilibrium relatively quickly after the slowdown. Cushman & Wakefield summarised Q1 2020 on the Warsaw office market.

The industrial market in Poland has been growing at a very quick pace for several years, with record-breaking transaction sizes, new warehouse locations and growing net take-up levels. The focus of analysts is usually on demand as everything starts from tenants looking for warehouse and manufacturing space for their business operations. The warehouse market has been led in recent years by the e-commerce industry, which has been reporting annual growth of over 20%. However, other leading sectors are still logistics and distribution, household appliances, the automotive sector and manufacturing. Experts from Cushman & Wakefield summarised what is the impact of investment funds on the industrial market and why warehouses attract investors.

Atrium European Real Estate published an update on trading for the three months ended 31 March 2020 and an update on trading in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. A progressive reopening has been launched from 4 May in Poland and is planned from 11 May in the Czech Republic and 3 June Slovakia, although it is too early to say when the company’s assets will return to full operation.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak seems to be having a severely negative impact on market sentiment across the CEE region, according to the latest RICS Commercial Property Monitor. Q1 2020 figures show that both rental and capital value expectations have been downgraded across the region with retail expected to see the sharpest decline and industrial proving to be the most resilient asset class.

The coronavirus outbreak continues to affect people and economies deeply. In the latest online panel organized by Property Forum, three real estate professionals discussed the impacts of the coronavirus crisis on the Bulgarian property market.

There were 5,971 residential property deals made in Hungary in April 2020, according to the latest monthly transaction estimate by real estate group Duna House. The last time the monthly figure was this low was at the low point of the previous crisis in 2013. Meanwhile, weekly data suggest that we are past the trough as the market picked up slightly in the second half of the month.