Alpha Bank Romania has sold a 60,000 sqm plot of land in Timișoara to German retail chain Lidl and two other investors. The Romanian bank previously planned to develop a shopping centre there, Ziarul Financiar reported.

Poland's retail market is seeing a slowdown in the pace of shopping centre construction, the growing popularity of the convenience segment and mixed-use projects, as well as further synergy of traditional shopping and technology, according to JLL’s market summary for 2019.

The area of Budapest’s Arena Mall could grow from its current 42,000 sqm to 60,000 sqm, following the property manager’s application for an extension last December, local daily HVG reports. If the plans are realised, Arena Mall will become the largest shopping centre in Hungary.

Cushman & Wakefield contributed to the leasing of over 6,600 sqm prime retail warehouse area, and to the sales of 7,000 sqm countryside retail area in Q4 2019. 

Britain’s Poseidon Group and Belgium’s Mitiska REIM has sold Capitol Park Rakovica, the largest retail park in Belgrade, to Israel’s BIG CEE Group. The transaction closed in December 2019. CMS Belgrade advised the sellers.

Graz-based Supernova Group is continuing its expansion in Slovenia by buying ten shopping centres of Centrice Real Estate GmbH (a company of the American Lone Star fund). The latter had taken over the properties in 2016 from the Austrian company, Heta, the liquidation company of Hypo Alpe Adria within the framework of a major overall transaction. This Qlandia package was the centrepiece of the portfolio and incorporates market-leading shopping centres in several Slovenian regions.

Romanian retailer Profi’s network is expanding rapidly, inaugurating new stores while also taking over already-existing networks. The most recent development involves acquiring 18 supermarkets in Prahova and Dambovita counties from local peer Pram Maya. This transaction was already approved by the Competition Council. CBRE assisted Maya in the transaction process.

The redevelopment of the Eden Park retail park in Zgorzelec (Poland) has been completed, commissioning documents have been received and the rental campaign of the updated retail park is in full swing.

The Board of Directors of EPP N.V., the largest owner of retail real estate in Poland in terms of GLA listed on the stock exchanges in Johannesburg and Luxembourg, has announced that it will nominate Tomasz Trzósło for appointment as CEO to succeed Hadley Dean, whose term of office is due to expire. Tomasz Trzósło is expected to assume his role in May 2020. The appointment is subject to approval by the general meeting of shareholders.

Two retail parks in the Czech portfolio of the Focus Estate Fund end their year with zero vacancy: Most Retail Park (GLA – 6,471 sqm) in the city of Most and Centro Ostrava Retail Park (GLA – 7,699 sqm) in the city of Ostrava.