Retailer demand for physical store space will remain steadfast throughout a number of key retail markets over the next five years, with the Health and Beauty sector leading the way in driving future growth requirements according to global real estate advisor CBRE.

Meyer Bergman, an investment manager specialized in urban mixed-use real estate, has sold Forum Nová Karolina shopping centre in Ostrava, Czech Republic to REICO, Česká spořitelna's real estate fund manager. Cushman & Wakefield advised Meyer Bergman on the disposal of Forum Nová Karolina.

After an investment of €40 million, NEPI Rockcastle opened Shopping City Satu Mare, which hosts 85 stores, including the first Carrefour hypermarket in the city.

In its capacity as agent, arranger and sole underwriter, Helaba is financing the centrally located shopping centre “Wars Sawa Junior” for Atrium European Real Estate Limited. The German Landesbank is providing a loan in an amount of €170 million with a term of eight years for the acquisition.

Polish sportswear retailer, 50 Style, opened in October its first store in Romania, in Bucharest’s Iris Shopping Center, Titan area, on a surface of 315 sqm. Its entry on the local market confirms the real estate consultancy company’s, Colliers International Romania's, view of the Polish brands’ goal to expand in the Eastern European region, especially in Romania, where consumption has steadily increased in recent years.

Victoria Ploiesti West Retail Park is planned to be opened in March 2019, according to Activ Property Services, the property’s exclusive agent. The project is a proximity retail park with 2,690 sqm of GLA, including some major tenants such as Mega Image (591 sqm), Pepco (543 sqm) and Zoomania (496 sqm).

Futureal Group has exited its €19 million mezzanine financing provided to Caelum Development for the development of ParkLake shopping centre in Bucharest, Romania. The 70,000 sqm GLA project was developed by a joint venture between Sonae Sierra and Caelum Development. Futureal Group will intensify its activity in Romania through its residential investments subsidiary, Cordia. The company has recently announced a €50 million worth of investment plan in Bucharest for the next year, part of a long-term roadmap for the local market. Cordia division plans to deliver about 500 apartments per year, designed for medium and medium high segments.

Colliers International is predicting it will be a further seven years before there is a rebalancing of the physical and online retailing sectors across Europe.

The world of retail is transforming rapidly with key market players predicting the fall of secondary locations and the continued strong performance of prime locations in major cities. Rik Eertink, Retail Fund Manager of CBRE Global Investors’ talked to Property Forum at Expo Real about the future of retail investments.

Immofinanz is driving the expansion of its Stop Shop retail park brand and has now purchased eight retail parks in Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia. The purchase price totals approximately €90.5 million. The newly acquired properties are fully rented and generate an annual rental income of roughly €7.2 million, which represents a gross return of 8.0%. These transactions increase Immofinanz’s Stop Shop portfolio to 80 locations in nine countries with over 567,000 sqm of rentable space and a carrying amount of approx. €800 million. Further acquisitions are currently under evaluation, and two Stop Shops in Poland and Serbia are now in the active development phase.