In June 2018, Mint Investments successfully completed the acquisition of the shopping centre Breda & Weinstein in Opava from Avestus Capital Partners. The value of the transaction exceeded €60 million. Mint Investments originally developed and later asset managed this shopping centre for Avestus Capital Partners.

The end of the first semester has brought to light great achievements from regional cities in all real estate segments on the Romanian market. Bucharest has also performed well and, according to the real estate consultancy company Colliers International Romania, the prospects for the remainder of the year remain strong.

EPP announced the completion of its acquisition of the King Cross Marcelin Shopping Centre. The €91.1 million acquisition is EPP’s first entry into Poznan and brings the company’s portfolio to 19 retail projects.

Ploiesti Shopping City, developed by Carrefour Property Romania and NEPI Rockcastle, has announced an investment of €1 million in remodelling its food court area.

Focus Estate Fund has closed the transaction on the acquisition of the Galeria Awangarda shopping centre in Bartoszyce (Poland). The centre has a GLA of 6,126 sqm.

The retail market is facing major challenges with e-commerce and rapidly changing consumer needs disrupting the traditional shopping centre model. Retailers that want to stay in the race are already embracing new concepts and formats. The future of retail will be one of the key topics to be discussed at the upcoming CEE Property Forum 2018 in Vienna.

Poznań’s Galeria Malta, under a JV co-owned by Heitman and Neinver, has been sold to an unnamed new investor. At the same time, Balmain Asset Management and BSC Real Estate Advisors have been designated respectively as the new asset manager and property manager of the shopping centre, replacing Neinver.

Total retail stock in Poland now stands at nearly 14.0 million sqm with shopping centres accounting for 71% (9.9 million sqm), followed by retail parks and warehouses with 27% (3.8 million sqm) and outlet centres coming in with 2% (0.25 million sqm). JLL summarised H1 2018 on the retail market in Poland.

A good location is the key to success in retail. It may, however, take some time before a suitable store is found for a brand entering the Polish market. Most brands want to open their first stores in Warsaw. That’s why retailers would rather wait than start off somewhere else, says Szymon Łukasik, Head of Retail Department at Cresa Poland.

Atrium European Real Estate Limited has completed the sale of the Atrium Militari shopping centre in Bucharest, Romania to MAS Real Estate Inc. for €95 million, which represents a 9% premium to book value on 31 December 2017.