According to currently available data, 13 new brands have arrived on the Czech retail market in the first six months of this year. Most of them are in the fashion segment (clothes and accessories – seven brands) and culinary concepts (F&B – three brands). The latter are set to dominate the new arrivals this year: at least six F&B brands should come to the country by the end of the year, and other brands already present will open new branches, reports Cushman & Wakefield. 

Emma Toma, Head of Office Division at AFI Europe Romania, talked to Property Forum about the company’s investment plans in the office, retail and residential areas, as well as the solutions implemented in all projects in the area of sustainability.

Hungarian property developer and investor Indotek Group currently owns real estate in Hungary and eight foreign countries and is actively screening opportunities in five others. The portfolio consists of office, retail, hotel and industrial properties. Property Forum asked Krisztián Hornok, Managing Director of International Transactions and Asset Management about the reasons for the large-scale expansion and ways of handling risks in this region.

According to a new report by JLL, total retail space under construction in Poland totalled 387,000 sqm at the end of Q1, with 69% generated by retail parks. In addition, nearly 94,000 sqm of the first quarter’s total was attributable to shopping centres with the largest projects being the Sukcesja shopping centre in Łódź (currently undergoing renovation), the Bawełnianka shopping centre in Bełchatów (already opened in April), and Galeria Goplana located in Leszno. The convenience retail format had the sector’s smallest percentage share in space under construction.

Doron Klein, the CEO of AFI Europe Romania and The Czech Republic, has been appointed as Deputy CEO of AFI Europe group, in addition to his current position. 

Metro Bulgaria opened its first renovated franchise site in Bulgaria under the name "My Store". The program is one of the main company projects – a soft franchise model that brings together independent traders under one brand.

UDI Group is adding another project to its portfolio. It will build a suburban retail centre in the village of Líbeznice north of Prague. According to the developer, a similar centre with a supermarket and several smaller retail units at one address with quality parking facilities is still missing in this village of 3,000 inhabitants. UDI Group estimates the investment at CZK 100 million (€4.2 million).

Bulgaria, with its growing economy and increasing consumer spending, has witnessed a recent surge in the construction of retail parks across the country. A total of 13 projects are under active construction and another 9 are at different stages of planning. The outlook for the retail park market in Bulgaria over the next year is positive, according to the latest report by Colliers.

Neinver and Nuveen Real Estate have successfully raised around €170 million in debt financing for the Polish portfolio of Neptune, a joint venture between Neinver and TIAA.

Although anti-pandemic measures were still lingering on the Czech retail market at the beginning of last year, an early return to normal was expected. However, the war in Ukraine has fundamentally influenced further economic development, especially in the countries of Central Europe, including the Czech Republic. The rapid rise in prices (inflation increased by 15.1% year-on-year) and energy expenses were met by a further decline in already weakened customer confidence. How did this affect shopping centres in the Czech Republic? And what is the current sentiment on the market not only among customers but also the retailers themselves? CBRE tried to answer these questions in its annual Shopping Centre Index analysis, which is complemented by two current surveys focused on the development of customer behaviour and expectations on the part of retailers.