ZDR Investments has completed this year´s first acquisition, reports Newstream.cz. The fund for qualified investors has listed in their portfolio the Billa grocery store with subsequent retail in the Kunratice district of Prague.

Investor EPG Group has started an extensive renovation of the Varyáda shopping centre in Karlovy Vary. Part of it is the modernization of the existing premises as well as the addition, thanks to which the leasable area of ​​Varyáda is expanding to 27,000 sqm.

Romania saw 11 new retail projects completed last year, with a combined leasable area of 215,000 sqm, sending the market to a 7-year high in terms of deliveries, according to a Cushman & Wakefield Echinox report.

According to experts from Colliers, the Czech real estate market is facing several challenges this year.

The investments transaction market in Romania totaled around €500 million in 2023, down from a record of more than €1.2 billion in the previous year, in line with lower deal volumes that have been recorded across region and the major international markets, according to a Colliers Romania report.

The supply of modern retail space has reached 3.93 million sqm in the Czech Republic. Retail parks or shopping parks are taking a portion of 31% of this total according to Cushman & Wakefield's analysis of the Czech retail park market data. Traditional shopping centres account for about 67%, and the remaining 2% are outlets.

Cushman & Wakefield has summarized the situation in the Polish retail market in 2023, which saw heightened development activity, with about 450,000 sqm of new retail space delivered. The Polish retail sector continued to recover, as confirmed by the number of debuts – 29 new brands entered Poland in the last 12 months, marking the highest figure since 2017. Meanwhile, the slower price growth bolstered consumer sentiment, leading to higher retail turnover levels.

The Romanian property market remains attractive for investments, with 65% of investors surveyed by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox saying they are looking to expand their presence in the local market.

The Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (ÚOHS) has authorized the Czech real estate fund Trigea from the Partners group to buy the owner of the Prague shopping centre Arkády Pankrác, e15.cz reports.

Local developer Chain Bridge Venture Kft. (CBV) has launched a new development project aiming to build a state-of-the-art multifunctional centre not far from the Puskás Ferenc Stadium and Papp László sports arena. The handover is expected in 2026.