The expansion of Galeria EMKA in Koszalin has started - it will be a new retail park, which will be connected to the existing facility. The new phase will have 9 tenants with an area of approx. 10,000 sqm. The LCP has just signed a contract for the general contracting of the EMKA Retail Park project and the main contractor will be MIRBUD S.A. The planned commencement of works will start in the upcoming week. Currently, the area is being prepared for the first stage of works, which will be the adaptation of the existing infrastructure, and then earthworks will begin, which will take another 2 months.

Trei Real Estate GmbH, an international developer and asset holder for residential and retail real estate, has opened its 27th retail park of the Vendo Park brand in Poland. The property is located in Inowrocław in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The town lies on the bank of the River Noteć 100 kilometres north-east of Poznań, has a population of around 70,000 and is renowned for its saltwater baths. The new retail park, which is let to nine retailers as well as to a supermarket, provides a total leasing area of 5,000 square metres and a total of 242 car parking spots. The investment volume adds up to a total of €6.4 million..

Maciej Dyjas and Nebil Senman, Managing Partners at Griffin Real Estate have talked to Property Forum about investing in new opportunities, the future of the retail and changes in the office market.

The trade sector, greatly weakened by the pandemic, has gained a new investment niche. This year, the increased activity of investors, now mainly focused on the construction of retail parks and convenience centres, will result in the largest growth of these facilities in the history of the Polish market.

Retail began to transform well before the COVID-19 pandemic. It has, however, evolved a lot faster than expected and the pandemic has created a whole new environment that all market participants have to learn to navigate. Cushman & Wakefield has issued its latest report “Is Confidence Returning to the Retail Market?” highlighting what the retail market looks like from the perspective of tenants, landlords and customers.

Property investor Globalworth says all its 16 office buildings in Bucharest are using 100% green energy from renewable sources starting July 2021. 

One of the largest shopping and entertainment centre in Poznan, managed by Sierra Balmain, was sold to a new investor. The agreement finalizing the transaction was signed on September 22, 2021.

Pasaż Warmiński in Lidzbark Warmiński has changed its owner. The transaction is announced by the LCP group, which has acquired another project for its "convenience retail" portfolio.

Although the Polish retail market is still struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasts for the sector are more optimistic than for the rest of Europe. According to Oxford Economics, retail sales in Poland are expected to grow by 4.9% per annum until 2023, which would put Poland in a leading position in Europe. 2021 is expected to see approximately 209,000 sqm of GLA solely in retail parks come onto the market, meaning that 2021 would be a record breaking year for retail parks in terms of space delivered to the market. JLL and Trei Real Estate Poland, the authors of the 2nd edition of the "Retail parks and convenience centers in Poland" report, summarize the market regarding these projects at the end of H1 2021, and outline the development prospects for this sector in Poland.

Pruim, a company managed by Griffin Real Estate, has sold six retail properties with a total GLA of over 107,600 sqm to a confidential buyer. The value of the transaction is €87 million.