28 out of the total of 80 brands that tapped the market in the Central and Eastern European region in 2018 chose the Czech Republic as their destination. As a result, the number of new brands coming to the country remained the same as in the previous year. Poland is a close second with 26 new international brands having opened their first shops there last year. The figures come from the latest comparison prepared by Cushman & Wakefield, which monitors and compares data in the real estate sector across the region. This enables the company to provide a full picture of the developments on the Central European market.

The advance of diversity and solidification of the retail market is creating attractive conditions for the expansion of global brands, according to the experts of JLL Poland. One such example is the decision made by Urban Outfitters to enter the Polish market.

GTC Serbia opened Ada Mall, its first shopping centre in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the only latest-generation shopping centre in the Serbian capital and covers an area of over 34,000 sqm. This extraordinary shopping mall was designed to provide its visitors with a unique Belgradian shopping experience.

225,000 sqm of total space, 82,000 sqm of GLA with 76,000 sqm allocated to retail and F&B, 6,000 sqm of office space, over 200 shops and 36 restaurants, the tallest shopfront windows in Poland (over 7 m high), 10 screen multiplex cinema with comfortable, recliner seating, a 200 sqm stage/event area, 2,500 sqm green terrace area, 2,000 parking spaces, 20 coworking spaces – these are some of the numbers which can be used to describe the Galeria Mlociny shopping centre which will open on 23 May.

As shopping centre markets reach maturity in most European countries, there will be growing polarisation between successful prime schemes and struggling secondary sites which have to diversify to survive, according to new research from Cushman & Wakefield.

Since the beginning of April Novaston Marketing Consultancy has taken over all marketing activities for Rajićeva Shopping Center in Belgrade, from BTL to PR and digital.

Slovenia’s newest shopping centre, Aleja, which is being built in the Šiška district of Ljubljana, will open next year. Developer and operator SES Spar European Shopping Centers is investing a total amount of approximately €150 million in the project.

DBK, a Czech retail specialist, has acquired a majority share in Europark – Štěrboholy, a shopping centre in Prague 10 from Austrian developer, SES Spar European Centers.

The modern retail stock in Bucharest remained stable in 2018, at 1.2 million square meters, a level which is 7% higher than in the Central-West region of the country which reached 1.18 million square meters, and twice the corresponding value of the Moldova region which reached 595,000 square meters, according to Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

What is Warsaw residents' favourite shopping destination? Shopping centres. In this regard, the residents of Poland's capital differ from the residents of Madrid, Paris or Berlin, who prefer to visit stores located on their respective high streets. However, according to a new report by JLL, with the maturing shopping centre market, the popularity of high streets is increasing as well. As a consequence, high streets have a chance to come back into favour as alternative locations and diversify the expansion strategies of retailers.