Regardless of the problems that the measures related to the coronavirus crisis have brought to the retail segment – with shops in Czechia closed for 234 days, the longest period in all of Europe – new brands keep coming to the local market. Nine of them have arrived or will arrive during the first half of the year, the most prominent one of them being Ireland’s Primark fashion chain whose shop opening was expected with a great deal of anticipation.

Retail chain Spar built new supermarkets in a Budapest residential park and in a frequented district of Sopron, and modernised its stores in Mosonmagyaróvár and Szentlőrinc.

Primark has opened its first Czech Republic store in the Flow Building, Flow East’s development on Wenceslas Square in Prague, marking the 14th market for the retailer.

Romania is posting one of the biggest recoveries of non-food consumption in the European Union (EU) and retailers with online stores are set to benefit most from this growth, according to an analysis by real estate consultancy Colliers. 

Starting already from June 14th this year, customers can do shopping within seconds in the first Żappka Store opened within the premises of the Poznań International Fair. The Żappka Store is usable with an application and it has neither checkouts nor attendants. Because the facility is available 24/7, customers can use it at any time of day or night.

German DIY retailer Hornbach will open its second store in Cluj-Napoca this summer, according to a statement of Optim Project Management, which manages the development process. 

Palača Pošta, a unique high street commercial building in Ljubljana, Slovenia has become available for rent. The owner, Pošta Slovenije, who has been the sole user of the building until now, has retained KF Finance, to act as their exclusive real estate broker for leasing. KF Finance is the leading financial advisory company in the region, with a team of 50 finance professionals in offices in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade, offering clients a comprehensive range of financial advisory services.

A new shopping centre, part of the multifunctional Bořislavka Centrum complex developed by KKCG Group, is set to open in Prague on June 4. Located next to the Bořislavka metro station, the centre will feature approximately 9,000 sqm of retail space.

Ingka Group has just opened another IKEA store in Szczecin, with an area of almost 30,000 sqm. The company claims that it will be the last store of that size in Poland. 

Smaller retail facilities up to 20,000 sqm, such as parks, have proved their resilience to the pandemic in Central and Eastern Europe and remain attractive for investors. In Poland, 170,000 sqm of new supply in retail parks is planned for 2021, with 120,000 sqm in Romania, and 70,000 sqm in the Czech Republic, according to CBRE data. In all countries in the region, consumers and investors appreciate their locality, with development opportunities in small towns, supplying the most important needs and ensuring greater safety in the pandemic.