Romanian property holding Meta Estate Trust has launched Retail Park Ciolpani, marking the company's first operational asset and an early opening ahead of the planned Q1 2026 schedule.

Lululemon announced plans to expand into six new markets in 2026 through franchise partnerships. The athletic apparel brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania through a partnership with Arion Retail Group, as well as in India through Tata CLiQ.

Primark continues its expansion in Romania and confirms the opening of four new stores in 2026. The international fashion retailer announced new stores in Sibiu and Bacău, joining previously announced openings in Iași and Craiova.

The traditional December shopping surge has weakened across Europe, with Romania recording a 20% increase in non-food sales during the holiday month compared to the previous 11 months, according to Colliers analysis of Eurostat data from 2015-2024.

In the East European region, the aggregated construction outlook for next year has remained positive, only the trajectory has changed a little, according to the winter report of the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA). 

Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marius Barbu as COO, effective from April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate. He has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the next AGM in May 2026.

Andrei Ianculescu, Head of Project & Development Services at Cushman & Wakefield Echinox, talked to Property Forum about the expansion of design and ESG advisory services, the industrial and logistics sector's growth post-Schengen, and the importance of independent project management for tenant fit-outs. Ianculescu also emphasised the potential in secondary cities and the increasing relevance of aligning projects with sustainability standards.

Local developer ELI Parks has announced the launch of the second phase of the ELI Park Iași project, adding another 20,000 sqm of industrial and logistics spaces to the existing 20,000 sqm.

Cushman & Wakefield Echinox has completed the sale of the Zenith Conference & Spa hotel in Mamaia to the owners of Steaua de Mare Hotels & Resorts from Eforie Nord. The property was previously controlled by the RC2 investment fund and Antares Management, owned by Dumitru Becșenescu.

Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.