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TOPS

M

OF THE MONTH

TOMO

RETAIL REAL ESTATE

TOPS

OF THE

MONTH

Essential News About The Players In In

The Retail Real Property Estate Market In in Germany

THE HOTTEST DEALS +++

INTERVIEWS +++ STATEMENTS

+++ PARTICULARS +++

ANALYSES +++ PROJECTS

presented by HI-HEUTE.DE

May 2025

Europeans want the best of both worlds – online and offline shopping – combined.

Symbolic image: AdobeStock / Dmytro Panchenko

Europeans want to shop

across all touchpoints

In-store shopping remains popular – preferably supported by online shopping

Buy online, return offline:

according to the latest Adyen

Index 2025, this cross-channel

shopping experience is one of

the most important wishes of

European consumers. Almost

half of those surveyed in Germany

(47 percent) say that

retailers who offer this option

earn more loyalty. In Spain

(57 percent), France (52 percent),

and Italy (51 percent),

the approval rating is even

higher.

Today‘s European shoppers

want the best of both worlds: the

convenience of online shopping

and the in-store experience.

The new Adyen Index 2025, for

which the financial technology

platform Adyen surveyed consumers

and businesses worldwide

– including in Germany,

France, Spain, Italy, and the

Netherlands – about their payment

habits, shows that Flexibility,

convenience, and trust are

the new currency in retail. Pure

online shopping is not preferred

in any of the countries surveyed.

Instead, the focus is clearly on

connected services, such as the

ability to buy online and return

offline.

Despite the continued growth

of e-commerce, brick-and-mortar

retail remains a central pillar

of the European shopping experience—and

is even preferred

in many places. In France,

more than half of consumers

(just under 53 percent) say they

prefer to shop in stores, while

in Spain the figure is 44 percent.

The picture in Germany is

more nuanced: over 44 percent

prefer a balanced use of online

and offline offerings, while just

under 29 percent rely primarily

on brick-and-mortar shopping –

pure online retail lags behind at

around 27 percent.

The most common reasons are

the immediate experience of the

products, personal advice, and

the ability to take items home

immediately. Added to this is

the desire to avoid shipping

costs, especially in France (29

percent), Spain (30 percent),

and the Netherlands (31 percent).

While lower prices – for

around 43 percent in Germany,

for example – as well as greater

choice and time savings are

the main factors driving online

shopping, it is clear that shopping

without a physical presence

is not an option for the majority.

In Germany (29 percent)

and Italy (23 percent), the desire

to support local retailers and

thereby contribute to the regional

economy also plays a role.

Security is also important: in

Germany, over 23 percent consider

paying in-store to be more

trustworthy, and in France and

Spain, this figure is around a

quarter.

In Germany, consumers want

above all else to be able to return

items easily – across all

channels, i.e., both online and

in-store (29 percent). Sustainable

packaging and products

were mentioned just as often.

These were followed by realtime

information on availability

(23 percent) and personalized

discounts (22 percent). “Customers

don‘t think in terms of

channels – they expect their

shopping to work across all

touchpoints – conveniently, securely,

and sustainably. Retailers

who meet this expectation

not only gain loyalty, but also

sales: Unified commerce is no

longer a trend, but a strategic

necessity,” explains Hella Fuhrmann,

Country Manager DACH

at Adyen.


Page 2 T O M

The extensive redevelopment

of the ITIS Shopping Center

in Helsinki has now been

successfully completed. With

an investment of €60 million,

CC Real has fundamentally

repositioned the center by the

end of 2024 and transformed

it into a modern, future-proof

urban destination. The stated

goal was to reinvent ITIS, not

just renovate it.

SHOPPING CENTRES

May 2025

CC Real has reinvented one of

Helsinki‘s most famous destinations

ITIS: A €60 million transformation inspired by local needs and urban vision

The center has been completely

redesigned as a lively place for

people to meet, enjoy themselves,

go about their daily lives,

and make discoveries. The

needs of the local community

were at the heart of the design,

as were sustainable development

and urban living. CC Real

contributed its extensive expertise

as a real estate investment

and asset management company

in the areas of leasing, operations,

marketing, and sustainable

development. A central highlight

of the redesign is the striking

new 4,000-square-meter

market hall, which is now the

social heart of the center.

An urban meeting

place for today

and tomorrow

It combines cuisine, culture, and

community with Nordic design

and an authentic atmosphere—

warm materials, family-friendly

areas, and an amphitheater for

events. The comprehensively

modernized Bulevardi – the

longest covered shopping street

in Northern Europe with real

trees – offers a dynamic, pedestrian-friendly

experience that

reflects Helsinki‘s unique character

while improving access

to shops, services, and social

meeting places. “This transformation

was not an end in itself,”

says Harald Schaller, Senior Asset

Manager at CC Real.

“We recognized that ITIS needed

to change – to move closer

to people‘s everyday lives and

expectations. This has shaped

every design and leasing decision:

to make the center more

intuitive, inclusive, and connected

to its surroundings.”

Following extensive redesign, the ITIS Shopping Center in Helsinki is now a modern urban destination.

Photo: CC Real

Since its opening in 1984, ITIS

has been a central retail and

social location in eastern Helsinki.

Under the management

of CC Real, the center has been

completely repositioned. The

redesign focused on openness,

clarity, and quality of stay: the

entrances were made more spacious,

the building layout was

Facts about the

transformation

made more intuitive, and the facades

were opened up to allow

for better integration into the

cityscape. Bulevardi is now not

just a shopping street, but a destination

in its own right – with

clear sightlines, modernized

storefronts, and a pedestrianfriendly,

naturally lit environment

that connects central anchor

tenants and dining areas.

A redesigned vertical core improves

accessibility to all floors,

while the upgraded parking

service now offers two hours of

free parking on the upper levels.

The center is owned by a joint

venture (90% Morgan Stanley,

10% CC Real), covers almost

99,000 square meters, and

houses 211 tenants, including

over 120 stores and more than

40 restaurants. ITIS attracts

around 14.4 million visitors

annually, with annual sales of

€203 million – and the number

of visitors is expected to rise to

18 million in the medium term.

ITIS is easily accessible thanks

to its direct connections to metro,

tram, and bus lines as well

as major road links. Planned infrastructure

improvements will

further increase accessibility.

Sustainability,

social value, and

future viability

CC Real‘s vision goes beyond

physical infrastructure. Sustainability

and social impact are at

the heart of the transformation

of ITIS. The center has been

awarded BREEAM “Excellent”

certification and the WWF

Green Office label, with the aim

of achieving “Outstanding” status

in the future. In the coming

months, 50 e-charging stations

will be installed and further

energy efficiency measures implemented.

Social engagement

also plays a central role, with

initiatives to support local charities,

combat social isolation,

and create learning opportunities

through educational programs.

CC Real:

Rethinking urban

space

This project exemplifies CC

Real‘s mission: to create places

that enrich urban life. As a fully

integrated real estate investment

and asset management company,

CC Real combines development,

architecture, leasing, operations,

and sustainability under

one roof – for faster implementation

and tailor-made, locationspecific

solutions.

The result in ITIS: a center

that is no longer just a place to

shop—but a place to meet, eat,

discover, and belong.


Page 3 T O M

TOP STATEMENT OF THE MONTH May 2025

TOP STATEMENT

May

„I‘m glad I didn‘t

mess it up! Often, the

second generation

runs a company into

the ground.” “

Anders Holch Povlsen, CEO

and owner of the Bestseller

Group, in an exclusive interview

with Textilwirtschaft

magazine when asked if he was

proud of the company‘s 50th

anniversary.

Photo: Jens Nørgaard Larsen/Ritzau Scanpix



Page 5 T O M

ANALYSES May 2025

The figures from the latest CDH statistics show mixed developments in the income and goods turnover of commercial agents in Germany.

Symbolic image: AdobeStock / David

Commercial agencies continue

to focus on their own business

Study shows mixed picture for developments

After two years, the Central

Association of German Trade

Associations for Commercial

Agency and Distribution

(CDH) has once again presented

figures on the development

of commercial agencies‘

brokerage and own business

in cooperation with the Cologne

Institute for Trade Research

(IFH KÖLN).

For the latest CDH statistics

for 2024, a total of 836 commercial

agencies were surveyed

on their sales and earnings

figures as well as cost structure

data for the years 2022 to 2023.

With average gross commission

income of just under 390,000

euros, the business performance

of commercial agents in various

industries was mixed. Overall,

the average gross commission

income of commercial agents

declined slightly by two percent

compared to the previous year.

The decline in average gross

commission income was significantly

stronger in the furniture,

home furnishings, jewelry,

construction, and fashion and

sports accessories sectors (from

-3.4 to -26.9 percent).

By contrast, the medical products/healthcare,

technology/

production materials, and food/

wine/spirits sectors achieved

good growth (between 3.8 and

13.7 percent).Increase in goods

turnover partly higher Overall,

the average goods turnover

per commercial agency was

5,112,495 euros, which represents

a decline of 3.2 percent

compared to 2022. The decline

mainly affected the fashion,

sports, and accessories sectors,

but also furniture, home furnishings,

jewelry, and—despite

higher gross commission income—technical

production

materials. “On the other hand,

sectors such as medical products,

healthcare, and food,

wine, and spirits reported impressive

increases in goods

turnover, which even exceeded

the rise in gross commission income.

This underscores the very

uneven business performance of

commercial agencies,” emphasizes

Eckhard Döpfer, CEO of

CDH.

On average, each full-time employee

of a commercial agency

generated sales of almost €1.4

million and gross commission

income of €81,345 in 2023.

Each employee in the field sales

force of a commercial agency

generated an average of over 3.2

million euros in sales and gross

commission income of 160,520

euros.

Foreign agencies grew In 2024,

the proportion of commercial

agencies that also conduct their

own business declined very

slightly. However, own sales

rose by 5.3 percent, while gross

income from own transactions,

the so-called trade margin, fell

by the same amount.

The respective developments

in the individual economic sectors

varied greatly. In 2024, the

degree of international integration

almost returned to the same

high level as in 2020. The share

of commercial agencies with foreign

agencies grew by two percentage

points to 55.3 percent.

The share of foreign agencies

in all represented companies

rose significantly more strongly,

from 31 to 36 percent.

In the furniture, home furnishings,

and jewelry sector in

particular, both the share of

commercial agents with foreign

representations (79.3 percent)

and its increase of 12 percentage

points compared to 2022

were above average. A slight

increase was also recorded in

the construction sector and in

the technology and production

materials sector.


URBAN CREATORS.

Architecture | Development & Project Management

European Council of Shopping Places (ECSP) Awards: Commendation for Best Renovation/Expansion for centres between 15.000 – 45.000 sqm


Page 7 T O M

ANALYSES May 2025

Consumers particularly like to use their smartphones to find out about products before making a purchase in a brick-and-mortar store.

Symbolic image: Pixabay / nvtrlab

Digital touchpoints boost

brick-and-mortar shopping

Consumers often research products online beforehand

Whether in online shops or

in stores, consumers are increasingly

making their purchasing

decisions based on

comprehensive information.

But how do retailers reach

their target group, and what

role do digital and brick-andmortar

touchpoints play in

purchasing decisions? This is

examined in the latest study,

“Click & Buy vs. Brick & Buy

– The Importance of Online

Information for Purchasing

Decisions and Experiences,”

conducted by ECC KÖLN in

collaboration with 1World-

Sync.

The results show that while

Amazon remains the most important

source of inspiration

before an online purchase (consumer

electronics 59 percent,

sports & leisure 54 percent, food

44 percent, beauty & cosmetics

40 percent), it is hardly surprising

that in-store presentation

is a key factor in offline shopping

(food 46 percent, beauty

& cosmetics 43 percent, sports

& leisure 40 percent, consumer

electronics 34 percent). However,

the customer journey often

begins online even before the

in-store purchase: For example,

44 percent of consumers first

encounter consumer electronics

products via search engines. In

the beauty and cosmetics industry,

36 percent of buyers became

aware of products through advertising

on social media before

purchasing them in-store.

Linking sales

channels

„The results clearly show that

online touchpoints are also becoming

more relevant before

brick-and-mortar purchases.

Close integration of all sales

channels is essential to offer

customers a consistent shopping

experience. Retailers who make

targeted use of online information

and activities are better able

to engage customers at the point

of sale and inspire them to choose

their brand,“ says Cassandra

Bolz, Senior Project Manager at

ECC KÖLN.

Overall, social media channels

are now an important source of

inspiration with great potential,

both before digital and brickand-mortar

purchases. Forty-six

percent of consumers follow influencers

on social media who

regularly promote products,

among other things. Among

those under 30, the figure is as

high as 76 percent.

Important point

of contact before

purchase

The most popular platform for

inspiration before a purchase –

both online and in-store – is Instagram,

by a clear margin across

all industries. TikTok is particularly

relevant in the beauty and

cosmetics sector: a good third of

consumers have already become

aware of products via this channel,

which they then purchased

online (33 percent) or in-store

(34 percent).

Smartphones have long been an

indispensable shopping companion:

across all industries,

customers use them on site

to compare prices (consumer

electronics 68 percent, sports

& leisure 61 percent, beauty &

cosmetics 43 percent, food 33

percent) and access customer

programs (CE/beauty & cosmetics

57 percent, food 56 percent,

sports & leisure 53 percent). At

the same time, there is a growing

demand for online product information

even when shopping

in brick-and-mortar stores –

especially when the information

on the packaging is insufficient

(CE 59 percent, sports & leisure

39 percent, beauty & cosmetics

30 percent, food 12 percent) or

there is a lack of staff on the sales

floor (CE 45 percent, sports

& leisure 39 percent, beauty &

cosmetics 31 percent, food 15

percent).

Smartphones as a

bridge

In addition, appealing online

information reduces price sensitivity

by an average of 24 percent.

„Many companies recognize

the importance of digital

touchpoints in brick-and-mortar

retail, but are not exploiting

their potential. Yet smartphones,

which are always at our side, offer

a clever way to link online

and offline experiences. It is

crucial that digital content not

only meets the high information

needs of customers, but is also

interactive and inspiring,“ comments

Stephan Bieringa, Managing

Director of 1WorldSync

GmbH, on the study.


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Page 9 T O M

INTERVIEW May 2025

„Business parks are either an attractive

format for commercial logistics”

Interview with Christin Schulz, Head of the Northern Region at Aurelis Real Estate GmbH

In recent years, Aurelis Real

Estate GmbH has focused on

the development, implementation,

and leasing of large

logistics spaces. The company

leases over one million square

meters of commercial space

at dozens of locations throughout

Germany. Retail logistics

is becoming an increasingly

important part of its business.

TOM editor-in-chief Thorsten

Müller spoke with Christin

Schulz, who is responsible for

this area in the Northern Region.

TOM: Aurelis is focusing on

a new format, the “business

park.” Can you briefly outline

what this is all about?

Christin Schulz: The demand

for commercial space with the

possibility of housing production

and administration under

one roof has risen steadily in recent

years. The business park is

primarily intended to appeal to

companies whose core business

is storage and logistics. But it is

also aimed at smaller industrial

and craft businesses as well

as start-ups. The share of trade

logistics has increased significantly

due to the growth of

e-commerce. The premises can

accommodate light production

and manufacturing as well as research

and development. They

can also be used as warehouses.

TOM: What exactly is important

in terms of design?

Christin Schulz: We want to

make almost every conceivable

use concept possible in the business

parks. As a rule, this works

well. Where things get a little

tricky, such as cooling for food

logistics, the tenants usually

provide the equipment themselves.

Our aim for all properties is

to create a high level of recognition

and a pleasant working

environment for customers and

employees. We like to call this a

“campus character.” Of course,

this also includes an appropriate

amount of small green oases

and the option of offering certain

activities during breaks or

immediately after work, such

as dining options or a visit to a

gym, through our cooperating

rental partners on site.

Christin Schulz has been with Aurelis since 2017 and has been head of the Hamburg regional office

since 2019.

Photo: Aurelis

TOM: What requirements

must the location meet?

Christin Schulz: The space

should be around 30,000 square

meters, close to the city, and

ideally have good public transportation

connections so that

companies such as Picnic can

keep their delivery promises.

In order to offer tenants the

greatest possible flexibility, the

space sizes start at around 600

square meters and can be expanded

flexibly.

TOM: How many such business

parks already exist or are

planned?

Christin Schulz: In the northern

region, for which I am responsible,

we have been able to realize

three so far, and several more

are in the planning stage. The

situation is similar in the other

regions. I am very confident about

the rapid expansion of this

new format.

TOM: How do you see the

market at the moment? Is there

really enough demand for

your parks?

Christin Schulz: Last year saw

a slump in the large-scale logistics

sector, and e-commerce also

took a hit, but both are now showing

signs of recovery. Demand

for small spaces remains stable.

However, we are seeing a general

trend toward longer negotiation

processes.

Small and medium-sized companies

in particular are finding

it difficult to make decisions. In

short, we are currently dealing

with more cautious customers.

Our corporate strategy allows

us to focus on cities and markets

that meet our requirements

and where we are also willing to

build speculatively. As soon as

we have identified significant

demand, we take action.

TOM What are you and your

customers currently most concerned

about?

Christin Schulz: Basically, all

topics related to sustainability

and ESG. E-mobility is an

important keyword here, and

with it charging stations, which

must be available in sufficient

numbers in our parks. Photovoltaics

and green spaces on

roofs or timber construction are

further examples. Our customer

Alnatura, for whom we are

currently building a logistics

center in Groß-Rohrheim, has

very high requirements in this

area, which we must of course

meet.


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Page 11 T O M

GUEST CONTRIBUTION May 2025

From parking space to key resource:

charging infrastructure as

part of integrated location development

Article by Kien Khang-Le, expert at Eliso, service provider for electric vehicle charging stations

What used to be just a parking

space is now increasingly

becoming a strategic interface

between energy, mobility,

and consumer behavior. With

the growing number of electric

vehicles, not only is the

cityscape changing, but so is

the role of spaces that were

previously intended solely as

parking spaces. Especially in

urban areas, where private

charging options are scarce,

public space is becoming a

crucial resource.

Public charging infrastructure

has enormous potential, especially

in areas where mobility

meets high visitor traffic, such

as in the vicinity of retail and

local amenities. And although

demand and interest are growing

steadily, this opportunity

remains untapped in many

places. But how can retailers

successfully enter the e-mobility

market? Which models are

economically viable? And what

is important when it comes to

implementation?

Operator or partner

– setting the

strategic course

The development of public

charging infrastructure requires,

above all, players who not

only have suitable space at their

disposal, but also have an economic

interest in making their

locations attractive and futureproof.

This is where owners of

retail, leisure, and utility properties

with their own parking

spaces come into play. They can

sensibly link length of stay and

customer frequency with charging

needs—while at the same

time establishing new service

structures that secure long-term

competitive advantages.

The Building Electromobility

Infrastructure Act (GEIG) makes

it clear that anyone operating

properties with customer

traffic today will also have to

Kien Khang Le, charging infrastructure expert at eliso

provide charging infrastructure

tomorrow. The regulatory requirements

create a binding framework,

but also an opportunity to

not only enable electromobility,

but also to actively shape it.

An important first step is to decide

whether property owners

want to become active operators

of charging stations themselves

and whether they are prepared

to bear the high investment

costs, which vary depending on

the charging system. Alternatively,

parking spaces can be leased

to an external operator.

The advantage here is that external

operators not only have

the necessary technical expertise

and experience in project

management, but also bear the

financial costs. They take care

of permits, grid connections,

standardized billing systems,

service, maintenance – and ensure

long-term operation with

certified green electricity.

This makes charging infrastructure

an integral part of real

estate owners‘ location strategy

– without burdening their core

business.

The basis:

good planning

Regardless of the model chosen,

one thing is certain: sound

planning is essential. Location

analyses, future scenarios, legal

requirements – if you don‘t

think ahead, you may end up

investing in something that

doesn‘t fit the reality.

But if you act with foresight

now, you will not only position

yourself as a pioneer in e-mobility,

but also open up new opportunities

in a place that was

previously only intended for

parking.

T

TOPS

Essential News About The Players In In

The Retail Real Property Estate Market In in Germany

IMPRINT

Photo: Eliso

O M

OF THE MONTH

TOM

TOPS

OPS F THE ONTH

OF THE

MONTH

RETAIL REAL ESTATE

Publisher:

Business News Group GmbH

Address:

Alexanderstraße 16

45130 Essen

Germany

Tel. 0049-201-874 55 28

Web: www.hi-heute.de

Mail: tom@hi-heute.de

Frequency of publication:

monthly

Circulation: approx. 5000 copies

sent by e-mail

Editorial team: Susanne Müller,

Thorsten Müller

Responsible in terms of press

law: Thorsten Müller

Layout: K4-PR, Essen

THE HOT

INTERVIE

+++ PART

ANALYSE

presente

March


www.wisag.de

Your shopping centre in the best hands

Perfect cleanliness, uncompromising security and optimum service:

all this keeps not only the customers satisfied, but also tenants and

owners. With our tailored solutions and experience, you will benefit

from optimum management costs. And at all times, we have value

retention and the sustained development of your centre in mind.

We go one step further for you.

Joaquin Jimenez Zabala

Tel. +49 162 7861-324 joaquin.jimenez.zabala@wisag.de


Page 13 T O M

CITY AND RETAIL May 2025

Berlin: Tourism drives growth in retail

German capital remains top shopping destination

COMFORT, in cooperation

with CIMA Beratung + Management

GmbHand under

the leadership of Björn Gottschling

on behalf of COM-

FORT and Olaf Petersen on

behalf of CIMA, has published

“Insight Berlin,” another

report on the market situation

for retail real estate in prime

locations in Germany‘s shopping

metropolises.

The research institutes‘ spring

reports reinforce the conclusion

that Germany‘s economic

downturn is likely to be more

persistent than hoped. Against

the backdrop of current events

such as the recently imposed

US tariffs, they now only expect

average growth of 0.1 percent.

However, the subsequent suspension

of these tariffs for 90

days had not yet been factored

in. So there is still hope for improvement.

The institutes expect

growth of 1.3 percent for

2026.

Tourism once again provided

tailwind for the German retail

sector. Nationwide, the number

of tourist overnight stays recorded

by official statistics reached

an all-time high, slightly above

the previous peak year of 2019.

The big cities were among the

main beneficiaries, with the

German capital Berlin as the

undisputed leader. A good 30.6

million overnight stays were recorded

there, around three percent

more than in the previous

year.

The only German

global city

With around 3.8 million inhabitants,

the federal capital is by far

the largest city in Germany. “It

is not only because of this, but

also because of its extraordinarily

diverse cultural scene and

distinctive trendsetting qualities

that it is the only true German

cosmopolitan city,” says Olaf

Petersen. “It is a global place

to be, which international retailers

also need to occupy.”

Berlin also continues to be a rapidly

growing city. Since 2019

alone, the metropolis has gained

around 170,000 residents,

which is equivalent to the population

of a medium-sized city.

Tourism in Berlin is boosting retail in the German capital. Symbolic image: AdobeStock / Flyinger

The success of Berlin‘s retail

sector is based on a huge catchment

area that includes not

only the city itself but also large

parts of Brandenburg. It has a

total population of around 5.5

million. Added to this is the

high number of tourists. Unlike

other German cities, Berlin‘s retail

landscape has a polycentric

structure. On the one hand, there

are the top city locations with

the core areas of Kurfürstendamm/Tauentzienstraße

in the

west and Alexanderplatz in the

east, which have also been shaped

by German history. These

are complemented by Wilmersdorfer

Straße and Schlossstraße

in the west, as well as Hackescher

Markt and Friedrichstraße

as further city locations. These

six locations alone generated

total retail sales of around €4.9

billion in 2024. And this on

a total sales area of just under

650,000 square meters.

In addition, there are a large

number of neighborhood locations

– the “Kieze” – as well

as shopping centers, some of

which are integrated into the

classic locations, but some of

which also operate largely independently.

With more than 40

such shopping centers, Berlin is

also at the forefront of German

cities in this respect. Against

this backdrop, there is considerable

competitive pressure between

the individual locations.

In particular, some peripheral

and aging centers, as well as

those that are no longer in line

with the challenges of online retail,

are undergoing a pronounced

repositioning phase. Mixeduse

qualities are increasingly in

demand here.

In line with the market, purchase

prices in Berlin‘s absolute

prime locations have now fallen

noticeably. Kurfürstendamm

and Tauentzienstraße remain at

the top of the rankings, where

purchase prices of up to 25-28

times the annual rent are realistic

for outstanding properties

with sustainable rental levels.

However, Alexanderplatz, Hackescher

Markt, and Schlossstraße,

as well as central locations

such as Leipziger Platz

and good district/neighborhood

locations, remain attractive to

investors. There is currently a

lot to report on specific deals,

with a focus on the Signa estate.

The largest purchase, with a volume

of more than €400 million,

was the acquisition of the Upper

West ensemble, including the

former German Signa headquarters,

by the Schoeller Group at

the beginning of 2025. Other

former Signa properties that

changed hands include Tauentzienstraße

20 (formerly Schuhhaus

Leiser, new owner Midstad),

the P1 parking garage at

KaDeWe (purchaser Quantum)

and the former Hotel Ellington

(Passauer Straße, purchaser Vivion).

Among a large number of other

recent deals, the acquisition

of the Schloss-Straßen-Center

(SSC) by the Porth Group (seller

Pinebridge) and the Kant

Center by Kintyre together

with ATPG Angelo Gordon are

particularly noteworthy. In the

immediate vicinity in Wustermark,

the French Frey Group

has also acquired the Designer

Outlet Berlin from McArthur-

Glen. Further transactions were

recorded at Kurfürstendamm

199, Wilmersdorfer Straße 117,

Münzstraße 18 at Hackescher

Markt and Friedrichstraße 210.

The buyers were mostly private

investors.

„In contrast to the general development

on the investment

market for retail properties, the

rental market, which had temporarily

slumped, has picked up

significantly again since mid-

2021,” says Andreas Kogge,

partner at COMFORT Berlin

GmbH. In 2024, a very respectable

rental result of around

500,000 square meters was

achieved across Germany. With

its size and unique mix of locations

in the absolute prime locations

of City West and East, the

Berlin market benefits from special

attention from well-known

and innovative tenants. Kurfürstendamm

and Tauentzienstraße

are still considered the

most important and best-known

shopping boulevards, with the

best section between KaDeWe

and Olivaer Platz.Interested

parties can request complete information

on Insight Berlin free

of charge from COMFORT.


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Page 17 T O M

MAP OF THE MONTH May 2025

Industry Density, Germany 2025

The Geomarketing Map of the Month for May shows the

regional distribution of industry density in Germany in

2025. According to the latest GfK Base Data, the industry

density, i.e. the number of industrial employees per 1,000

inhabitants, is especially in the old federal states above

average. The district of Wolfsburg is in first place by some

distance, with 494 out of every 1,000 inhabitants working

in the industrial sector. The districts of Schweinfurt and

Ingolstadt follow in second and third place with an industrial

density of 405 and 306 respectively. The first eastern

German district is Sonneberg in 65th place, with 109 industrial

employees per 1,000 inhabitants. Bringing up the

rear is the Potsdam district, where the industry density is

just 3.

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