Business Forum • 29 August, 2024 at 11:14 AM
Romania's retail stock expanded by around 106,000 sqm during H1 2026, with another 205,000 sqm under development that could help the country reach the 5 million sqm milestone at the end of 2026, according to a Colliers report.
After years of new supply being dominated by retail parks in medium and small towns, Colliers' consultants anticipate a shift in the retail market towards projects with larger investment volumes
During 2024, the biggest openings were Argeș Mall (51,400 sqm) developed by Prime Kapital/MAS REI, followed by Comtex's Aurora Mall in Giurgiu spanning 13,500 sqm and OK Shopping Center Bistrița with 9,200 sqm.
“It is a dynamic period for the retail market, with a considerable number of projects in various stages of development, many of them under construction. By the end of 2024, the stock of projects could exceed 4.6 million square meters. Analyzing consumption trends, after years of high inflation, the situation is improving. Employment and wages are once again growing faster than inflation, and consumer confidence, according to Eurostat, is approaching pre-pandemic highs,” says Liana Dumitru, Director Retail Agency at Colliers.
Colliers' estimate for 2025 predicts around 200,000 sqm of new deliveries, including the expansion of Mall of Moldova in Iași by Prime Kapital/MAS REI, which will add 62,000 sqm.
Simina Niculiță, Director | Partener | Retail Agency at Colliers, added that there is increasing interest from developers in large-scale mall or mixed-use projects in the coming years.