NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in CEE, said its net operating income rose 11.2% year-on-year to a record €618 million in 2025, while the distributable earnings increased 6.7% to €441 million.
In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum 2025 in Vienna, Marek Noetzel, COO of NEPI Rockcastle and incoming CEO from April 2026, shares his outlook on retail trade across the region, the company's growth strategy and his priorities for the next phase of leadership.
Retail developers continue to accelerate expansion plans across Romania, with projects totalling more than 750,000 sqm currently in construction and planning stages for delivery until 2029, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
Office development activity in Bucharest accelerated over the past year, with the volume of projects currently under construction exceeding 200,000 sqm of gross leasable area, the highest level since 2021. At least eight new office buildings are expected to be delivered by the end of 2028, according to a report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
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.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marek Noetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026. Noetzel, who has served as the company's COO since June 2022, will succeed current CEO Rüdiger Dany.
Nepi Rockcastle has inaugurated its first photovoltaic park in Chișineu-Criș, Arad County, Romania, marking a milestone in the shopping centre developer's sustainability efforts.
Nepi Rockcastle successfully issued a €500 million green bond that was eightfold oversubscribed, with an orderbook exceeding €4 billion from over 200 international investors.
Nepi Rockcastle, Europe's third-largest listed retail real estate company by portfolio value, reported a 12.1% year-on-year increase in net operating income (NOI) in the first half of 2025, reaching €307 million. The company's investment property portfolio exceeded €8 billion for the first time in its history, supported by acquisitions completed in 2024 and active asset management. Vacancy remained low at 1.6%.
NEPI Rockcastle has fully sold all 254 apartments at Vulcan Residence, its first residential project in Bucharest, which was developed with a total investment of approximately €25 million.
NEPI Rockcastle a new 54.1 MW greenfield photovoltaic park in Chișineu-Criș, Arad County, as part of an investment program worth €110 million.
NE Property BV, part of the NEPI Rockcastle Group, has obtained a €190 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility from a banking consortium in Romania.
NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centers in Romania, aims to cover its electricity consumption exclusively from renewable sources by the end of 2026.
The shopping center, with a total lettable area of more than 88,400 sqm, occupies a dominant position in Katowice.
The disposable income gap between CEE economies, which are enjoying solid economic expansion, and stagnating Western European countries is narrowing fast. This is buoying consumer spending in markets like Poland and Romania and attracting international and regional retailers to large modern shopping centres that dominate the CEE's shopping and experience landscapes, while also offering higher margins and lower costs, NEPI Rockcastle's latest research concludes.
Property group NEPI Rockcastle has purchased a photovoltaic project in Arad County, Western Romania and plans to start its construction in early 2025.
NEPI Rockcastle has completed the expansion works for the Shopping City Ploiești project.
The project, located in Bucharest's 13 Septembrie area, has already been 80% sold, reflecting increased buyer confidence and interest.
Romania's eCommerce market reached approximately €8.1 billion in 2025 and could exceed €8.5 billion in 2026. However, growth is entering a more competitive phase than in previous years, according to a report by MerchantPro.
Foundever, a customer experience service provider, has opened a new office in Bucharest, marking expansion in Romania and CEE. The company plans to grow its local team to over 140 employees throughout 2026, with current capacity for 180 workstations and room for further expansion.
The National Road Investment Company (CNIR) has submitted documentation to the National Public Procurement Agency for the tender of an Express Road connecting the A0 Bucharest North Motorway to the future Terminal 2 of Henri Coandă-Otopeni International Airport. The estimated investment value exceeds RON 400 million (€80 million).
Romanians work some of the longest hours in Europe, with an average of 38.8 hours per week surpassing the European Union average according to Eurostat.
Alive Capital, a green energy supplier and integrated services platform for renewable energy producers, has signed a collaboration agreement with Sieyuan Electric.