The April 2017 edition includes:

COVER STORY

ECE wins top spot in retail developer ranking
Three recently completed projects in Poland have helped propel pan-European shopping centre specialist ECE to the top spot of PropertyEU’s annual ranking of the leading retail developers in Europe. The Hamburg-based company moved from third to first position this year after completing just under 400,000 m2 of projects between 2014 and 2016.

CEE retail gains ground
CEE accounted for four of the 10 biggest retail schemes completed in 2014-16, according to PropertyEU’s latest Top Retail Developers survey. Hamburg-based ECE takes the top spot thanks to new schemes like Zielone Arkady in Poland.

INTERVIEW

Pradera reboots
Pradera CEO David Fletcher outlines how the firm has stepped up a gear with the €900 mln acquisition of Ikea’s European portfolio of retail parks thanks to a capital injection from LJ Partnership.

DEALS

Light industrial
Blackstone’s three major light industrial deals in 2016 form the pillars for a new European platform, alongside its existing ones for offices, shopping malls and logistics.

Hostel takeover
Queensgate Investments opens a new avenue into the European hospitality sector with its €450 mln Generator Hostel acquisition from Patron Capital and Invesco Real Estate.

INVESTMENT & FINANCE

Vastned exits Turkey
Dutch high street specialist Vastned quits Turkey due to growing political uncertainties but Blackstone’s Multi Corporation stays put.

Russian losses
CEE mall owner Atrium European RE saw earnings per share slip 6% in 2016 following a 15% decline in net rental income from its Russian operations.

INVESTMENT BRIEFINGS

Scottish welcome
The Scottish Cities Alliance (SCA) has put a comprehensive strategy in place to promote Scotland’s main cities and attract foreign investment into the country’s real estate sector.

Rise of proptech
Awareness of new technologies and pressure to adopt them is increasing to maximise efficiency and drive up the value of a property.

Human capital
A new index created by LaSalle IM tracks the stock of human capital across Europe, identifying which cities are productive and resilient to downturns.