Meyer Bergman announces the Q4 2017 performance figures for its 624,300 sq ft (58,000 m2) Forum Nová Karolina and 376,737 sq ft (35,000 m2) Futurum Hradec Králové centers, Czech Republic. The country is a hotspot for retailing, following a living wage rise of around 7%, which has had a positive knock-on result on sales across the country.
With consumer spending growing faster than that of the rate of inflation, and spend per person is the highest in CEE, retailing has become the Country’s primary market driver. At Forum Nová Karolina, sales increased by 9% in total for 2017 with total sales reporting an 8% upturn in Q4 2017. Footfall numbers also saw an increase of 4% for the year, as well as achieving record day footfall since the center’s opening with 55,000 customers during its annual Oktoberfest event. Futurum Hradec Králové witnessed a 4% overall increase in sales, with a remarkable uplift in November and December by a respective 13% and 10%.
2017 was also a strong year for leasing both centres with over 21 deals signed in Forum Nova Karolina, Ostrava, including new brands to the local fashion jewellery brand TOUS (37 sqm, 399 sq ft), footwear brand Loake Shoes (97 sqm, 1,044 sq ft), and iStores, the premium reseller of Apple products, upsized into a unit twice its original area. The new (194 sqm, 2,088 sq ft) shop is now the biggest in the Czech Republic and the retailers’ flagship store.
23 deals were signed in Futurum Hradec Králové. Landmark deals included the first 10,764 sq ft (130m2) Starbucks to open in the North and East of Prague.
Peter Evans Vice President at Meyer Bergman, commented: “The positive sales and footfall figures at Forum Nová Karolina and Futurum Hradec Králove are a testament to the economic growth that Czech consumers are benefiting from. They are voting with their feet, and as a result, we are delighted to have introduced a series of new and exclusive brands to our centers. We aim to solidify their place as the retail and leisure destinations of choice for the people of Ostrava and Hradec Králove.”
Since acquiring Futurum Hradec Králové and Forum Nová Karolina, Meyer Bergman has been actively working to broaden the caliber of brands at the centers. There is a definite strategy to strengthen further the tenant mix with new and exclusive international brands, which elevate its appeal to the catchment area and tourism market.
