A new 640 sqm KiK store is going to be opened in the retail park Funshop Park in Focsani. The new retail park belongs to a chain developed by a Polish company Scallier in small and medium Romanian cities. As part of the new chain, by the end of 2022, at least 6 retail parks will be completed with a total area of nearly 40,000 sqm. The company is now involved in advanced talks with the aim to secure more locations for further retail parks. Scallier is also successively concluding talks on leases. In 2021 three Funshop Parks will be opened: in Rosiorii de Vede (6,300 sqm), Focsani (5,000 sqm) and Mosnita near Timisoara (10,600 sqm).
Signing the contract with the recognized retail chain KiK, which is one of the largest German retail labels, is for us an attestation of the high-quality product and the correctness of the business assumptions regarding our development on the Romanian market. Retail parks created under the Funshop Park brand will be tailored – to as much degree as possible – to the requirements of the local communities in respect of their retail, catering and services offer. The quality of the space we deliver is of key importance to us, and to prove the high standards we adhere to, all Funshop Parks will be certified under the BREEAM standard, says Wojciech Jurga, Managing Partner at Scallier, who is responsible for the company’s development on the Romanian market.
Romania holds enormous potential, which stems from the growing purchasing power of its citizens and from modern retail being practically absent outside the main cities. Over 31 percent of all modern retail space in Romania (3.96 million sqm) is found in Bucharest. Smaller towns population expects modern shopping in locations closer to their homes. Funshop Parks fills in this gap by delivering a unique solution that incorporates food and catering, which distinguishes them from the retail parks built in Poland, adds Wojciech Jurga.
Retail parks are also, to a large extent, the kind of assets that is resilient to market fluctuations, as a solution compatible with e-commerce. The small retail formats are tailored as much as possible to the nature of smaller cities.