EUR 40 million - this is the value of sales of a modern retail park with extension opportunity in Andrychów. The buyer of the joint project of the Belgian developer Equilis and the company specializing in the development of Acteeum shopping centers was the Israeli company BIG Shopping Centres. Both Equilis and Acteeum will allocate the profit from the sale of the gallery to expansion in Poland.
Galeria Andrychów is the largest retail park opened in Poland in 2021. The gallery has a leasable area of 24,000 m², in the offer of over 30 stores, including Lidl supermarket, DIY Leroy Merlin construction market, electronics and household appliances store, drugstores, clothing and shoe stores. Galeria Andrychów, the power center of a retail park format, is Equilis' second investment in Poland. In addition to the facility in Małopolska, the Belgian developer has completed Galeria Chełm in Poland.
"Our joint business model with Acteeum in the retail real estate segment assumes the construction, commercialization and subsequent sale of retail projects. That is why we are glad that Galeria Andrychów is in good hands. The excellent location of the retail park and its growing popularity among the residents of Andychów, the vicinity of Krakow and Bielsko-Biała make us confident about the development of this place. Our investments, including Galeria Chełm, are being developed in attractive locations, tailored to local needs. At Galeria Chełm, a record was set for visitors - more than 1.6 million people crossed the thresholds of Galeria Chelm, the same number as in all of 2021” – said Anna Dużyńska, President of the Management Board of Equilis Poland.
This is not the last investment of Equilis. The company intends to use the funds obtained from the sale for further development in Poland.
“The generated profit will be used for the acquisition of commercial real estate or the purchase of plots for retail parks, which we will build, commercialize and sell. A retail park is a format that works well in the suburbs of agglomerations and in smaller towns. But we do not stop at the commercial segment. Already in the next year, we will start the implementation of residential projects in Warsaw. We feel better and better on the Polish market and despite some limitations, such as the lack of land for investments, we are optimistic about further development” - added Anna Dużyńska.
“Galeria Andrychów was the largest retail park opened in 2021 in Poland. In 2021, the park won the prestigious «Future Project» award of the 13th edition of the EuropaProperty CEE Retail & Marketplace Award. Galeria Andrychów is completely commercialized, with lease agreements signed for 100% of the space. Since its opening on November 25, 2021 the power center has served the nearly 200,000 inhabitants of the city and the surrounding area. We see the success as an inspiration for the new schemes we are now preparing for the market” – said Tomasz Szewczyk, President of the Management Board Acteeum Central Europe.
About the Equilis
Equilis is a family business from Belgium, founded in 2006. The developer's strategy is diversification - both geographical and sectoral. The company is present in 6 European countries - in a belt stretching from Spain, through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, to Poland. It specializes in commercial and residential real estate. Globally, Equilis is not only about trade and housing, but also revitalization projects, retirement homes, dormitories and public spaces. Equilis opened its headquarters in Poland at the end of 2016. The first commercial project, together with Acteeum, was the construction of Galeria Chełm, which was commissioned in March 2020. The motto of Equilis is to create places where people build their happy stories.
