As the economic recovery continues to take hold throughout Europe, a number of hotly anticipated new retail developments have sprung up to boost local economies.
One of the most exciting is the Mall of Scandinavia, in Stockholm, which has been given the title “Home of the Flagships” thanks to the number of international retailers keen to take up units within the 100,000 square metre shopping centre.
This week, owner Unibail-Rodamco has confirmed that a mammoth 24,723 square metres of the available commercial space has already been taken up by some of Europe’s largest retail and leisure chains. Firms such as the Inditex Group, department store Åhléns and Disney will all be present in the mall, which will become the largest shopping centre in Scandinavia, when it opens in autumn 2015.
Åhléns has acquired a mammoth 6,000 square metre space to showcase the department store’s collection of menswear, women’s clothing, accessories and home and beauty products. It will feature an Åhléns Wellness centre, with the 300 square metre facility offering consumers classes in fitness training, yoga and running.
Chief executive of Åhléns, Gregg Mowins, believes the large store will allow the brand to explore layout options and establish an even stronger presence in Scandinavia.
He says; “The establishment will be a good opportunity for us to show where Åhléns is moving strategically and to set the standard of future stores.
“We are doing this by establishing our new city concept, with the latest range of local and external brands, and investing in new retail spaces, such as Åhléns Wellness, our café concept Café A Lait and a new children’s concept.
“The latter concept will accommodate children’s clothing, home furnishings and toys, all in the same place.”
The Inditex Group, which owns brands such as Zara, Stradivarius and Massimo Dutti, has chosen to take out a number of units which, in total, add up to a total floor space of 4,800 square metres. Disney, meanwhile, will use its first store in Stockholm to showcase new technology designed to give consumers a fully interactive experience whilst shopping.
Elsewhere, consumers visiting Mall of Scandinavia will be well served by the extensive leisure offering which now includes brands such as Filmstaden Scandinavia, O’Leary’s restaurant and Vapiano, a German chain specialising in Italian cuisine. Filmstaden Scandinavia will not only operate 15 cinema screens within its 9,000 square metre unit, but will also utilise the main auditorium to house an IMAX cinema with 500 seats.
Unibail-Rodamco’s Nordic regions managing director, Lars-Åke Tollemark, says; “The addition of these major fashion and leisure brands provides our customers with an attractive and diverse range of retail options.
“This reinforces our firm belief that Mall of Scandinavia will be the quintessential HQ for the very best in global shopping.”
