Ing Re: retail sales growth positive in CEE

The firm, which launched its European Retail View report at the Cannes event last week, predicted that prime high street retail and prime shopping centers would be the most resilient sub-sector of the market, as retailers aim for the best units in the best locations. It expects rental levels to remain firm in most prime locations, before picking up by 2010.
The ‘Big Five' European countries, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK will regain their retail real estate investment market share in 2009, says Jones Lang LaSalle in its latest research.The five countries have seen their market share of total European retail investment volume trade slump from 80 percent in 2004 to 45 percent in 2008, according to research released at MAPIC.”Investors are now focusing on real estate with strong defensive qualities and are increasingly considering fundamentals such as market, location, scale, tenant covenant, merchandising and quality, and we believe that shopping centers in the more mature and larger Western European economies offer these qualities,' said Neville Moss, Jones Lang LaSalle's head of European retail research.