S-Park in Kaposvár, Hungary
This is according to a study presented by Mapic, the European commercial real estate trade show.
Retail parks cover more than 40 million square meters
According to the source, the total area of retail parks in Europe reached 42.7 million square meters, while the vacancy rate stood at just 1.2%. Against the backdrop of a supply shortage, rental rates rose by 3.5% over the year, and yields on prime properties reached 5.9%.
The United Kingdom remains the largest market, with 10.2 million square meters of space concentrated in more than 1,500 retail parks. This sector accounted for 3.8 billion pounds in investments.
France has about 1,200 properties with a total area of 7 million square meters. These account for nearly a quarter of the country’s total retail space. In 2025, retail parks attracted about 30% of the 3 billion euros in investment in the commercial real estate market.
Germany has one of the lowest vacancy rates among Europe’s largest markets—3.5% across 4,500 properties. The country accounted for 49% of all investment in European retail real estate in 2025.
Most of the growth in retail parks is in the east
Poland accounts for 40% to 50% of all new retail park projects in Europe. More than 60 projects are currently underway in the country, and the return on investment exceeds 7%—one of the highest rates in the EU. According to analysts’ estimates, this segment will account for 59% of investment volume in the Polish market in 2025.
Spain is following the same pattern. Approximately 250,000 square meters of new space is currently under construction. Last year, up to 80% of all new retail properties commissioned in the country were located in out-of-town retail parks.
Demand is driven by major European chains. German discounters Lidl and Aldi continue to expand; fashion brands H&M, Zara, and Kiabi account for more than a third of leased space; and the home goods segment is showing annual growth of 65% thanks to players such as JYSK.
Market participants expect that by 2026, the annual volume of new retail park completions in Europe will approach 1 million square meters.
Investors’ focus on retail parks is driven by a combination of several factors: steady consumer demand, a shortage of available space, and the growing role of e-commerce. At the same time, retail parks are becoming part of online retailers’ logistics chains, handling order pickups and returns.
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