Information first came up early this year about Ergun Ergen returning as a consultant at Anchor but eventually a decision was made to give him back the reins of the group.
Anchor Grup lost is CEO in the summer of 2011 when Ibrahim Paksoy left the position he had held since 2006, after the departure of Ali Ergun Ergen. Murat Kazaz, executive board member of the FIBA Group, the owner of Anchor, which had replaced almost every member of its management during the crisis, took over until a replacement was found.
Ali Ergun Ergen’s job is to restore Bucuresti Mall and Plaza Romania, which were the capital city’s top shopping centers in 2005 to their former position.
Back then there were only three really important shopping centers in the city – Bucuresti Mall, Plaza Romania and Unirea. In the meantime, the number has gone up to 15. Moreover, the biggest malls in the city, AFI Palace Cotroceni and Sun Plaza are just a few kilometers away from Plaza and Bucuresti Mall, so that the fight for clients is really fierce.
Anchor officials did not say too much about the future plans of the group, only that they included devising a long-term strategy that takes into account the new trends of the market, as well as of the lifestyle center consumer.
One of the first modifications will be the opening of the Mega Image supermarket inside Plaza Romania soon, which replaces the G’Market. Both Plaza and Bucuresti Mall will undergo renovation to keep up with the newer malls. The two also need work on the entertainment part of the business, which is less profitable but generates more traffic.
Things have somewhat changed since Ergun Ergen’s previous stint at the helm of Anchor Grup. The company has developed an office building (Anchor Plaza) and a residential complex (InCity Residences) in the meantime and another office building (Anchor Plaza Metropol) was at one time under the construction on the Timisoara Boulevard (close to Plaza) but has not been finished because of the lack of tenants.
Anchor also owns land in Bucharest, which it planned to use for housing and office development.
(English version by Loredana Frățilă-Cristescu)