“The return to growth is our 2021 mission and the focus will be on several key avenues: recovering the occupancy rate lost during the pandemic, consolidation of strategic tenants, vital for the activity of the group and capitalization on new opportunities – new tenants, new developments in shopping centers,” says Gianluca Martora (39), Winmarkt Romania chief executive officer.
The steps taken by the authorities and their impact on the economy also showed in the occupancy of the Winmarkt shopping centers, which dropped from 97.6% to 94%. The figures are still good, but one can notice the impact of the closing of stores by some tenants affected by the pandemic, the CEO says.
The first three months of this year will remain difficult for the shopping centers that will have to cope with the restrictions imposed by authorities. However, implementation of an effective vaccination plan should lead to a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases and a gradual lifting of those restrictions, followed by economic and consumer spending rebound in the second half, Gianluca Martora added.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)